George the goldfish was on the mend in Australia today after undergoing “high risk” brain surgery in an operation the vet described as “fiddly”.
The 10-year-old fish had a tumour protruding from its head, leaving his owner with two options: to have it operated on or have the fish put to sleep.
The Melbourne-based owner opted for the delicate surgery.
“She was dedicated enough to give it a go,” the vet who performed the operation, Tristan Rich, told commercial radio station 3AW.
“It was quite fiddly as you can imagine and you have to control any blood loss. You can only lose half a millilitre,” said Rich from the Lort Smith Animal Hospital.
“Obviously it was high risk but everything went well in the end.”
Rich added that the operation cost “a few hundred dollars”.
A new goldfish from a pet shop would cost less than Aus$10.
