It's one thing believe in the term "you are what you eat," but when 'Neil Diamond; the cockerel decided to swallow a whole diamond earring, he may have been taking things too far. Thankfully, Hawaii's most tireless traveling vet, Dr. Scott Sims, was on the case.
In the latest episode of Aloha Vet, (airs this Sat.) Sims explains to Neil's owner, Bridgett, that he probably went after the shiny piece of jewelry while giving into his own biological instincts. That's because, believe it or not, chickens naturally swallow course pebbles to help with their digestion. Because the birds gobble their food whole, they require these stones - which get stored in the gizzard - to help grind things down. And when an old gizzard stone grows too smooth, it's owner will hack it out and go looking for another one.
According to Sims, that's probably what happened in the case of Mr. Diamond. Unfortunately, Neil happened to share an eye for fine jewelry with Bridgett's boyfriend.
"This pair of earrings was actually given to me by my boyfriend when he had come from Afghanistan, so they do hold sentimental value," she explained.
The earring was not only diamond, but had a white gold setting - a revelation that relieved Sims, as it meant there is little threat of heavy metal poisoning for Neil. However, it certainly must have cost a pretty penny - a value currently residing inside the gizzard of a cranky cockerel.
So what's to be done? You can check out the clip below to find out.
[Credit: Nat Geo Wild]
Some clients live in hard-to-reach locations, but if an animal needs help, Sims always finds a way to get there, even if he has to walk, ride a horse, drive an ATV, fly a plane or swim. It's a wild job that's an adventure every day. "Aloha Vet" airs Saturdays at 9 PM ET/PT on Nat Geo WILD.
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