When massaging the pouch, do not rub the skin as it will come off. To do a proper pouch massage, you put the outside of your thumb at the base of the pouch and let the thumb roll up to the top of the pouch. Sort of like if you are doing a total finger print of your thumb, is the best way to describe it. You should also see if you can get the pouch open a bit at the top, so when the air is pushed to the upper part of the pouch, it can escape.

I have lost males to air in the pouch, but have saved a few too. Good luck. Phone me if you need some encouragement, Lee.

Go
 

Unfortunately, I have treated my male erectus many times for GBD. Sometimes it is a simple microbubble issue and sometimes it is a bacterial infection creating gasses.

To evacuate I used a bobby pin (plastic tip left on).
If you choose this method:

Hold the horse underwater so that your thumb rests on the base of the pouch in a way that gentle pressure forces air up to the opening. Let him rap his tail around your finger.

While exerting mild pressure, gently tease the opening of the pouch open with the bobby pin. This takes some practice with gentle side to side and downward pressure. You are really trying to ease the two sides of the pouch open just a little.

The horse will clamp but with patience you will break the "seal" of the pouch opening enough to force the bubbles out.

The key is gentle but firm - never forcing.

My male had this as a recurring problem and I got to the point of being able to express the bubbles in moments. It really ****es off the horse though!
The members on Seahorse.org will recommend Diamox, a prescription commonly used for HACE (high altitude cerebral edema) and list sellers etc... The problem is they can't ship to Canada. I actually got a Pharmacist to prescribe some for me after explaining the problem. The meds are administered as a pouch flush and should clear the problem up.


Good luck with the horse.
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marijuana vaporizer

UPDATE:

Thanks for all the tips guys. I did indeed try your method Bev on Friday when I first tried this. What a stressful procedure. So hard to do this all with one person and nerve rakin. The Seahorse was not happy. I got lots of air bubbles out and was so proud of myself, thinking for sure this odda do the trick. The pouch had sunk alot. I put the male seahorse back in the tank and after a few minutes he was swimming back to normal with the exception of having a bubble on his tail. He still wouldn't eat though. :(

THEN... next morning this male Kuda was floating upside down again!!! DAMN IT! Tried again to release more bubble with no luck. Worried I'm injuring his pouch with pressure. 20 mins later I put him back tank to rest and hope for change. Nothing and he still wouldn't eat. :(

(Sunday) This morning... He's still floating. This is the 5th day with not eating. I am going to try pouch evac again, using the bobby pin method (Dales advice..thanks Dale) to better keep the pouch open while trying to get more air bubbles out. Thinking the bubble in his tail is what is keeping him a float. Not sure if anything can be done about that bubble. Thinking this Seahorse is already dead. I dont think I can help him, I'm exhausted and thinking I'm doing more damage then any good.

Any one wanna try? Any advice?

Besides his conditon, with out him eating, how long can a seahorse really live without food? Any humane way to euthanize a seahorse. Just rips me apart to think that he's suffering and starving to death. :(

I have euthanized SHs that were beyond my ability to help them by putting them in a glass of tankwater and putting the glass and SH into the freezer :cry: I was heartbroken having to do that :sad: :cry: :cry:

Aww..thats sad. I would be heartbroken too. But its really hard to see them waste away. I tried another pouch evac with little luck. I see though that his bubble in his tail is turning more white. I'm thinking its an infection thats spreading. I'm exhausted with trying to save him as I think my efforts are doing more damage. He's starving to death and in the corner of the tank up side down. So sad. :(