Fish edema | Photo Pet MD

Have you ever noticed that your pet fish is getting fat? It could be suffering from fish dropsy.

Drops is a symptom of a serious fish health problem, so it’s important to know the signs and catch it early to find the best treatment.

What is fish edema?

Fish edema, also known as fish bloating, is a condition in which there is an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the fish’s body. Edema in fish is a symptom, not a disease. This means the fish has an underlying health problem that causes bloating.

There are many potential causes of dropsy in fish, some of which are urgent and others as simple as: Water quality is poor. If you think your fish has dropsy, consult your veterinarian.

Be aware that some underlying diseases that cause dropsy can be transmitted to other fish. If one of your fish is showing signs of dropsy, be sure to monitor the other fish in your tank as well.

Symptoms of fish edema

The most obvious symptom of hydrops in fish is that the fish is swollen and has protruding scales. Other symptoms include:

What causes dropsy in fish?

Hydrocele occurs when a fish’s kidneys and gills are unable to remove excess water from the body. Possible causes of dropsy in fish include:

The most common cause of dropsy is poor water quality, which creates a chronic stress situation, which makes the fish’s immune system dysfunctional and allows secondary environmental bacteria to enter the fish’s body, leading to kidney dysfunction. Masu.

freshwater fish (The bodies of goldfish, bettas, tetras, guppies, etc. are denser than the surrounding water, so water is constantly moving into their bodies by passive diffusion. This means that the fish does not have to use energy to move water through the gills.

The fish’s kidneys and gills work actively to remove excess water from the fish and return it to the environment. In saltwater fish, this process is reversed.

When these processes stop working properly, such as due to bacterial or viral invasion of the kidneys, pressure from a tumor, or stress elsewhere in the body, water begins to accumulate in the tissues. This includes the skin, which causes the scales to protrude from the fish’s body.

If the underlying condition is treated quickly, the damage to your fish is usually not permanent. If the symptoms cannot be treated, or the symptoms are not treated immediately, the kidneys will be irreparably damaged and the fish will not recover.

Kidney tissue cannot regenerate, so once it is damaged, it cannot be reversed. Although gill tissue can regenerate, damage causes more severe disease.

How do veterinarians diagnose dropsy in fish?

Dropsy is one of the few medical conditions that your veterinarian can diagnose by looking at your fish’s appearance.

However, dropsy in fish can be caused by a variety of underlying health issues, so a complete workup is important to diagnose the cause of dropsy. This may include:

• water quality test

• Biopsy of skin mucus and gills

• Ultrasound or CT scan using liquid

• Remove other body fluid samples using a needle if necessary

Skin mucus and gill biopsies are routinely performed and are used to microscopically examine the gill histology and potential parasites. However, this only provides information about the external environment of the fish.

Stained gill samples or needle-collected samples may be sent to a diagnostic laboratory for further diagnosis.

Your veterinarian may order an ultrasound or CT scan to look inside your fish. This allows you to see the kidneys and other internal organs. This will help your veterinarian determine if there is a mass or fluid within the organ. A needle may be inserted and a small sample taken for further analysis.

How to treat dropsy in fish

Because there are many potential underlying causes of dropsy, it is important for your veterinarian to perform a variety of diagnostics to determine the best treatment for dropsy in your fish.

The best treatment for dropsy in freshwater fish is to increase the salinity (salt) of the water to relieve some of the pressure on the kidneys and gills. add salt By stopping the process, you can reduce the amount of water entering the fish.

Different types of fish have different amounts of salt that their bodies can tolerate, so be sure to consult your veterinarian before adding anything to your aquarium. Depending on the type, too much salt can cause problems. A minimum level of 0.5 ppt or 0.05% is usually safe.

Never add commercial antibiotics to your aquarium. This treatment is not helpful and can end up killing beneficial bacteria and causing ammonia spikes, causing further stress to the fish.

Unfortunately, drugs that reduce stress in fish have proven ineffective. If you are concerned about edema in your fish, contact your veterinarian immediately. Chances of recovery are higher.

Recovery and management of fish dropsy

If the appropriate treatment for your fish is identified, your dropsy fish may recover within days to weeks. Recovery time depends on the initial cause.

In the case of bacterial infections, water temperature determines how quickly you recover; the warmer the water, the faster your recovery. However, increasing the temperature of the aquarium water does not mean that the fish will recover faster.

It is always best to keep your fish within the temperature range appropriate for its species.

Swelling usually decreases from the back of the body to the front, so it’s a good idea to take consecutive photos every day to document your recovery progress.

If dropsy is left untreated, the fish can die within hours or days. Usually, the swelling continues, the person is unable to eat, and suffers from anemia. As a result, organ failure occurs and there is not enough blood to remove waste products from the tissues.

If the fish is not eating or acting normally, humane euthanasia by a qualified veterinarian is recommended.

How to prevent dropsy in fish

The best prevention strategy for fish dropsy is to maintain good water chemistry and ensure that the fish receive proper nutrition.

Reducing stress in fish is the best management for many health problems, including dropsy. You can reduce stress on your fish by identifying and addressing the following:

• water quality problem—Water quality ranges vary depending on the type of fish. test water quality At least once a month, correct your maintenance routine if anything is out of range.

• Imbalance of diet and nutrition—All fish have different dietary requirements, and a diverse diet is usually the best option for many fish species. To ensure adequate vitamin levels, be sure to change food containers every six months and store them in cool, airtight containers.

• tank mate aggression—Some fish species and individuals do not play well with other fish, which can cause chronic stress and trauma. If you notice that your fish are bumping into each other, it’s probably time to move them to another tank.

• Too little tank space—Most aquariums are overstocked, which can increase stress for residents. Too many fish in your aquarium can cause serious health problems as they grow.

Always follow strict recommendations when adding new fish to your aquarium. This is essential to keep dangerous bacteria, parasites, and viruses from entering the aquarium and the health systems of the fish that live in it.