Shibunkin gold fish having trouble

[Dbarr1575]

My Shibunkin fish starting gasping a bit, not crazy but could tell he was stressed. This started Friday. Yesterday he would still eat but spit most of the food out. Today he ate a piece of food and didn’t spit it out but now he’s having trouble closing his mouth. I tried to look in his mouth but couldn’t tell anything. Here is a video of him, not great but best I could do without scaring him off.
http://instagr.am/p/CABN9MYjaYD/

 

[Dbarr1575]

FYI he’s about 3.5 inches long so not very big. Before Friday he was the biggest pig and ate everything. I’m worried he has something stuck in there and I have no idea what to do for him. Can they figure this out on their own? Should I start looking for an aquatic vet?

 

[Tula]

If it were my fish, I'd sedate it with some clove oil and take a careful look into it's mouth and gills. You can look up info online about how to sedate a fish with clove oil.

 

[Dbarr1575]

Okay, I'll look into that. I did find an aquatic vet near me. I don't have clove oil here now anyway so will need to get some tomorrow. I'll see how much the vet visit will cost.

 

[Dbarr1575]

If it were my fish, I'd sedate it with some clove oil and take a careful look into it's mouth and gills. You can look up info online about how to sedate a fish with clove oil.

Okay I just read the instructions for the clove oil and I know I can't do that. I'll hope that the aquatic vet isn't too costly! I don't even trim my dog's nails! Plus fish is not very big and I'm too afraid I'll hurt him and don't know enough about what I'd be looking for. But I'll definitely put that in my book of things I need to learn.

 

[Mmathis]

Keep us posted! Sometimes they can get a piece of gravel or stone stuck in their mouths. I am always timid about messing with my GF. When koi people do things to their fIsh, they make it look so easy, but then you realize the size difference!

 

[Dbarr1575]

Exactly! This guy is little, well compared to a koi, he's even still small for a goldfish. I thought I had removed all of he small gravel, but apparently he must have found some. I'm not sure what else he could have gotten into, unless he ate cat hair? Would cat hair cause this kind of issue? Poor thing he's been through so much and had just gotten happy and settled in the pond.

 

[Tula]

I understand your feelings. Keep us posted what the vet says and best of luck.

 

[Mmathis]

Boy, your cat must shed a lot into the pond if you’re worried it might be due to cat hair, . I suppose, if a GF ingested enough cat hair, it could end up with a hair ball, but mostly fish tend to put something into their mouths, then if it’s not food (or doesn’t suit their taste at the moment), they spit it back out.

 

[Dbarr1575]

Boy, your cat must shed a lot into the pond if you’re worried it might be due to cat hair, . I suppose, if a GF ingested enough cat hair, it could end up with a hair ball, but mostly fish tend to put something into their mouths, then if it’s not food (or doesn’t suit their taste at the moment), they spit it back out.

Well don’t really think it’s cat hair, any ideas?

 

[Tula]

Well don’t really think it’s cat hair, any ideas?

It could be a small piece or gravel or a pellet of food. Sometimes fish will act this way when they're trying to clear something from their gills.

 

[Dbarr1575]

Today’s update. He’s a trooper, seems calmer today but still unable to close his mouth. Can’t get him to see vet until tomorrow. Definitely something stuck in there, he’s trying to get it out. He keeps trying to eat and is hanging with the other fish. I think he’s trying to adjust to his “new normal.” Hopefully he can hang on and the vet can see him tomorrow. They have to try to fit us in cuz this guy is very busy. I guess not too many that do exotics in my town.

 

[Dbarr1575]

At least I won’t have to take out a loan to see the vet, one place I called wanted $132 just to see the fish

 

[Dbarr1575]

Yes and I imagined she would look into the travel tank and say, yep that’s a goldfish, $200 more for me to look inside. They said they were going to have to treat it like an emergency. I was like, well, duh, you think people just bring their fish in for a regular check up! This other vet charges regular office visit of $45 and part of the exam would be to look in his throat. So hopefully won’t be much more than that. But he’s a cool little fish with lots of personality so have to try.

 

[addy1]

Good luck! Keep us updated!