The Puffer Forum

I'd add fish vitamins to the puree, too.

Welch4 wrote:If need be i could get some earth worms and drive them towards you, but i dont think i could do until this weekend. What part of vermont are you in?

Wow! Thank you for the offer! I'll make some calls and try to find some today in NH. I'm in south-central VT near Okemo Mountain. If you were closer I'd ask you to help me.

After I went to bed I thought the same thing about using a different food if I have to tube feed, and I will add Vitamins as well Pufferpunk, great idea! I'm just kind of hoping that he won't be able to resist a worm and I won't have to stress him by force feeding.

I figure I'll have the toenail clippers sterilized and ready also. If I have him in my hands already and he is sitting still I'll try to give them a tiny clip too. Since he hasn't really eaten in a month they are probably getting long.

I'm extremely nervous about this whole endeavor but I figure I don't have a choice. He will certainly die if I do nothing so if I kill him at least I tried. I'll let you know how I make out later. Thanks again.

Not looking good this morning. He normally sleeps in crazy positions but today he didn't even care that I was in there. I found worms in NH where I will be heading shortly but I am also going to pick up clove oil just in case. Feeling very sad today.

So no luck getting him to eat earth worms after my 4 hr drive to get them yesterday!

Today I convinced myself that he needed a tooth trim as he hasn't eaten in so long and they looked a bit long the last time I saw them a few weeks ago. That went surprisingly well considering it was my first time. We only trimmed a little bit as I was scared to death and he was waking up I think but they didn't look all that bad to me. He's currently pouting in his cave.

Tomorrow is tube feeding day as I learned that catching him and holding him was not as difficult as i thought it would be (probably because he's so weak).

I gave a 3rd dose of PraziPro in the water yesterday as I called the company to find out how much to add to the puréed food and they said under no circumstances should I give it directly to him in his food.

Sooooo I'm no better off than I was before. But we're stil trying!

I know there is a guide for dosing pazi orally in the library article internal parasites treatment and prevention. Unsure how how to post link PP might be able to help with that but it is based on weight. The only way i can think to calculate this would be puttting a container of tank water on a scale, tearing, then adding the fish. This would of couse require netting the fish which will stress it out more.

Sorry you're going through all this! Your fish sounds awesome and it's such a shame he's ill. I'm almost certain this won't work but some people have said their puffers go through phases of eating peas only. Have you tried giving him some peas?

BedScien wrote:Sorry you're going through all this! Your fish sounds awesome and it's such a shame he's ill. I'm almost certain this won't work but some people have said their puffers go through phases of eating peas only. Have you tried giving him some peas?

Sorry bedscien but the pics clearly look like ips. I have been confused about the dosing instructions and i think its nessesary.

I've been using Prazi/Metro on their food for years. I just "salt" it a bit & let it soak a few hours. Soak with a garlic clove, too.

Thanks guys. Food is soaking now in garlic and a little Prazipro. Hoping I dont poison him. He's just bobbing at the top today as if he's "waiting" to eat but then refuses it. I'm thinking that I might only give him a couple of days more because I'm certain he's suffering at this point. It's so frustrating as I know if he'd just eat he'd begin to get better! I'm also thinking that all of my in and out of the tank trying to force food on him and then scooping it out isn't helping. Not looking forward to trying to force feed him with a syringe. Keeping my fingers crossed that he just takes a bite.

I haven't tried peas but I will pick some frozen ones up tomorrow as anything is worth a shot. At least I know he can open and close his mouth on his own and it's not his teeth.

No one can accuse me of not trying that's for sure! Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and thank you for all of your help.

I just read the article, thank you for suggesting that. Has anyone tried the 3 hour bath before? Wondering if I should go that route vs tube feeding him. Also I was going to try to tube feed without sedation as he just had it yesterday and I read that they can choke/ vomit under sedation. Sorry for the 10 million questions but I want to do this right.

Force feeding was unsuccessful. He spit it back out and wouldn't bite at all. His mouth was moving but nothing. You can pretty much reach right in the tank and just grab him with your hand (gloved). I'm going to try a bath tomorrow and then I think that's going to be it.

Maybe you didn't get the tube in far enough? This guy has had good success tube feeding a much smaller puffer: www.thepufferforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=34478

Thank you. I've read all the threads regarding this (I think). I'm afraid to push too far or through his gills. I guess my main concern now is I wonder if he's too far gone now? If that's the case I hate to put him through all of this extra trauma. He still can swim whn he wants to and while skinny for him, doesn't look anywhere near as emaciated as others I've seen both in pics and at LFS's.

I know "he's just a fish" as I've been told about a hundred times but I can't stand seeing anything suffer, especially my little friend. That's why I'm talking to you guys as you "get it". I'll try to get a pic to see what you think. Thanks again.

You'll never hear, "Just a fish" on this forum!

I hate it when people say that. I know he''s not smart and i know he'd eat me if he could but Oddball's my little buddy. When I'm worried about him and someone says he's 'just a fish' it's like '[expletive deleted] you, human'.

(yes, i know i'm weird)

BTW pufferpunk i stole your thing as my thing

VV