Australian woman pays $500 to save her pet goldfish

It’s a story about a fish that’s worth its weight in gold.

At least that’s the case when it comes to Conquer the goldfish, whose owner recently forked over $500 in veterinary bills to help save his life.

It was one year ago when Emma Marsh of Kuraby, Australia, purchased her Ranchu Goldfish from a pet shop for $12. The two must have formed a very deep bond over the course of a year.

When Marsh noticed her pet fish was unwell she rushed him to Brisbane Bird and Exotics Veterinary Services for treatment.

It was there that Veterinarian Emma McMillan noticed Conquer was actually choking on a small black pebble that somehow got lodged in his throat.

“He is 13g and only 5cm long,” McMillan told The Courier Mail. “The pebble was about 8 or 9mm long and was stuck lengthways across the side of his mouth, which is why he couldn’t spit it back out.”

“He was making excessive mouth movements trying to dislodge it … if we did nothing he would have starved to death,” she said.

To help save Conquer’s life an anaesthetic agent was slowly dripped into his water to sedate him for treatment. After the fish dozed off, it just took a pair of forceps and some careful manoeuvring to held dislodge the pebble from his throat.

Conquer is now recovering from his misadventure at home, but all that treatment didn’t come cheap.

With $500 in medical bills, little Conquer is now worth the same amount as a piece of 18 carat gold in his weight.

But it was well worth the price according to this lucky goldfish’s owner.

“I treat fish like they’re any other pet,” Marsh said.

All photos via Facebook