I have emergency my catfish swallow a heater holder

[Benbino]

My shovelnose catfish swallow a heater holder what should I do??

 

[Oblio]

Welcome to TFF!
Part of me thinks you have been lurking and want stump @Colin_T.
j/k
I wonder if there is any chance the plastic can be dissolved by the gastric juices? If not, perhaps there is enough openings and throughput and your Cat can survive with his gastric modification.

 

[Ashleytaylor]

Is there any chance you could hold him and try to slowly pull it out?
That plastic isnt going to break down.
Can you try to grip and wiggle it out his mouth or gills?

Not an expert but, plastic like that can’t be broken down to the size it needs to be nor in the small amount of time it needs to be.

Even if you use tweezers.? See what you can do, I’d try very gently,

 

[Rocky998]

How in the fricking heck did that happen?? Like- What?
I have heard of fish swallowing some things but things that are "normal"... That's just outright weeeeeird

 

[Fishmanic]

you should put a video of that on youtube..you'll probably get a million views

I think all you can do is see what happens..Unfortunately, I don't think he's long for this world.

 

[JuiceBox52]

Try removing it with tweezers, other than that I'd say it looks painful and if you can't remove it clove oil will have to be the way to go

 

[Rocky998]

Try removing it with tweezers, other than that I'd say it looks painful and if you can't remove it clove oil will have to be the way to go

Tweezers yes, clove no... I heard that can be a really bad death... This WILL sound worse but I've heard its actually better... For euthanasia on fish, put it in a bag, and hit it one time as HARD as possible with a hammer ON ITS HEAD.... Sounds cruel but I've heard its a good method when you want them dead quickly and no pain.

 

[Oblio]

He's not dead yet!

Colin needs to weigh in.

It could be perhaps the antithesis of staple surgery, stretch the stomach and eat more.

 

[Ashleytaylor]

He's not dead yet!

Colin needs to weigh in.

It could be perhaps the antithesis of staple surgery, stretch the stomach and eat more.

You could stretch the stomach…. But the whole it comes through??

 

[Rocky998]

Yah I don't agree with making him poo it out... Heck, I'd want to die

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Wow. I have no idea how to help with something like that. I'd say wait and see if he'll regurgitate it...some catfish are very good at that sort of thing. Failing that, I see you're in SoCal. Surely there's a fish veterinarian somewhere around?

 

[Colin_T]

Either hope it pukes it back up or hold the catfish upside down and gently (very gently) rub its stomach and see if it helps it throw the item up. But as others have said, plastics don't dissolve and the fish will gradually starve to death if it doesn't regurgitate the item.

If you use tweezers, be very careful and use tweezers that have a round edge so you don't puncture the throat or stomach. The fish should be sedated if you want to try this.

 

[Rocky998]

Either hope it pukes it back up or hold the catfish upside down and gently (very gently) rub its stomach and see if it helps it throw the item up. But as others have said, plastics don't dissolve and the fish will gradually starve to death if it doesn't regurgitate the item.

If you use tweezers, be very careful and use tweezers that have a round edge so you don't puncture the throat or stomach. The fish should be sedated if you want to try this.

Also be careful you don't literally take his insides out when pulling it with tweezers... Thats all I could think about when someone mentioned pulling the thing out with tweezers

 

[Benbino]

He's not dead yet!

Colin needs to weigh in.

It could be perhaps the antithesis of staple surgery, stretch the stomach and eat more.

He's alive and fine I just trying to find out how should I get this out

 

[Slaphppy7]

Wow....that's all I have to say...never encountered something like this before