Question
I have a 10 yr old koi that was attacked by a blue heron.  It has a stab wound on the top of its head, and it is now laying on its side in our pond.  When we nudge it, it swims away but seems confused in doing so.  We had 8 fish in the pond, but the heron recently has eaten four.  Now, we have 3 healthy large koi left other that the injured one that are over 15 yrs old.  What do I need to do about this koi that has been injured?

Answer
Dear Diana,

Thank you for your mail and sorry to hear that you have an injured Kai.
If you not act on this, the Kai will almost certain dies.
Best thing is to call in a fish veterinarian as the wound needs to be cleaned, covered with protectioncover and maybe a medicine.
If however you are able to do so or have a Kai experienced member in your neighborhood best you can do is put the fish to sleep before handling the wound.
Then clean the wound very thurely and then add wound closure.
After this you can add protector as otherwise the woundclosure will tent to loosen.
Afterworld you recover the Kai in an aerated vat and watch him.
When stable and awake you can put him in quarantine or back in the pond.
Watch however closely for the next days and maybe you need to redo it after some days or week.
Maybe some antibiotic can be necessary.
When your not certain, please call the veterinarian.
This will ensure the best care.

Good luck!