Loaches Online Forum

Its 5 days post surgery. Spot gets his daily antibiotic injection, a quick look at his sutures and he's up and swimming.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6YZ4ojKErA

Unbelieveable. How did they arate him during surgery? I didn't even know people did fish surgery. He has his swim bladder removed? How will that affect him long term?

I hope he makes a fullr ecovery. What a lucky fish.

How did they arate him during surgery? I didn't even know people did fish surgery. He has his swim bladder removed? How will that affect him long term?

You can't see it very well in the video clip but there is a tube in his mouth. No danger of water getting in his lungs. It flows out his gills. The drug that is putting him out is also mixed with the water. The vet said he can stay out of water for hours this way as long as he is kept moist.

The rear portion of the swim bladder was stapled off and cut out. He still has some of his swim bladder. We don't know how it will effect him long term. The vet doesn't expect full recovery but hopes he can have have a decent quality of life. The alternative was to put him down since he had no control and floated up-side-down.

Wow.
It looked like he's staying upright better in the second vid. Very cool that you had a friend able to do this for him.

Thanks so much for posting and explaining. Really amazing. I saw the black (?) tube near his gills, but I didn't understand how all that worked. How amazing.

I hope he has a good recovery and will be able to swim a bit more upright. I assume being upside down affects his ability to eat.

I saw the black (?) tube near his gills, but I didn't understand how all that worked.

You can't really see the tube going in his mouth because its covered by the hand of the vet student. The water passes out over his gills to oxygenate him. The black lead you refer to is actually one of the probes going to the portable EKG. His heart rate was being monitored during the surgery.

I too am amazed at the surgery. Spot seems to be having a better recovery than we expected.

Wow! The EKG. Amazing! Never thought they would check the EKG of a fish. What was his normal bpm? I am absolutely in awe. I am so glad he is doing well. Fantastic!