Woman's Pricey Surgery For Goldfish Who Choked On Pebble Goes Viral

AUSTRALIA (CBS) – Veterinarians jump into action daily, saving the lives of pets who are near and dear to their owner's hearts.

But, many would say this fishy situation surely doesn't happen every day.

Brisbane Bird and Exotics Veterinary Service posted the story of Conquer the Ranchu Goldfish on Facebook.

"Recently our patients have been keeping us particularly busy," the post read. "Just last week we had a client with a fishy problem! Conquer the Ranchu Goldfish had accidentally eaten a pebble from his tank and got it stuck in his tiny mouth! Our vets had to give him some help in removing it!"

"Conquer's eyes were obviously bigger than his belly on that day," a spokesperson for Brisbane Bird and Exotics Veterinary Services in Australia told CBS News.

Pictures show the goldfish's procedures where specialists used a tiny instrument to remove a jagged rock from the mouth of the 13-gram goldfish.

The story has since gone viral primarily because of the cost of the surgery. The fish's lifesaving procedure reportedly cost nearly $500.

"Most people wouldn't bat an eyelid spending this money on a dog, cat or child, so why would we value our beautiful exotic pets any less?," the clinic told CBS News, when asked about the expensive price tag.