The Puffer Forum

Hi guys,

I've got 6 irrubesco living in happy harmony, but it's become apparent that two of them need to have their teeth trimmed, and one of them is really struggling to eat at the moment so need to move quickly.

They get snails regularly, though they're not always very interested, but despite this, they still need trimming.

For puffers this small does anyone have any experience of trimming the teeth or any advice on the best way to go about this?

Thanks,
Andy

But of course! We even have a library article complete with pictures...

library/hospital/dentistry/

(for quicker help in the future, try the search feature.. topics like this are discussed repeatedly so most of the time we either have an article or you can find lots of discussions about it if you search)

check out the library like Myaj said. As far as doing the trimming, don't be nervous. It is a lot worse for you than them. I am always afraid of hurting them. Just remember to start trimming as soon as they go belly up, don't let them puff with air and move them back to fresh water as soon as possible. They can take up to 15 min to recover from sedation- don't be scared. Just check their gills for movement. I just did my 5 SAPs last night. They were back to themselves (begging for food) by this morning.

Thanks, I'm just a bit nervous as the smaller of the two that needs attention is so small I can't imagine how I'll get the nippers at the teeth! She's less than 1" - is it common to be able to trim teeth on puffers this size?

Also I've had a look on google and can't seem to find anywhere that supplies the necessary fish sedative in the uk, can anyone advise?

Many thanks
Andy

We don't recommend using it but if you can't find Finquel or equivalent (try pond supply shops- in the US they are more likely to carry it) you can use oil of clove in an emergency (can cause neurological problems if used several times but if the fish is going to starve it is better to do the trimming). To get oil of clove check your local pharmacy in the dental department. It was used as an analgesic for toothache at one time. If they don't have it try your local new age shop or any store specializing in organic foods, supplements and fragrances. Make sure you get 100% pure oil of clove without any added alcohol, etc.(most organic shops only carry the pure stuff here in the US). Good luck.

The puffers I used in that article were only about 1" or so.

Sources for Finquel:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=15083

I have had to trim "Puffy" (a 3" figure 8 puffer) twice. I simply held him in my hand(Closed around him so he couldn't move, but not with any pressure on him, just no struggle room.) and trimmed, using the clippers to slide his lips back as I did so to keep me from cutting them. I just netted him and held him underwater, and worked underwater, right in his tank.

Yes, definately pull the "lips" back, I use my fingers, it would be easy to cut them off (they heal.. not a life threatening injury but its obviously not something you want to do).

I am always afraid I'm going to squish the little guys when I hold them.. they are soo little and soft!

First attempt at trimming and I cocked it it - I didn't take enough off because I was being overly cautious.

I couldn't get finquel for 2 weeks (the only supplier in the uk is out of stock, so used clove oil, which freaked me out enough on it's own. However, little puffer righted herself.

I need to do it again and quickly, as she is not eating at all, and is getting thinner. The question is how quickly can I use a second dose of clove oil? 24 hours, 48 hours, 1 week, 2 weeks etc? I don't want to kill her, but don't know what else to do. I don't think it would be possible without sedating her because of her size.

Any help would be really appreciated as I'm really worried about her.

Cheers,
Andy

Are you sure she's not eating due to her teeth, and not internal parasites?

Maybe you could post a pic of the teeth?

Totally convinced it was the teeth - I had a good look during my attempt to trim them (and had even bought a magnifier to work through to ensure I could see correctly).

Unfortunatley it's academic now - this morning she had passed away, despite swimming around ok last night. Whether the result of clove oil / shock / wasting I'm totally gutted - she was the favourite fish in the house and the one with the biggest personality. However, I'm sure I did the right thing in trying because she had stopped eating and was wasting and I'm in no doubt that inaction would have had the same result.

I'd double checked through all the articles and it certainly didn't appear to be IP. I'm annoyed at myself for not having been better prepared and will make sure I get some Finquel in case this ever arises again - I think if I had been able to do this at the weekend it would have been much better. One of the biggest problems I had was how to handle her and trim her teeth - she really was tiny - under 3/4"

Thanks for all the help, but unfortunately this didn't turn out the way we'd hoped. I'm still sure I did the right thing in trying but that's not really much consolation at the moment.

Andy

Andy, about the only external sign we have of internal parasites is wasting away to nothing, eventually refusing to eat. That's extremely typical behavior of a puffer with IP's, and, since nearly all species do not breed in captivity, they nearly all have an infestation. The stress of being caught, transported, sold in a store, etc, is more than enough to lower their immune system and let the parasites take over. Irrubescos can be bred, but it doesn't happen very often yet, otherwise we'd all be able to get our hands on these cute little buggars. I've been watching for some for years now... Have only seen them in person ONCE my entire life.

I'm sorry you lost your little one, but I would still recommend deworming the rest of the group as a precaution. It won't hurt them, and can do a lot of good.

Sorry for your loss. But you did try and I would have done the same thing. As Myaj said I treat every puffer for ip's. It's very common in puffers.