My fish swallowed another fish and is choking, what do I do?

If the suspicious is a foreign body (fishbone) stuck in the airways I recommend to seek veterinarian attention asap, this is an emergency situation. The vet will explore the upper airways and remove the foreign body. In the meantime keep Zarek calm to reduce his stress in this difficult situation. Good luck. Please post again on the forum if you would like to discuss it further. I hope my answer was helpful.

Thanks for reaching out about your fish. Clove oil (eugenol) is approved in the United States as an anesthetic for fish, no sure about Norway. Overdosing on anesthesia is probably the most humane. Freezing or other methods are not acceptable. Fish veterinarians might have access to tricaine methansulfonate (MS-222) another approved anesthetic for fish. A fish veterinarian might also be able to diagnose and treat a problem. Age is not a disease. Good luck.

Thanks for your question about Bubbles, and I’m sorry that this is happening to both of you. I was unable to get the photo to zoom in enough to see what is occurring in the mouth, but I would suggest having him evaluated by a veterinarian. Fish can get foreign materials stuck in their moths (items such as rocks or other materials), and can also get growths in them. A veterinarian can evaluate for both of these, and take action to correct it. Depending on what they find, it may be a simple fix, or he may need a surgical procedure potentially. You can find fish bets in your area using the AAFV website. I hope that gives you a place to start, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

That is a concerning clinical condition and a check up would absolutely needed as soon as possible at your local veterinary clinic. The spine fish should be ideally removed under sedation or general anesthetic.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Poe. I recommend that he sees a veterinarian as soon as possible if his symptoms have persisted. In the meantime, you can try rubbing his throat. This can aid in and encourage swallowing. You can open his mouth and see if you see anything in the back of his throat. Small amounts of water as you are doing can help as well. I hope this information helps!

Thanks for reaching out about Tennessee and including photos. If he can not open his mouth, he needs to see a veterinarian, the sooner the better. Concerns are an oral obstruction, fractured mandible or other problems. Check and correct water quality as pristine water parameters will be needed after a veterinary visit. Good luck.

It sounds like whatever Chewy had stuck in his throat has passed. Since he is acting normally, keep an eye on him for now. Should that behavior start again or he stops eating, take him into a vet immediately. Best of luck.