Wound treatment for your fish

In a previous article ( click here ), we discussed how a fish can be injured. Depending on the circumstances and severity of the situation, you'll need to consider whether or not to treat the wound. You can wait and see, but if the wound spreads or becomes infected, you'll need to take action.

Goal

The goal of wound treatment is to prevent harmful organisms from exploiting the opportunity. We do this by disinfecting the wound. This involves removing any existing harmful organisms (such as bacteria, algae, fungi, and protozoa) and then sealing it, preventing new predators from entering. This allows the fish to recover more easily. After all, the body only needs to focus on tissue repair and no longer on simultaneously fighting against invaders.

Do it yourself?

You can perform wound treatment yourself. You can take a course or learn from an experienced hobbyist or veterinarian. It might be a bit daunting the first time, and it's best to do it with someone who has experience. Of course, you can also delegate the wound treatment to someone else. However, the advantage of being independent is that you don't have to wait for someone else to have time, while the problem worsens.

Material

Make sure you have all the necessary equipment ready when you anesthetize the fish. This prevents stress and hassle. You'll need:

A good workspace, for example, a baby's changing mat with a garbage bag around it.
A bowl, anesthetic fluid , medical (disposable) gloves, cotton swabs and kitchen roll.
A pair of scissors, tweezers and a pair of pliers (for pulling scales).
Disinfectant (e.g. hydrogen peroxide 3%) and a wound sealer.

There are ready-made sets for sale which includes all the necessary supplies.

Execution

Add the correct amount of anaesthetic fluid to a bowl of pond water.

Place the fish in the bowl and cover it. Occasionally, push the fish onto its side. If the fish doesn't stand up on its own, treatment can begin. Cover the fish with wet towels and wrap it up lightly, except for the wound. This will prevent the fish from thrashing or jumping away if it regains consciousness during treatment.
Remove affected scales with the clamp or tweezers and dead skin with a paper towel. Rinse the wound with tap water. Soak a cotton swab in hydrogen peroxide and rub the wound thoroughly (but not too gently). Alternate swabs frequently and do not reuse a used end. Also thoroughly clean the individual scales by thoroughly rubbing the swab underneath them. Rinse away any foam that forms with tap water occasionally.
Pat the wound dry with some paper towels and use the sealant to seal the wound, apply drops, or spray (depending on the product). Make sure to cover the scaly skin well. Allow it to dry a little afterward, if necessary (blowing helps).
Return the fish, but support it until it swims away on its own. To speed up recovery, you can hold its gills over an air stone or move the fish back and forth in the water with your thumb in its mouth (so that the gills are open), allowing plenty of oxygen-rich water to flow over the gills.
For severe wounds, repeat the treatment every other day.

Work thoroughly and not like a gentle surgeon. You'll sometimes have to scrub vigorously and pull off scales to get a clean wound. Don't rush. The fish can easily be kept out of the water for about ten minutes, provided the gills remain wet.