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Aussie Man Spends $300 On Surgery For Beloved Pet Fish

Aussie Man Spends $300 On Surgery For Beloved Pet Fish

Bubbles only cost $30 but he doesn't regret spending money on the surgery.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

No one should ever question the love a person or a family has for their pet. Whatever the pet might be, the relationship between human and animal can sometimes go to ridiculous and expensive lengths.

But you don't have to tell that to an Aussie man who forked out $300 to have his beloved Bubbles the koi fish undergo surgery.

Michael Dare noticed his eight-year-old fish was developing a large lump on it's body and was worried it could be something sinister.

He's told the Daily Mail: "It wasn't looking promising for the fish. If we can have the choice to help or destroy, I'd rather help."

James Cook University

Michael took the fish to avian and exotic vet Ingrid Danylyk-Huisman who pointed out that the lump growing on the fish was a tumour.

Now, many people would sigh and think that the $30 fish could be replaceable, however Michael was committed to keeping Bubbles alive for as long as humanly possible.

So, the team at James Cook University got to work at removing the lump and thankfully the surgery was a raging success. However, it wasn't without its complications.

Dr Danylyk-Huisman told the Townsville Bulletin: "Anaesthesia is the hardest thing, it's quite easy to give them too much."

James Cook University

"If the tumours are small we don't do surgery, if they're large we choose to remove them. When we're finished the surgery we put the fish back in a tank.

Incredibly, she said that these types of surgeries are becoming more commonplace. She added that the price they paid was reasonable considering some koi fish surgeries get into the thousands of dollars.

"There is a lot of people that have really expensive fish and they are seeking more medical help now days," Dr Danylyk-Huisman said. "I've done [surgery] on a $25 goldfish before, it all depends on how the owners really think of their pets.

James Cook University

"Just because it's a fish doesn't mean we can't help it with medical treatment."

Mr Dare says the fish aren't as dumb as they seem, adding: "You put your hand in there and the fish will swim over your hand so there's obviously a connection here with the fish.

"They're not just some mindless creatures. They acknowledge who you are and we acknowledge who they are."

The bond is strong with these ones.

Featured Image Credit: James Cook University

Topics: Community, Animals, Australia