For some people, small animals are not worth the time and resources when medical attention is needed. Fortunately there are still some good-hearted people who find the lives of animals of any size worth saving.
Dr. Tristan Rich, a veterinarian from the Lort Smith Animal Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, is one of those people.
Bubbles, a 9-year-old goldfish, was suffering from a tumor on his head which, if not removed, would make it difficult for him to swim and feed.
Rich conducted the unusual and delicate surgery to remove the tumor, performing the operation quickly because the fish can't stay out of the water for too long.
Rich set up three buckets of water. The first was added with a knock-out dose of anesthesia to let the fish sleep. The second was added with a maintenance level of anesthesia, while the last bucket was filled with clean water to serve as the recovery unit for the fish.
"Bubbles went for a swim in the bucket with knock-out anaesthetic and once he was asleep, we ran a tube from the maintenance bucket, which was being oxygenated, into Bubbles' mouth so the water washed over his gills," said Rich on Lort Smith's Facebook page.
Rich worked quickly to remove the goldfish's tumor and used tissue glue to seal the wound. When the wound was completely sealed, Bubbles was immediately placed into the recovery unit and given oxygen.
Bubbles was provided with injections containing long-lasting pain relievers and antibiotics. Eventually, the goldfish took a couple of breaths and finally started to swim around, as if he didn't just undergo surgery.
Bubbles is a loved family member, the reason why the goldfish's owners searched for Rich to perform the surgery. Goldfish can live up to 30 years.
The owner of Bubbles found the vet after he performed the same operation on George, another goldfish, in 2014. Since George's operation, Rich has become somewhat of a celebrity in Lort Smith, where there has been an increase in the number of goldfish patients.
Lort Smith Animal Hospital is non-profit organization that relies on donations for its operations. Those who want to support their cause can contact them.
