me wrote:
Well,
I took him to the vet in a 5 gallon bucket w/ a battery powered
airpump. And what Im sure was more stressful than being taken to the
vet, was being taken out of the bucket, held down in a wet towl, and
cut open w/ no warning, and no anesthesia. I bet the vets finger
stuck way up in his gut wasn't too pleasant either.
Oscar looked really bad on the way home... couldn't hold himself
upright. was kind of fading out.. I had to keep poking him to keep
him alert. At the end of the night, back in the medicine tank he had
lost most of his color, and had developed a slimy coat on his body.
He still had a hard time swimming. (Id imagine all the stuff that was
taken out of him effected his boyancy)
A couple of days later, though, he was much better! slime coat was
gone, regained his color, and was swimming normally. A week later he
was hungry and eating.
Now ive stopped medicating his hospital tank and am getting ready to
put him back in the big aquarium w/ his friends. Im just afraid
he'll pig out on snails as soon as he's back in there.
The aquarium is a planted aquarium, and the snails are some sort of
trumpet snails. They actually really helped my planted aquarium.
loosen up the gravel for the plans, and clean the algae off the
leaves. I dont see them durring the day, but at night the place is
covered w/ them. They were never a problem untill they made my oscar
sick. Im thnking about getting some loaches to control the
population, but I think Oscar would make a meal of small loaches, so
Ive kind of got a catch22 situation there.

But, didn't you say you have to take him back to the vet because he doesn't
have a butt-hole? (Love that word hehe)
If I were you I'd keep him in the hospital tank until everything is fixed,
unless he's started pooping in the meantime.
And congratulations on his recovery and to you for taking him to the vet and
to the vet for doing something.

Cindy