Prolapse on Porcupine Puffer

[Jeffc1527]

Hello everyone, it's me again, you may recognize my name as I have been having a lot of fish related bad luck this past week with 1 fish dying and 2 more becoming ill, all-in different tanks.
I was on the forum yesterday and today to get to the bottom of my sick snowflake eel who I suspect has a bacterial infection cause by elevated nitrates in the water. While I have been working constantly to reduce those nitrates, I wanted to bring to light my porcupine pufferfish. She has been looking quite bloated now for about a week. Acting kind of off sometimes ill find her not moving at all, but still acting normal enough to not cause immediate concern and Shes been eating very well. I thought the bloating was due to constipation and I gave her peas one day and then 2 days of fasting and then more peas. That seemed to help as the bloating reduced slightly. This evening however I went to check on the tank and got quite the surprise. It seems as if her rectum or intestines are completely hanging out of her anus. I am unsure how to treat this and I have never heard of this happening before. I was thinking of trying some espon salt but I definitely would like a second opinion.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello everyone, it's me again, you may recognize my name as I have been having a lot of fish related bad luck this past week with 1 fish dying and 2 more becoming ill, all-in different tanks.
I was on the forum yesterday and today to get to the bottom of my sick snowflake eel who I suspect has a bacterial infection cause by elevated nitrates in the water. While I have been working constantly to reduce those nitrates, I wanted to bring to light my porcupine pufferfish. She has been looking quite bloated now for about a week. Acting kind of off sometimes ill find her not moving at all, but still acting normal enough to not cause immediate concern and Shes been eating very well. I thought the bloating was due to constipation and I gave her peas one day and then 2 days of fasting and then more peas. That seemed to help as the bloating reduced slightly. This evening however I went to check on the tank and got quite the surprise. It seems as if her rectum or intestines are completely hanging out of her anus. I am unsure how to treat this and I have never heard of this happening before. I was thinking of trying some espon salt but I definitely would like a second opinion.

Yikes- likely something stuck in its intestinal tract or infected.
Is fish eating? If so, brine shrimp may work like a laxative but in most cases it needs to retract on its own. Constipation if often a cause and effect. Bladder disease is another cause as is poor diet.
What foods were you feeding and how is fish breathing ?

Peas, spinach and epsom salt remedy does not work.

 

[Jeffc1527]

Yikes- likely something stuck in its intestinal tract or infected.
Is fish eating? If so, brine shrimp may work like a laxative but in most cases it needs to retract on its own. Constipation if often a cause and effect. Bladder disease is another cause as is poor diet.
What foods were you feeding and how is fish breathing ?

Peas, spinach and epsom salt remedy does not work.

I have brine shrimp on standby luckily. I feed all of my predator fish a mix of, scallops, clams, shrimp, squid, mysis, and silversides. I switch it up every day. The puffer really only prefers scallops, clams, and Mysis however. Breathing is steady and at a very normal pace, does not seem stressed, has vibrant color, swimming around, and still interested in food

Do you think I should try the brine? Would it be worth moving her to a QT tank with any special water parameters or is it more of a just make sure the water is clean watch for a infection and eventually it'll go away type thing? My snowflake definitely has a bacterial infection and was in the same tank as the puffer. I am starting him on kanaplex tomorrow so Im thinking the same thing may be going on with the puffer. It does seem as if she was making a bowl movement when this occured as you can see poop in the picture, but ive heard a swim bladder bacterial infection which may be the cause for the bloating can also cause constipation, which would cause straining and likely prolapse during the bowl movement

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I have brine shrimp on standby luckily. I feed all of my predator fish a mix of, scallops, clams, shrimp, squid, mysis, and silversides. I switch it up every day. The puffer really only prefers scallops, clams, and Mysis however. Breathing is steady and at a very normal pace, does not seem stressed, has vibrant color, swimming around, and still interested in food

Do you think I should try the brine? Would it be worth moving her to a QT tank with any special water parameters or is it more of a just make sure the water is clean watch for a infection and eventually it'll go away type thing? My snowflake definitely has a bacterial infection and was in the same tank as the puffer. I am starting him on kanaplex tomorrow so Im thinking the same thing may be going on with the puffer. It does seem as if she was making a bowl movement when this occured as you can see poop in the picture, but ive heard a swim bladder bacterial infection which may be the cause for the bloating can also cause constipation, which would cause straining and likely prolapse during the bowl movement

Oh - sorry to see. If the fish doesn't retract that on its own, the prognosis is not good I'm afraid. Sometimes, internal parasites can cause a fish to prolapse, other times, we just don't know the reason.
Epsom salts in the water won't help (seawater is already a high percentage of magnesium sulfate). Peas is a remedy for fancy goldfish.
If you have a gram scale, you could try to mix up some gelatin diet with 3% Epsom salts - that has a purgative effect for constipation, but I do not know what it will do for a prolapse.
I’ve had veterinarians push the intestines back inside and stitch the opening partially closed to hold it - but that only worked in a few cases.

Jay

 

[Jeffc1527]

Oh - sorry to see. If the fish doesn't retract that on its own, the prognosis is not good I'm afraid. Sometimes, internal parasites can cause a fish to prolapse, other times, we just don't know the reason.
Epsom salts in the water won't help (seawater is already a high percentage of magnesium sulfate). Peas is a remedy for fancy goldfish.
If you have a gram scale, you could try to mix up some gelatin diet with 3% Epsom salts - that has a purgative effect for constipation, but I do not know what it will do for a prolapse.
I’ve had veterinarians push the intestines back inside and stitch the opening partially closed to hold it - but that only worked in a few cases.

Jay

luckily late last night it went in on its own. I have started the snowflake eel and puffer fish on Kana plex after confirming both of them have bacterial infections from the water ( I got to confirmation from a family friend who is the head vet at the aquarium ). Both seem to be doing better. Puffer is a lot more energetic today and swelling in abdomen has reduced, as for the eel there hasn't been a large change yet.