Can a duck die of shock?

When I came home from work this afternoon my husband was really sad. More than sad really, sort of in shock. Our 1 1/2 year old Muscovy duck had died. A few days ago, a huge bear had come on our property and chased the chickens and ducks. Lately, we had been letting the ducks and chickens out to free range only 2 -3 hours a day under strict supervision. This is the wildest place that I have ever lived. Coyotes, cougars, bears....Oh Boy. Too many.

Well this great, drooling bear chased the girls until husband chased the @#%$$ away...twice. It had had the poor things on the run as Wes had gone in for only a few minutes to get the coyote injured Cuckoo Maran is almost ready to go back in the coop and he wanted to put her in the first aid cage. Anyway, O'Day, our beautiful Muscovy had pulled a tendon/twisted her leg and was suffering with it. She seemed a little off, but was eating. Wes brought her into his studio to sit on his lap (one of her favourite things) as he was painting on his computer (he's an illustrator) and would be sitting for an hour or two. Later in the day he left for about 1/2 hr and she wagged her tail goodbye. When he came home she was dead. We are devestated. Why would a healthy young duck die? Could she have been in shock? We will all really miss her.







Holly will miss her.

Having just lost two very personable Muscovies that just seemed to vanish Ito thin air, I feel your sorrow, but have no answers to your question. The only thing I can think of is internal damage or coincidence.

Sorry :

I think shock can kill an animal. Shock can kill a person.

You have my sympathy. I have had it up to here with bears and their rampaging ways. They destroy everything in their path. Brutes. SOrry for your duck, but I do feel that extreme fright can have a fatal effect.

Oh no, that is an awful thing to have happen, and I feel badly for you both, and the dog too. I bet that stress can cause a bird to just up and die, we don't know what goes on in their hearts, sad day, and not good. You do indeed live in a very wild area, scarey. Still, try to find something to make the day good, CynthiaM.