For the past two years, Wiggly the goldfish has been thriving under the love and care of her mom, Stephanie Ware. Last week, however, the treat-loving fish suddenly appeared to be struggling.
“He seemed a bit off,” Ware told The Dodo. “[The next day],
I could clearly see that Wiggly was straining, flexing his mouth with nothing coming out.”
So, Ware decided to peek into Wiggly's mouth to see if she could find an obstruction.
"When he faced me and opened his mouth, I could see a shell inside," Ware said.
Turns out, some time earlier, Ware had added a few algae-loving snails to the tank Wiggly shares with the family's other pet fish. But evidently, Wiggly had attempted to eat one of the snails — only to have her get lodged in the back of his mouth.
Now both needed help.
“I felt incredibly guilty, as it was my fault for introducing the snails into the tank,” Ware said.
After calling a few local experts for help, Ware finally reached Anton Vets — pros at caring for medical issues in less conventional pets.
Wiggly, and the snail inside him, were admitted right away.
The vets then sedated Wiggly for what would be an awkward, but not overly complicated procedure.
The snail, who was likely as displeased by the current circumstances as Wiggly, needed to come out.
With a quick but gentle tug from a pair of forceps, Wiggly’s mouth was cleared of the obstruction.
And the snail was freed.
“It was a huge relief,” Ware said.
After being released from the vet, Wiggly appeared no worse off for what had happened.
“He was totally back to normal within a couple of hours of being home, asking for food as usual,” Ware said.
As for the snail? She was found to be unscathed after the ordeal, as well. But just to be safe, Ware found a new home for her and the other snails in Wiggly’s tank so he wouldn’t be tempted to try to swallow them again.
“I am 100 percent certain that Wiggly learned nothing from the experience,” Ware said.
