Do Seahorses get narcolepsy?

ann83

Member
Originally Posted by SueAndHerZoo
http:///forum/post/3120020
Does the infected tail become stiff or hard to use?
Yes, it definitely can. It is losing circulation (not that it had great circulation to begin with), and can definitely become stiff and immobile. Hopefully, though, she is able to hitch with the upper portion of her tail. Do you have any large diameter hitches in the tank with her? Or, better yet, big bushy fake plants that she can "sit" in?
Also, do you have any wound control, bio-bandage, or gel neosporin that you can put on the tail tip? I should have thought of that sooner, but that happens to be something I usually forget...
She seems to do a lot of jerking, and it almost seems like she's struggling to gain altitude. She succeeds, but it's not an easy, graceful thing.
[insert whatever curse word you imagine I just said here] *sigh* Okay. Does she seem bloated at all? Fat? Is her tail getting thicker? Are her trunk rings still clearly defined, or is she filling out to where the area between her trunk rings is flush with the trunk rings themselves? Does any of that make sense even?
The tail looks as it always did..... should I expect to see any improvement or will it always be discolored and thinner at the tip?
You'll see one of two things, either the tail will slowly and gradually regain color and mobility (though this takes time to heal even after the infection is dealt with), or the tip of the tail will turn whiter and fall off (which isn't as bad as it sounds, really). It just depends on how far the tissue damage has gone, but either way can result in a healthy seahorse.
She seems real interested in food but then she doesn't snick at them even when they smack her in the face. I've wondered a few times if she's gone blind or something.
Try live foods. Seahorse's get pickier when they're sick and it is common for them to go off frozen for a while. Live shrimp like ghost, glass, mysis, etc. even if freshwater, are best. If you are unable to get that, you can try amphipods and/or live adult brine shrimp. Remember, 4 days without eating means it's time to tube feed, so you don't want to get to that point if you can help it.
Also, you can add vitamin B12 to the water (or to the tube feeding gruel if you get to that point). It helps stimulate appetite. And beta glucan is an immune booster so adding that (preferably to food) can help her heal.
If there's anything else I should be doing, please let me know!
Sounds like you're doing great. Good luck!
 

sueandherzoo

Active Member
Thanks for all the help and support, everyone, but she's gone.
This morning she was "sitting" upright in a plastic bushy plant very still but I assumed it was because it was still early and dark in that room, and when I got home for lunch she was lying on the bottom, not breathing. I didn't have the heart to flush her yet and besides, I want to examine her closely when I get home from work tonight. And there's a TINY part of me that says maybe she was breathing REALLY shallow and she's not really dead. (let me have my fantasy for a few more hours as much as I know it's not possible).
Thanks again for the support and info. I didn't have high hopes of her making it but did get some yesterday when she seemed more active.
Live and learn, but I'm not sure what I learned yet.
Sue
 

meowzer

Moderator

Originally Posted by SueAndHerZoo
http:///forum/post/3120374
Thanks for all the help and support, everyone, but she's gone.
This morning she was "sitting" upright in a plastic bushy plant very still but I assumed it was because it was still early and dark in that room, and when I got home for lunch she was lying on the bottom, not breathing. I didn't have the heart to flush her yet and besides, I want to examine her closely when I get home from work tonight. And there's a TINY part of me that says maybe she was breathing REALLY shallow and she's not really dead. (let me have my fantasy for a few more hours as much as I know it's not possible).
Thanks again for the support and info. I didn't have high hopes of her making it but did get some yesterday when she seemed more active.
Live and learn, but I'm not sure what I learned yet.
Sue

So sorry Sue, and boy do I know what you mean by that last statement.
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by SueAndHerZoo
http:///forum/post/3120374
Thanks for all the help and support, everyone, but she's gone.
This morning she was "sitting" upright in a plastic bushy plant very still but I assumed it was because it was still early and dark in that room, and when I got home for lunch she was lying on the bottom, not breathing. I didn't have the heart to flush her yet and besides, I want to examine her closely when I get home from work tonight. And there's a TINY part of me that says maybe she was breathing REALLY shallow and she's not really dead. (let me have my fantasy for a few more hours as much as I know it's not possible).
Thanks again for the support and info. I didn't have high hopes of her making it but did get some yesterday when she seemed more active.
Live and learn, but I'm not sure what I learned yet.
Sue
So, so sorry...I was following the thread...I hoped she would make it...
 

hlcroghan

Active Member
So sorry to hear that. Isn't it amazing how much such a tiny creature like that can touch our hearts? Well, hopefully whatever pain she was in is over now. My prayers are with you.
 

sueandherzoo

Active Member
You guys are all awesome - thanks so much for following and cheering us on and then being there to share in the sorrow. It really does help!
I may have just figured out what I "learned" from this. I learned that there are still some really good people in this world and a lot of them can be found in these message boards. I'm not usually a big fan of humans ("The more I know people, the more I love my pets!") but I'm always amazed at how kind and caring so many of you are. Maybe this was meant to teach me to be more open-minded about people.
However, the experience does reinforce my original feeling that the attempts to save a sick seahorse always seem to be in vain and again makes me wonder if I would have done her more of a favor by NOT prolonging her suffering.

Sue
 

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
Wow Sue, I'm really sorry that you lost her. I know you did everything you could, but twas just not meant to be.
Not to sound callous, but how are the other two? Any abberations in their behavior??
 

teresaq

Active Member
Sue I am sorry you lost her. I know you tried. Its always hard to loose them, though I dont know why???? it is so differant to me then loosing a fish in my reef.
I think we have learned that this is what can happen when you mix species and breeders. I have read this over and over in thread of those who mix.
T
 

sueandherzoo

Active Member
That question didn't sound callous at all, Rick, and so far the other two juveniles that I got with the one who passed seem fine. But then again, they all seem fine until all of a sudden they're not, right?
Yes, perhaps the loss did have something to do with mixing breeds. Right now what I have left is a pair of reidi's and two juvenile male S. Erectus in that tank. I will eventually only keep S. Erectus but separating the breeds now would be pointless. I really want to get another female (or two) S. Erectus to eventually partner with the two males but of course I don't want to do that right away...... I want to see if they remaining four are going to stay healthy first. It would be silly to introduce two new horses so soon after a death.... I have no idea if there is still an "illness" in the display tank or if I got the sick horse out in time.
Yes, it is a little harder to lose a horse than a fish.... maybe because they are so darned personable!
Sue
 

rykna

Active Member
Originally Posted by ann83
http:///forum/post/3117542
Can you get live adult brine shrimp to gutload with some Furan-2? That should help a lot more than just putting the Furan-2 in the water.

That's a really cool idea!
~Rykna
 
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