Oscar Update

[Aquarose]

Hi everyone following my big girl's progress. I have been out of town for six days. Came back and she is worse. Have found a vet that is willing to try to save her.
She still eats and swims and dances but that growth is HUGE and spreading. PIC Attached. Vet is going to treat with antibiotics and attempt to remove. Plans on keeping her a few weeks.

will report as she progresses...IMG_5352.jpg

[Mzungu]

Aww, poor thing. :(

Please let us know everything that happens, and please ask the vet to report the diagnosis.

I'm crossing my fingers she'll be all right!

[Aquarose]

Will keep her progress reports coming! thanks for all the support and suggestions!

[imagirlgeek]

I'm curious about something. Was someone continuing the feeding for you while you were out of town? And if so, were they soaking her food in vitamins before feeding? I'm only asking because I'm wondering if she got worse because she wasn't getting any additional nutrients, or if it progressed despite the treatments?

I'm so glad you found a vet! Is it a local vet? Did they tell you if they have any idea what it is?

[Zebvance]

Wow that's terrible I thought it was getting better. I hope she makes it through this.

[Aquarose]

Yes she was getting fed but no her food was not getting soaked. IT's hard to find a sitter that can keep up wth a regimen like that. The vet is local and she says that It could be either a tumor, a parasite (that sounds weird, I know), or an abscess from the inside trying to break free. She wants to keep her and treat her for a while. There is a chance she won't make it through the procedure. The growth is progressing so that it is difficult for her to eat now, she tries though. She seems to be weak today. I'm afraid she won't make it to the weekend as her eye is now affected. I hope to take her to the vet on Saturday. I hope she holds on.

[Dernial]

That's awful. I hope she gets better.

[Aquarose]

Well nothing new is happening. Haven't taken her to the vet - yet. Things are a little tight to be spending $450 on a $6 fish that might not make it. So she is still in quarantine living with waterchanges. I have taken her pictures to different experts and all say the same thing. Its a tumor and nothing can be done for her.
So what do I do? Wait for the tumor to kill her? Try to give her to a university for research? I am at a loss now
I'm open to suggestions

[aquashelle]

I am so sorry to hear about the troubel going on with your girl :(

I had a large male mbuna, roughly 6 inches in length a guy gave me who went through the exact same thing. When he was first given to me, he had a strangely bumped up forehead, but I assumed he had just got in a fight with his tankmates. It stayed in that condition for around 3-4months, before it truly started to grow terrible. In that time, I was sure that it was a tumor. It didn't look like anything online, nor anything I'd ever seen before. I treated with meds, to no avail. It was in the same location of his head as the oscar as well. I simply continued to treat with meds, and let him live out his life as best he could.

The terrible thing was, I actually purchased the additive to help put your fish to "sleep' so that he could be euthanized, because I felt he must have been in terrible pain, but the morning I went to do it (I really didn't want to) I found he had passed away in the night. Seems he went peacefully, or so I can hope. He at least ate up until his death, but I was glad he at least got to live our the remainder of his life on his terms, and not mine.

my advice, let her live it out as best she can, and enjoy all the time you have with her. It's all that can be done sometimes, without spending huge amounts of money and even then, she still may not make it. I bet she'd rather finish out her life in the happiness of her home, then possibly at a vets office undergoing treatment.

Best of luck to you and your Oscar!!!

[Aquarose]

Thanks Aquashelle - that is what I have decided to do. I change her water every other day and she still eats but you are right, it is just a matter of time. The tumor is growing larger and larger and it will only be a matter of time before it strangles her. Sad to watch but what can you do?

thanks for the well wishes! this site has been a great help to me in many of my fish trials! LOL