Does this fish have better healthcare than you? Probably.
Senior Director of Animal Health Dr. Jimmy Johnson, Denver Zoo/Instagram
- A French angelfish at the Denver Zoo was having trouble swimming and staying afloat.
- So veterinarians placed the fish on a sponge, sedated it, and gave it a CT scan.
- They put the fish on a special treatment plan and its back to thriving in its tank.
An angelfish at the Denver Zoo received top-of-the-line medical care when it started acting weird and now everyone online is joking that it has better medical insurance than most Americans.
In an Instagram post on Tuesday, the zoo said animal care specialists had noticed that a French angelfish in the Tropical Discovery habitat was having trouble maintaining buoyancy and swimming normally.
So, they brought the fish to the zoo's new animal hospital. There, veterinarians sedated the fish and wedged it into a sponge in a big plastic Tupperware container.
While intermittently running water over the sick fish's gills, the medical staff conducted an examination that included a CT scan.
Senior Director of Animal Health Dr. Jimmy Johnson, Denver Zoo/Instagram
The zoo did not publicly say what health officials diagnosed the fish with, but it said the veterinarians placed it on a special treatment plan.
"We're happy to share that this little fish was on a treatment plan and is now back to happily swimming in its Tropical Discovery home," the zoo wrote on Instagram. "Our animal care and health teams will continue to monitor this fabulous fish."
"From the tiniest tree frog to a full-grown grizzly bear," the zoo added, "We're proud to offer the highest level of care to our animal residents!"
If you're not a fish, a CT scan can cost you.
In Colorado, the price of a CT scan in 2020 was as high as $4,190, depending on the body part being scanned and the patient's level of insurance coverage, according to the Center for Improving Value in Health Care. The statewide median for the same year was between $320 and $394, according to CIVHC's graphic.
Commenters on the zoo's Instagram post joked, "I want to be on that fish's insurance," and "When a fish gets better care than more than 60% of the US."
The CDC estimates that in 2022, 27.6 million Americans, or 8.4%, did not have health insurance.
So, does this fish have better healthcare than you? It's likely.