Beloved pet "Murray", a 6 year old Murray Cod weighing 5kg and measuring abut 70cm, found himself in a fishy situation. He had swallowed a plastic pump pipe measuring about 10 cm x 3 cm.

Responding to the urgency of the situation, the skilled exotics vets at Animal Referral Hospital (ARH) Canberra employed their compassion and expertise. With the support of specialist surgeon, Dr Jacob Michelsen, they opted for an endoscopic procedure to extract the lodged plastic pump pipe.

Under careful anesthesia, Murray underwent a 15-minute endoscopic procedure. The veterinary team adeptly navigated the emergency, successfully retrieving the foreign object. Murray remained placid and well-behaved throughout.

Murray emerged from the procedure with flying colors. He was returned back to his tank and home soon after recovery. 

ARH Canberra: 24/7 pet emergency and specialist services

ARH Canberra incorporates a specialist referral service and emergency service into one seamless hospital, open 24 hours a day all year round.

The specialist team operate from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday with services across surgery, internal medicine, orthopaedic medicine, rehabilitation, oncology and imaging.

The emergency department is open after hours, including public holidays, with access to an on call surgicial and medicine specialist for urgent cases.

Learn more about ARH Canberra here