mjfromga 1,784 Posted May 26, 2017 I seem to be missing something anyway. This is an update to a thread I can't find. She was told to use salt without it being confirmed that the fish was already on some weird meds. Not generally how this site operates. Koko asked me to try and help because you seemed like you were done. The OP doesn't want to euthanize her fish. I understand how she feels. Not everyone can accept that their pet will die and wish to exhaust all options before. I get that its worthless to you. Totally get that. But OP she's right in that you aren't following instructions or answering questions or including all information that is being asked. It's important. I really don't ever think that outside of a fish refusing food, that Metronidazole should be just used in the water. Everything I've heard from vets and experienced keepers alike says that it really works way better when fed. The Seachem Metroplex can easily be fed, The General Cure doesn't recommend that or at least I can't find it. That's all. I can't help here either and its just going on circles. Taryl I just wish to ask one thing... Does Pearl look normal to you? To me she looks the same as Pebbles before Pebbles dropsied. I honestly don't think these fish have tumors or internal abscesses. The one I recently saw was just fat. Everything was just fat. A reduction in food before it got that bad might have saved it. 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Arctic Mama 3,626 Posted May 26, 2017 (edited) Pearl looks fat to me, which is not the same as the submarine type swelling profile we see with some early dropsy or the asymmetrical dropsy we see with a mass or a specific blockage, where one side bulges out more strongly and perhaps only one side has raised scales. There have been multiple threads over the course of a few weeks. Koko did not indicate she had asked you to take over, that wasn't what we discussed on the back end. My apologies for contradicting you if you were tasked specifically with helping, but my advice still stands as the best I can offer having seen the whole kerfuffle. Just because someone doesn't want to euthanize their fish doesn't mean a treatment is the right way to go. Palliative care with Epsom salt, food as long as they will eat, and letting them enjoy their tank until they decline from symptoms is also an option I mentioned. That's what I did with Otto - he has been dealing with this for three months and only just stopped eating and swimming around two days ago, so it's time to euthanize for me. Edited May 26, 2017 by Arctic Mama 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjfromga 1,784 Posted May 26, 2017 Okay gotcha. So you don't think Pearl will advance like Pebbles has. Well my bad for interfering in that case. And sometimes medicating a fish that won't recover just makes us feel better about the fish dying. It may be silly to you, but it brings us comfort in knowing we tried the last ditch. I'm just saying. The photos aren't that great. Looks like standard dropsy to me. Can't really tell since there are no photos from the top of the fish. I don't even see what you see anyway so I guess there's zero for me to do. Sad. I don't think she's necessarily terminal. But maybe that's just me refusing to admit it. 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Arctic Mama 3,626 Posted May 26, 2017 (edited) Myra, if you specifically want help with Pearl make a thread and we will look into it and see if there is anything we have missed. Medicating to feel better just creates antibiotic and antiseptic resistance. It isn't a neutral action that hurts nothing. Epsom salt won't cause any harm and could make Pebbles more comfortable, hence why we recommended it. Aquarium salt at low levels isn't useful here with some swelling but it's another treatment that generally does no harm and could help. We did make antibiotic recommendations earlier but she can't or won't get them, and at this point I would NOT advise them on this fish because of the progression and symptoms we are seeing with what she has already tried. I'm not just being lazy, me and other team members have spent much time discussing this and offering help. Edited May 26, 2017 by Arctic Mama 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjfromga 1,784 Posted May 26, 2017 Not going to argue. Not going to make a thread about a fish that isn't mine. I agree with the epsom. 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites