Very Wounded Betta

[Silverlady]

Cant help with the healing, but i will be thinking about him and i hope he pulls through,bless him.

 

[jollysue]

I think this boy is a potential survivor and will be a good friend. We all have a heart for him. The picture of him laying on his plant giving you a weak, half hearted flare is just too precious. He will have a heart for you.

 

[ral]

With all due respect, the flare may have been weak, but I don't think it was half hearted.

 

[jollysue]

agreed (I should have put qotation marks around that quote.)

I doubt this boy is ever half hearted.

What color, etc is he?

 

[RandomWiktor]

Well guys, awesome news. The fish - named "Clarence" after a very sad, beat-up fighting pit bull who was dumped at a shelter I worked at - made it through the night, and despite the very grevious injuries, appears to be doing well. His color is back; he didn't really have a color yesterday, unless "greyish" is a coloration. He is going to be, providing he survives, a brownish color with dull blue overlay. He is swimming very well, though it is a lot of effort since basically only his pectoral fins are functional. And, the first thing he did when I walked cringingly over to the tank, expecting he'd be dead, was swim up to the surface and beg for food. Amazing. I'll never ceased to be amazed what animals can go through and still come out ok. Even the swelling on the worst of the wounds has gone down; I was very concerned that the nasty gash in his side might be fatal, but allready it is looking better.

Keep the well-wishes coming, they're helpful so far! And thanks for the info on all of the water additives. I will def. keep them in mind for future bettas.

 

[jollysue]

Ok! Everyone! One! Two! Three! Hooray!!!! Viva El Clarence!

 

[ral]

 

[Silverlady]

Good old Clarence I am really pleased for you.

 

[RandomWiktor]

Ooook. Guys, I have some more questions.
I need to go to the hospital tonight, back in NY; my doctor apparently got my blood work back and is very displeased with what she saw. My parents want me to bring all of the fish home tonight, because if I need surgery, I won't be able to drive back to the school or lift tanks to bring them home later, + they'd be alone up at the college.
Point in question: Will Clarence be "ok" for transport? Can you suggest a good transport method so that he will be under less stress? I double bag mine, add stress guard, and move them in padded coolers. However, I worry about him being able to surface to breath since his swimming is poor. Should I put the bag on its side so it is shallow with an air bubble on top? Should I fill the bag just a little and leave a decent amount of air? Should I not bag and use a different message? Input appreciated!

 

[ral]

If you have an airstone, maybe you can oxygenate the water you will put him in for awhile before using it... honestly I do not know if this actually does anything, I just see petshops do it sometimes.

I was told, It is best to wrap the container you cary the fish in, in paper or something so that they do not get stressed by seeing what is outside. I guess since you carry them in padded coolers, that won't be necessary.

I hope that everything turns out well for you too. Remember, you have already done the fish a lot, just by giving him a nice quiet place to rest... no matter what happens next, he was lucky to have cross your path (or was it you his)

 

[RandomWiktor]

Another concern - if I need to bring them home today, I can't fast them. Will they be ok for 2 hours bagged without being fasted? No one has eaten since yesterday morning, though clarence had a few pellets last night. I mean, its not like I'm shipping them, but its still going to be stressful in the bags, and I'd hate to have a bacteria bloom. I don't have much of a choice though; its looking like I might end up possibly having surgery, and if that is the case, I won't be able to lift/transport tanks back from the school, plus they'd be alone here with no food and my evil room mate, who tends to turn off the heat while I'm away. So I guess fasted or not, I'm going to have to try it.

For those who wanted pics, here y'go. I wish I had one from above; you can really see the damage to the top of his head and his sides from a "top view.":

((Notice the bloody gill plate and pectoral, the loss of scales and redness on the head and near the ventral fin, and the very messed up ventral/caudal fins))

((Notice the VERY nasty wound that covers most of his side. You can't see it too well in the pic because one of his pectorals is covering the deepest part, but from above, you could see the scales all ripped back and the exposed tissue under it. The swelling went down a lot from last night, but the wound is still very, very ugly.))

((Clarence this morning, still a mess, but active and a little better in color))

 

[RandomWiktor]

Ok guys, I have to go now; I'll post later to tell you if he made it home. Keep your fingers crossed!

 

[Naughtygirlrlw]

Go Clarence!!!! Good luck RW

 

[Tangerinefizz]

Not to downplay poor Clarence, who by the way is lucky to have crossed paths with you, and will no doubt make a full recovery, but ummmm... update us on you too!! Best wishes for both of you in this time of uncertainty.

 

[wuvmybetta]

I agree, Tangerine. Best wishes to you Random! And your fishes.