Goldfish with grossly distended stomach

[Von]

I have a gorgeous gold fish (approx 15 years old) with the most amazingly beautiful tail, but alas over past couple of months it's stomach has enlarged so that now it occasionally swims upside down. I initially got advice from local shop, but today have taken it out of the pond and put it in a small tank with salt... but I neglected to ask how long it should stay in there. Maybe a few hours or what??? I have no idea if it is male or female.
It is eating normally and its scales seem normal, it doesn't seem unhappy (how does one tell?) - I can't bring myself to do the deed... can anyone offer any further advice please? Thanks in anticipation, Von

 

[Tula]

Welcome to our forum, but under sad circumstance. I'm not a gold fish expert but am sure they'll chime in. A few things come to mind 1) Swim bladder issues 2) egg bound 3) tumor , I would have mentioned dropsy but you said the scales are normal. Since it's swimming upside down, I'd be thinking about swim bladder issues.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Welcome to the group

Sorry about your fish. At fifteen years old you must be pretty attached to him/her.

Are you able to post a photo of your fish?

 

[Dave 54]

What has most probably happend Von is your fish has overeated and is constapated causing pressure to its swim bladder.
However there is a a simple cure to this Von "garden peas and chopped earthworm" why these two foods well peasand earthworm are a Duretic that causes you fish to then go to the loo this then causes movement of the fishes gut and it will take a [poo] , this in turn takes the pressure off the swimbladder and your goldfish goes back to notmal ..
It may be that your goldfish is egbound does it feel as if shes full of them ?
We have a koi that is 28 years old sso believe me when I say that at 15years of age your goldfish is still relatively young , goldfish can live a long life of up to 40+ years if looked after.propperly and koi can live up to 80+ years

Dave

 

[Von]

Thank you all for your responses - wow! I very much appreciate your time.
As I wasn't sure about the salt water I decided to pour it away and put the fish in rainwater last night... this morning things didn't look hopeful... it was upside down in the corner of the tank not looking very happy at all. When I returned at lunch time, it was happily swimming around the tank right side up again! Somewhat surprised, I dropped a few food pellets in which were quickly gobbled up. I've monitored progress throughout the afternoon and, so far, so good.
I will try the peas (I have some frozen petits pois in my freezer so hope they'll do). Earth worms are not very abundant in my garden - I have to go digging deeper! I'll try and get a decent picture but it hasn't proved too easy yet... maybe I should gently catch it again, take the picture and feel its belly... if it is eggs, what can be done? None of my fish have bread for many years. I thought it was eggs at first and only sought advice when nothing was delivered!
Although I've kept fish most of my adult life, I've never had a 'sick' one (that I know of). Of course there's been the odd fatality, and I've had to put netting over this pond since cats and herons abound here. I am very fond of my fish and can only hope this poor thing isn't suffering - this is one of two in particular that give me inordinate pleasure... its so pretty normally. Of course I want to give it the best chance possible - so do please continue your support if you can... I now realise just how little I actually know!
Thank you all again... I'll keep you posted.
Gratefully yours, Von

 

[Tula]

Good news on your fish! Since it's righted itself, I'd be thinking it's a swim bladder issue. FYI, around here, you can purchase earthworms in pet stores and bait stores for fishing.

 

[Dave 54]

Thank you all for your responses - wow! I very much appreciate your time.
As I wasn't sure about the salt water I decided to pour it away and put the fish in rainwater last night... this morning things didn't look hopeful... it was upside down in the corner of the tank not looking very happy at all. When I returned at lunch time, it was happily swimming around the tank right side up again! Somewhat surprised, I dropped a few food pellets in which were quickly gobbled up. I've monitored progress throughout the afternoon and, so far, so good.
I will try the peas (I have some frozen petits pois in my freezer so hope they'll do). Earth worms are not very abundant in my garden - I have to go digging deeper! I'll try and get a decent picture but it hasn't proved too easy yet... maybe I should gently catch it again, take the picture and feel its belly... if it is eggs, what can be done? None of my fish have bread for many years. I thought it was eggs at first and only sought advice when nothing was delivered!
Although I've kept fish most of my adult life, I've never had a 'sick' one (that I know of). Of course there's been the odd fatality, and I've had to put netting over this pond since cats and herons abound here. I am very fond of my fish and can only hope this poor thing isn't suffering - this is one of two in particular that give me inordinate pleasure... its so pretty normally. Of course I want to give it the best chance possible - so do please continue your support if you can... I now realise just how little I actually know!
Thank you all again... I'll keep you posted.
Gratefully yours, Von

Its a pleasure to help Von as I said we have a 28 year old koi but we also know paon and loss of Tiny a rescue koi who had lived with us iver 27 years one year less than browntop our 28 year olds name .
To tell you the truth If it starts doing that again and she stays inverted the outlook would be very bleak indeed

Dave

 

[Von]

Not looking too good this morning... am seriously considering euthanasing. Poor thing just upside down again in corner of tank... will give it another few hours... belly is so engorged it won't be a simple cure I think - looks ready to burst! Can't bear to think of its suffering, let alone watching
Seems to be excreting. Still eating. Should I feed normal food pellets as well as the peas?

 

[Von]

Couldn't bear it any longer... love my fish too much... letting it go now... RIP with love

 

[bettasngoldfish]

So sorry to hear this

 

[Von]

Thank you again for your words of wisdom and support - much appreciated. Sometimes we have to make very difficult decisions but I had to ask myself, who I was keeping my beloved fish alive for? It didn't make me 'fee'l much better, but at least I'm not suffering the anguish any more and I'm relieved to think that I didn't prolong suffering when the poor thing spent it's time inverted in the corner of the tank. I hesitate to imagine what the poor thing was going through... I just hope I did the right thing. Thanks again.

So sorry to hear this

 

[Dave 54]

Thank you again for your words of wisdom and support - much appreciated. Sometimes we have to make very difficult decisions but I had to ask myself, who I was keeping my beloved fish alive for? It didn't make me 'fee'l much better, but at least I'm not suffering the anguish any more and I'm relieved to think that I didn't prolong suffering when the poor thing spent it's time inverted in the corner of the tank. I hesitate to imagine what the poor thing was going through... I just hope I did the right thing. Thanks again.

Von we all have to make those hard decissions from time to time , we lost a 27 year old koi last year to old age in the end it was a kindness to let it drift off to sleep under anaesthetic .
This year the pond took a lightening strike thankfully the three fish hit are recovering one of them ws 28 and if needs be we would have done the same for her but as I say thankfully they are recovering , its knowing when to Call it a Day


Dave

 

[Tula]

Von, I'm sorry you lost your beloved fish. Sometimes the best thing we can do for our pets, is to not let them suffer.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

I have no doubt you did the right thing. Believe me I have been there and done that.....once a goldfish goes upside down and stays that way for any length of time they don't tend to right themselves again