internal gas bubble disease

[gtstylez87]

what is the best way to treat internal gas bubble disease?

 

[wdt2000]

I hope this helps.

http://www.seahorse.org/library/articles/diseaseguide.shtml

Treatment

Treatment of internal gas bubble disease is often difficult and not practical. There are currently only two proven ways of treating this medical condition.

Decompression involves placing the afflicted seahorse in a decompression chamber that is at least three times deeper than the height of the tank in which it resides regularly. The seahorse must be kept on the bottom of this chamber, and it must remain there for hours, at least. This treatment is often not possible as resources needed are generally not available to hobbyists. Additionally, the organs are often too damaged for this treatment to be successful.

Perhaps more promising is the use of a drug called acetazolamide. This drug, called Diamox in the medicinal trade, is very successful at treating all gas-related seahorse disorders. To use it, a solution of 1/8th of a 250 mg tablet should be dissolved in one cup of water. The solution should then be injected into ghost shrimp, which are then frozen. The prepared shrimp are then fed to the affected seahorse at a rate of two per day for four days to complete treatment. This treatment must be administered very early to work, but if done correctly, success rates can be high.

 

[Peka]

Try the Diamox and see if it helps. Often by the time we notice this condition, the horse is so bloated that it can't be saved.... I would still try and see. Are you sure it's IGBD? Is this a female or male? Can you post a picture please?

 

[gtstylez87]

its IGBD for sure and its a female. the upper section of her body. im having a hard time finding Diamox but im starting to treat with kanamycin and nitrofurazone. my last chance for diamox is tomorrow at my vet. they were closed today.

 

[Peka]

I wanted to make sure it wasn't a female just holding eggs... that would be a different treatment. Good Luck..

 

[capecoral]

Hope it does well....

 

[gtstylez87]

since i know she has a slim to no chance of recovering i am going to try some experimental treatments to see if they work. i talked to an aquarist at miami seaquarium and he was the one who told me to do that treatment. she has not shown any response to the treatment. i have successfully drains some of the gases from her body cavity. before doing it she was filled with so much gas that she was floating unable to submerge. she was floating like a cork, and a portion of her body was out of the water. when i first saw her i thought she was dead. in that condition she would have not lasted the night and she would have died from the stress and exhaustion of trying to get down. I was able to get me hands and butterfly needle and attached to a syringe and SLOWLY sucked some gas out. not she doesnt seem to that a problem staying down now. after the procedure she was very stressed out, but now doesn't now seem to have a problem staying down now. i applied kanamycin to the site of the wound to help protect from secondary infection. i am still try to get diamox but if not i am going to try something else. all diamox is, is a type of diuretic and was going to try another type of diuretic to see if it works. i will keep you guys updated on her condition and the treatment i do.

 

[Peka]

I'm interested in hearing the results and I applaude you for going so far with this, most would not. She is lucky to have you but I am sorry that you and her have to go through all of this..

 

[gtstylez87]

today i tried a diuretic call furosemide which the vet has given my dog to help the fluid build up in his lungs for an enlarged heart. i administered it by tube feeding her. this is something i have done in the past to administer medicine and/or feed sick seahorses. good thing that its a liquid so i did not have to dissolve it. i mixed it with marine snow because she has not eaten in a couple of day and i wanted her to have something in her when taking it. i gave it to her about 7 hours ago and she seems to be ok. i think the gas is starting to build up in her again because she is higher in the water column of the tank. lets see if the medicine will help the gas work its way out. also i am still treating with the anti-biotics

 

[gtstylez87]

although its still to early to tell, but i think the furosemide & anti-biotics might be helping. the gas bubble doesn't seem to be getting bigger, but she is very weak from not eating. its a cycle of her not being able to eat because of her not being able to go down and getting weaker and not having the strength to move. also i forgot to mention that i have been doing a water change every 2 days and add another dose of the anti-biotics.

 

[rayjay]

Best to fasten a suitable dish/container at the top so the seahorse doesn't have to get down to eat from it.

 

[gtstylez87]

u know rayray but my other seahorse maid a mess of it and would let the sick one feed, but thanks for the idea