How far would you go to the save the one you loved? How much would you give to keep them alive? Would you pay the high costs associated with a life-saving surgery for them? What if that someone was a goldfish? Yes, you read that correctly. A goldfish.
A 21-year-old woman from Kuraby, Australia, paid A$500 (C$491) for emergency surgery for her pet ranchu goldfish named Conquer. Emma Marsh rushed the fish to The Brisbane Bird and Exotics Veterinary Services after it accidentally swallowed a pebble in its tank last week.
The veterinary clinic posted photos and descriptions on Facebook of the life-saving surgery.
First, the veterinarian, Dr. Emma McMillan, and her team had to give Conquer a physical exam to figure out what it had swallowed. After they discovered the pebble, the team decided to anesthetize the little troublemaker.
“We did this by dripping an anesthetic agent into the water until Conquer was asleep enough to allow us a good look in his mouth,” the caption reads on one of the Facebook photos.
In order to remove the stone we needed to anaesthetize Conquer. We did this by dripping an anaesthetic agent into the...
Posted by Brisbane Bird and Exotics Veterinary Services on Wednesday, September 7, 2016
McMillan used some tiny instruments to gently pry open Conquer’s mouth and grab hold of the pebble. The veterinarian said the pebble was fairly sizable for a fish weighing only 13 grams.
“Big pebble for a little goldfish to try to eat!” one photo caption said.
Fortunately, the veterinarians were able to grip the tiny object and slowly remove it from Conquer’s oral cavity. After the surgery, the lucky goldfish was moved to a recovery tank containing clean water.
“He (Conquer) went home the next day and so far has stayed out of any more trouble!” the caption on the final photo said.
The emergency consultation cost Marsh A$100 and the resulting surgery cost another A$400. She originally paid A$12 for her mischievous goldfish at the pet store.
Success! The stone was removed from Conquer's oral cavity!
Posted by Brisbane Bird and Exotics Veterinary Services on Wednesday, September 7, 2016
Marsh had the right idea taking her pet fish to this particular veterinary clinic. On their Facebook profile, Brisbane Bird and Exotics Veterinary Services says they believe all animals, from cats and dogs to the more exotic species all require the same level of care.
“Birds, reptiles, fish, guinea pigs, rats and mice have specific requirements that differ to those of more traditional domestic pets,” the profile reads. “Brisbane Bird and Exotics is proud to cater to the special needs of our patients.”
Little Conquer owes its life to that specialized care. The healthy goldfish has now returned home to swim in its tank and to (hopefully) avoid eating those other pebbles.
