Sting ray injury or goiter?

peter ray

peter ray

Member
Last night my sting ray developed this large bump on the right side / top of head....next to his eye. I heard him bang into the top of the glass the day before & thought he got a bump / hematoma injury. This morning he was still eating. Tonight when I was feeding I noticed the bump was much larger and extended to the underside. I have 2 pictures here. Is this a goiter or a hematoma?
Water parameters are normal. Salinity is also normal. I have had him over a year and a half with no problems what so ever. He is still trying to eat, but is having a problem opening his mouth. Can anyone help with what this could be? I don't want him to die or be in any pain. Medications?
Thank you.

 
peter ray

peter ray

Member
he eats what he has always eaten....frozen shrimp,squid, ghost shrimp. I have not introduced any new foods to him.
no other fish in tank with him....1 cleaner shrimp, 3 sea stars....
I am thinking it's more in line of a hematoma....no white lesions, no disc curling. It's weird. He trys to eat but it looks painful. He spits it in and out and they are really small pieces of food.
Abcess of sorts? Anyone else ever have this on their stingray?
help.
 
peter ray

peter ray

Member
This morning I took Peter Ray to a specialized vet hospital in Monterey, California. One of the doctors who looked at him is the staff doctor at the Monterey Bay Aquarium! Long story short....it WAS a hematoma. I had several tests done including a biopsy. They drained the hematoma and are testing to make sure there is no internal infection. He also had an xray done to make sure nothing was broken. The doctors also tested the water and all was good.

Peter Ray is now back home and recovering in his tank. The swelling is way down and he is swimming slowly around. He'll try eating tomorrow. For those of you interested...he rode up in my car in a 4' cooler with a battery operated pump. Pretty cool setup! :jumping:
 
peter ray

peter ray

Member
The vet bill was around $500 and then another $200 to get equipment to have him travel safely to the hospital. Well worth it to save him. He would of died a slow and painful death...he was so swollen he could not open his mouth to eat.
I'm watching him swim around the tank now. He is doing so much better!!!
 
reefboys

reefboys

Member
Thats great! Such a beautiful ray and you rarely see one survive in captivity let alone thrive like yours has. Would have been a shame to see him go. Thats awesome news! Congrats
 
blownz281

blownz281

Member
peter can i email you and ask ya some questions bout my shark to see if he has a goiter? i have a problem like your ray did.
 
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