Fishfur
Aquarium Advice Addict
What I'm thinking of involves some minor surgery on a Betta fish. I've a fair bit of experience doctoring a number of various animals, from wild birds and squirrels to shell damaged turtles and snails. I'm good with my hands, not squeamish, and have a fair bit of practice at advanced first aid and wound treatment.
The surgery I'm thinking is to clean up a Betta's tail. He was a truly gorgeous green dragon with double tail, who got fin rot. The rot was cured before I adopted him and there's been no sign of it since. But of the original double tail, all that remains are ragged edges and a single, small, rough looking piece sticking out roughly in the middle of the tail area. He's healthy otherwise, eats well, but has some slight trouble swimming. The fragment of tail twists and turns and last night I caught him trying to nip at this fragment.
I adopted this fish, [I call him Rags], with two others from the same owner. All were privately imported from Thailand by this owner. They're very good quality fish, and I was offered them because I'd had some experience with nursing damaged Bettas before, and I have the time to care for them, where the original owner no longer did.
Rags does not seem to be suffering, per se, but the condition of his tail seems to make swimming more of an effort for him. So I wonder if this is the right thing to do ? Anesthetize him briefly, cleanly remove the ragged piece of tissue and see if it results in some new tail growth ?
I'd use clove oil for anesthesia. I've used it a few times and am comfortable with it. Bettas are pretty tough and large enough that working on the tail wouldn't be too difficult. Likely take no more than a minute once he's sedated, and once back in clean water recovery is usually fairly quick. Even if he didn't grow any new tail, at least he wouldn't be able to keep trying to nip the piece and perhaps set up another infection. The only tissue I'd be touching is fin, not any of the caudal musculature.
I have no desire to torment Rags, but it's true I would like to see him have a chance to be restored to something of his former glory.
If you were confident you could do something like this, would you do it ?
The surgery I'm thinking is to clean up a Betta's tail. He was a truly gorgeous green dragon with double tail, who got fin rot. The rot was cured before I adopted him and there's been no sign of it since. But of the original double tail, all that remains are ragged edges and a single, small, rough looking piece sticking out roughly in the middle of the tail area. He's healthy otherwise, eats well, but has some slight trouble swimming. The fragment of tail twists and turns and last night I caught him trying to nip at this fragment.
I adopted this fish, [I call him Rags], with two others from the same owner. All were privately imported from Thailand by this owner. They're very good quality fish, and I was offered them because I'd had some experience with nursing damaged Bettas before, and I have the time to care for them, where the original owner no longer did.
Rags does not seem to be suffering, per se, but the condition of his tail seems to make swimming more of an effort for him. So I wonder if this is the right thing to do ? Anesthetize him briefly, cleanly remove the ragged piece of tissue and see if it results in some new tail growth ?
I'd use clove oil for anesthesia. I've used it a few times and am comfortable with it. Bettas are pretty tough and large enough that working on the tail wouldn't be too difficult. Likely take no more than a minute once he's sedated, and once back in clean water recovery is usually fairly quick. Even if he didn't grow any new tail, at least he wouldn't be able to keep trying to nip the piece and perhaps set up another infection. The only tissue I'd be touching is fin, not any of the caudal musculature.
I have no desire to torment Rags, but it's true I would like to see him have a chance to be restored to something of his former glory.
If you were confident you could do something like this, would you do it ?