Showa with injuries and bacteria infection

[DrDave]

This is provided as an information post only. Although those experienced with this type of injury are welcome to offer their advice.

A customer of mine called in a panic and said her Showa Koi has fin rot. I have a spare HT so I agreed to treat the Koi. As it turns out, it has injuries to its belly and under it's mouth with open sores. To make it worse there is also a bacteria infection that is indeed eating away at it's fins.

I put it in a 2% salt bath for what I thought was going to be the standard 10 minute treatment and it went belly up in less than 2.

I removed the Koi to a HT with .15% salt and the appropriate amount of Amoxicillin for 85 gallons. After a few tense moments and 30 minutes, the Koi is swimming upright but slow.

Tomorrow, the tank will get a 25% or more water change and another dose of Antibiotics. I will repeat this process for a minimum of 3 days.

Good thing I started my vacation and will be home to monitor the progress. The open gash in its underside and under the mouth have me concerned. If I can get those to start healing, this guy will make it.

Maybe tomorrow, I will see if I can get some photos, I don't want to stress him by removing for this. Although I may have to remove him to do a swab for the microscope. If that happens, I will definetly take some up close photos and use those to monitor the healing progress.

This could have been avoided if they had provided protection against raccoons. I believe that a raccoon did this to him and it went undetected until the fins started rotting away.

This fish would not have made it through the night had they not called me.
DrDave

 

[fishin4cars]

If you can get some good pics of what the sores and fins look like I would be interested in seeing them and hopefully some updates as it gets better. Always a learning experience seeing how a fish is being treated and for what for future reference

 

[DrDave]

He is still alive this morning and swimming upright, although not eating. I managed to get some photos of the damage. That crook in the nose is disturbing as well.

 

[fishin4cars]

Uewww, yuck! Doesn't look good at all!

 

[DrDave]

I did a 33% water change, added more areation, and another dose of anitbiotics this afternoon. He is swimming better but still not eating. I can sit in a chair in front of the tank and he positions himself right in front of me just like he knows I am trying to help him.

 

[DrDave]

Day 3, another 33% water change and dose of antibiotics. He is swimming fine but still not eating. Looks like the eyes are less cloudy today.
Tomorrow I am going to switch to tetracycline and see how that goes. I hate what it does to the water compared to Amoxicillin.