[Lupin]

Last night, I decided to watch my oranda Moby for awhile while he remained confined in a hospital tank for weeks. I saw his scales were getting worse with the growth definitely increasing so I decided it was time to perform a surgery to remove it before it worsens itself.

I did not take photos as I did not want to delay the surgery process which was very tricky to do so I am just relying on pasting the site with the procedures and posting everything that I could.

I followed the procedures of operation in another site but I am not sure I am allowed to link it here, am I?

Tools
7.5 mg clove oil
A tub filled with a liter of water
Scalpel
Forceps
Towel

Steps
1. Put goldfish in the tub.
2. Dose the 7.5mg bottle of clove oil.
3. Wait until he becomes unconscious (not completely!). I felt he was trying to fight back.
4. Lay him on a soft towel.
5. Cut through the area where tumor is located.
6. Use the forceps to help with the process.
7. Sprinkle water over fish if he looks like he is drying up. Still felt him trying to perk up.
8. Apply betadine on the wounds.
9. Put him in the hospital tank and encourage him to perk up.
10. Sterilize tools after this.

He is doing well so far eating heartily. Although he may not be as beautiful as before when he had no tumors, the best thing was to keep him alive and healthy which I risked with the surgery as that was the only option I have when it comes to tumors. The tissues removed will certainly be scarred.

Here's the photo of him before and without the tumor. I don't have the photo of him with the tumor so I guess this thread may well be pointless due to lack of necessary photo thereof.:(
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r155/Blue_076/Moby.jpg

[MrsMohr]

Wow Lupin that was a gutsy thing you did, i'm proud of you!! I would rather have a scared fish than a dead fish any day of the week! Sometimes the beat fish are the best ones! Look at the video of my fish named muddy!

[Lupin]

I must have lost my head when I decided to do it.http://www.kokosgoldfish.invisionzone.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif I was really a little shaky doing it and constantly pleading Moby to keep himself alive while being sedated. Once he recovers, he will join my other orandas. It was disturbing but I had to remain firm as I cut through the tissues to remove the affected areas. It wasn't very easy at all.

Thanks for the support, hun.http://www.kokosgoldfish.invisionzone.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/heartpump.gif

[MrsMohr]

aaahhhh I can't imagine!!! how big was his tumor? Did you have to give him stitches!!!!!

[Lupin]

No stitches, hun. Just betadine or iodine solution will do it. It'll heal eventually.:) His tumor was about an inch I think or near inch at least.

[MrsMohr]

wow have you ever done anything like that before? how did you know how much clove oil to use!

[Lupin]

Tumor removal? No, this is my first time performing surgery actually, MrsMohr.http://www.kokosgoldfish.invisionzone.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif I had kept a lot of tropical exotics and then goldfish but never encountered anything that requires surgery like this one and hopefully never will. The bottles I bought contain 7.5 mg of clove oil (known to pharmacies as eugenol). Someone tipped me the pharmacies should carry one as toothache drop after I searched in vain for clove oil. I asked them for toothache drops and I checked the labels. They turned out to be what I was looking for. I was about to order online at a high expense but I am glad I didn't have to. I still have some spare bottles here but as they're really a necessity for emergency cases, I really need to stock bottles just in case so I won't have to waste time looking for them again.http://www.kokosgoldfish.invisionzone.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif

As for the amount of clove oil needed, you just have to observe patiently if the goldfish is falling unconscious. If it remains persistent, you would need to add more clove oil slowly but I am lucky I used a liter of water only and 7.5mg of clove oil so I didn't end up dosing more than necessary.

Moby is 4 inches by the way.

This post has been edited by Lupin: 04 September 2009 - 07:37 PM

[Chrissy_Bee]

Wow Lupin, I've had plenty of fish with tumors but never took the step of doing surgery. Just curious, why didn't you knock him out completely? Were you afraid of going too far and accidently putting him down? I have seen fish put under for work in labs and they do put them out completely, but the gill movements let you know they're still alive.

[Lupin]

Chrissy, I meant he is knocked out although the gills were indeed moving. Maybe my wording was just not right.http://www.kokosgoldfish.invisionzone.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/krazy.gif I was afraid how I am wording this because this type of procedure is not something I would let others dare as quickly as treating ich. He just seems to perk up once in awhile very weakly as I sprinkle water over him to keep him from drying up completely. So far, he is doing well. I administer betadine from time to time and he remains rather perky hogging all the foods I provide him.