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WHEN Ducky the Duck set off a metal detector her owners knew she was in trouble.

The four-year-old mallard had been suffering from a mystery illness and was struggling to walk and eat.

Duck swallowed an american penny Robin Creighton with X Ray

shock: Jack Bussey with Ducky

So when the domesticated duck 'beeped' after being passed under a hand-held metal detector, Kelly Howard and partner Jack Bussey rushed her to the Millennium Veterinary Practice in Braintree.

Cue emergency x-rays, pioneering gizzard surgery and the removal of a one-cent coin – complete with the engraved picture of former US president Abraham Lincoln.

Vet Robin Creighton, 38, said: "I have never done anything like it or even heard of anything like it.

"I did a bit of research in a few anatomy books and just dived in."

The operation took over an hour and required an assistant vet to ventilate Ducky. Robin was amazed to find that the pet had eaten a US coin.

"The duck was having difficulty walking and was anorexic because of zinc poisoning from the coin. Birds don't have teeth so usually they eat stones to help them digest. I must admit I was pretty surprised to find an American penny inside her," Robin said.

But even more surprising was that Kelly and Jack had not visited the States for over a year.

Kelly, 28, said: "We were really worried because Ducky hadn't eaten for two days before Christmas – not even her favourite, cucumber. My partner had a hand-held metal detector and it went off near her stomach.

"We took her to another vet and they said it must be a stuck egg and it would get better.

"I was so terrified for Ducky." But after taking her to Robin for a second opinion, an emergency operation to remove the coin from her pet's gizzard was ordered and Ducky was given a general anaesthetic.

"He just sprang into action," said businesswoman Kelly. "I know he had never dealt with a situation like this before but he was fantastic.

"Every step of the way he was amazing and I can't thank him enough."

Robin, a vet for 16 years, said: "It was tricky. The gizzard is a very muscular area so it's very difficult to get into and to sew up.

"I was pretty relieved when it was all done and dusted."

Ducky's owners had adopted her after Kelly's cousin, 20-year-old Jack Heeney, had rescued her from drowning in a park as a duckling. She lives in a little wooden house in their kitchen.

"She's been living inside so long – she doesn't know she's a duck," Kelly said.

Ducky spent three nights at the Millennium Veterinary Practice, on Millennium Way, Braintree, before making a full recovery at Kelly and Jack's home in Harlow. The owners kept the one-cent coin.

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