Adorable Goldfish With Bladder Disorder Gets Special 'Wheelchair' To Help Him Swim Again

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In today’s adorable news, a goldfish with an incurable bladder disorder has been given it’s very own β€œwheelchair” to help it swim again.

Needless to say, the internet is besotted.

Wheelchair fish is doing well pic.twitter.com/eHTeoEBU58

β€” Taylor Nicole Dean (@taylorndean) March 14, 2017

The inventor of the device, Derek, works in an aquarium and was presented with the fish by a customer whose pet had a permanent bladder disorder.

The condition meant the fish was unable to hold itself upright and was often stuck to the bottom of the fish tank.

β€œSo I made him a wheelchair and he loves it,” Derek wrote in a message to his friend.

My friend made a wheelchair for a goldfish pic.twitter.com/QghXTY7rme

β€” Taylor Nicole Dean (@taylorndean) March 10, 2017

Derek also shared a photo of the goldfish whose β€œwheelchair” is attached to a piece of styrofoam, which helps it float.

His friend Taylor Dean, a β€˜full-time pet mom’ who vlogs about animals on YouTube, shared a screenshot of their text message conversation on Twitter and it wasn’t long before the internet had fallen in love with the tiny fish.

@taylorndean This is incredible. Kudos to the person who made the wheelchair!

β€” claire southern☠️ (@StardustMuffin) March 15, 2017

@taylorndean I love this, thank you

β€” Heather Chen (@oceana1009) March 15, 2017

@taylorndean That is way too cute.

β€” Winnie πŸ’” (@mangoesarelife) March 15, 2017

After her tweet went viral, Taylor shared an update to say the fish was β€œdoing well”.

Today she shared another tweet featuring a photo of the fish with an upgraded model: this time, a β€œmore comfortable wheelchair”.

Just wanted to let you guys know wheelchair fish is still doing well and got an even more comfortable wheelchair pic.twitter.com/AwjeJU0pFL

β€” Taylor Nicole Dean (@taylorndean) March 15, 2017

Derek told BuzzFeed that he made the initial β€œwheelchair” using airline tubing, which he carefully wrapped around the fish.

β€œI added some valves to the bottom of it, which acted as a β€˜chair’ to prop him up,” he explained.

β€œI added weights to the bottom of the β€˜chair’ and something to keep him afloat on top (styrofoam), and slowly removed pieces until I achieved just the right buoyancy to make it easy for him to swim around without feeling like he’s dragging around a chair.

β€œThe bottom weight is almost equal to the pull on top so it works quite well for him!”

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