George the Goldfish undergoes surgery to remove tumor PHOTO
A 10-year-old goldfish made headlines as the owners decided to pay for a costly $200-$300 surgery to save the fish when he developed a large tumor.
George, the goldfish, underwent a surgery to remove a tumor protruding from its head. Dr. Tristan Rich, head of the exotic and wildlife veterinary team at Lort Smith Animal Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, conducted the procedure by first having the fish swim around in anesthetic laced water.
As the hospital explained in a Facebook post the procedure went well, George survived and is doing very well, even with the large scar on his head.
Interestingly, the doctor inserted a tube into the fish’s mouth to wash a ” lower dosage of anesthetic water over its gills.” Rich removed the tumor and sealed the wound with four stitches.
At the end of the surgery, George was given painkillers and put into a “recovery unit”: a bucket of regular water where he started swimming around soon afterward. “The surgery went swimmingly and George has now returned home with his loving owner,” the hospital wrote on Facebook.
A spokesperson from Lort Smith told NBC News the surgery cost about $300 and, despite how unusual it seems, it’s not the first of its kind.
Dr. Tristan Rich operates on a goldfish named George at Lort Smith Animal Hospital in Melbourne, Australia on Sept. 11, 2014. photo supplied by Lori
