Wiggly the goldfish is back to normal after a snail lodged in the back of his mouth and forced Stephanie Ware to seek veterinary help. The fish, who had been thriving under Ware's care for the past two years, was sedated so vets could remove the obstruction with forceps.
Ware noticed something was wrong last week, then saw the problem more clearly the next day when Wiggly was straining and flexing his mouth with nothing coming out. When he turned and opened his mouth, she could see a shell inside. That was enough to send her calling around for help until she reached Anton Vets, where Wiggly and the snail were admitted right away.
The case mattered because Ware had introduced a few algae-loving snails into the tank she shares with the family's other pet fish, and Wiggly had tried to eat one. She said she felt incredibly guilty because the snails were her idea, but the fish recovered quickly after the procedure and was totally back to normal within a couple of hours of being home, asking for food as usual.
The vet team sedated Wiggly before using forceps to gently tug the snail free, and the snail was found unscathed after the ordeal. Ware has since found a new home for that snail and the others in the tank so Wiggly will not be tempted again. As for the lesson, Ware said she is 100 percent certain Wiggly learned nothing from it.
