Gas Bubble Disease

[dsherburn]

Does anyone have a source for acetazolmide (brand name Diamox)?
Pete Giwojna recommended pouch flushing with this medicine. It's available only by perscription and (so far) the local vet and LFS are unfamiliar with it.

The horse is having such a hard time with buoyancy (floating/up side down/etc.) that he's loosing the ability to feed. I'm afraid I'm going to loose him......
Dan

 

[rayjay]

First off, I don't automatically chemical treat for pouch emphysema.
First thing to do is to remedy the situation by using a rubber tipped bobby pin or a cannula to open the pouch while the seahorse is upright and under water, allowing the bubbles to escape. This will return the seahorse to it's normal state at least for a while but hopefully permanently.
If the problem persists, then flush the pouch out with a cannula and syringe using new salt water matched for pH, temperature, and s.g. to the tank water.
If the problem STILL persits, then it is time to flush with Diamox using a cannula and syringe.
I don't know any way to get the Diamox without a prescription or an understanding pharmacy.

 

[kudagirl]

Hi Dsherburn,
I have just got some diamox from my vet, i went and asked him if he could get me some , he looked up from where he got his drugs from they sold it so he kindly ordered it for me, i feel sure if you explain it to him he will be of help to you.
It took about three weeks to come.

 

[ann83]

Like rayjay mentioned, often doing a pouch flush with nothing but clean saltwater will do the trick because it will flush out whatever DOs were contributing to the recurring problem. And, as kudagirl mentioned, since Diamox is a prescription medication, your vet is your best option. There are some articles on web sites that describe Gas Bubble Disease and the use of Diamox, and sometimes if you print them out, the vet will be more likely to help. It would be illegal for anyone on the board to send you some, and believe it or not, message board posts can lead to trouble that way sometimes.