RIP Zachary Quack

Jami noticed a week or so ago that Zachary had a swollen belly to the extent that it was almost dragging the ground and she had difficulty hopping into her house at night.  So yesterday she looked up a vet for farm animals and found one about 50 miles away and took her in.  So for the first time in his life, Pretzel was alone:

Well, he better get used to it, because it turned out (a) Zachary was way older than any duck they'd ever seen, and (b) she had a condition not uncommon in older female ducks where they produce only yolks and they just accumulate inside them and rot.  Her only hope was major surgery, removing all the fetid bits and huge doses of antibiotics, and even then her chances were very slim.  So the best option was a peaceful exit.  However, they did give us this: