Fish rectal prolapse or worse?

[reef2021]

I noticed what appeared to be a rectal prolapse in my little clown. I started to feed brine a few days ago when it didn’t appear that it was getting better. Now he looks like this. Is this just a worsening rectal prolapse or something worse?

Any suggestions on how I can help him?

 

[Sleeping Giant]

almost looks like a wound

 

[reef2021]

I forgot to mention that today is his first day refusing food.

 

[reef2021]

almost looks like a wound

I’m not sure. There’s no one picking on him and he doesn’t have a history of darting to safety. No other fish in my tank has any sort of wound for me to think there’s a predator in the tank.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I’m not sure. There’s no one picking on him and he doesn’t have a history of darting to safety. No other fish in my tank has any sort of wound for me to think there’s a predator in the tank.

its not a wound and likely prolapse with infection likely bacterial and fish will need immediate quarantine and treatment using either maracyn 2 or seachem Kanaplex with added oxygen. If eating, give it brine shrimp which will pass through easily

 

[MnFish1]

First - fish do not entirely have the same anatomy as a person - there is a rectal prolapse, in fish its a cloacal prolapse - and sometimes its an ovarian prolapse (all of those organs are together. My question - Is the fish eating, is it still having waste (stool)? Often times an ovarian prolapse - due to egg binding - can resolve - though I have not had great luck. PS - I have also not had great luck treating with antibiotics. It will either go back in - or it will not. Would be interested to hear @Jay Hemdal's opinion. Mine is leave it where it is and hope it resolves. A QT tank / hospital tank is also fine - I'm not sure, though that it will help.

 

[MnFish1]

PPS - just to say - no objection to antibiotic treatment as @vetteguy53081 recommended - My guess is the outcome will be the same - with or without - might make it - might not.

 

[reef2021]

its not a wound and likely prolapse with infection likely bacterial and fish will need immediate quarantine and treatment using either maracyn 2 or seachem Kanaplex with added oxygen. If eating, give it brine shrimp which will pass through easily

Thank you. I have some ciprofloxacin and erythromycin on hand. Can I treat him with either of those while I wait to get Kanaplex?
Is it possible to quarantine him in a 5g bucket? I’m using the hospital tank I have set up for a new fish that I’m observing.

I started feeding brine about three days ago. Unfortunately, he started refusing food this morning.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

That looks like a LOT of tissue damage, right in an area with some vital organs. Sorry, but I would say the prognosis is very poor.

It could have begun as a minor injury that got infected. Could it be a cloacal prolapse? It could have begun as that perhaps, but now there definitely seems to be some infection component to it.

In the picture, the lesion seems "additive" as opposed to "subtractive". What I mean is that the material seems to be growing out from the fish, not eating away at the fish's tissue. There is a rare marine fungal infection that does that.

My fear here is that even if you stop the infection with antibiotics, the internal organs (in this case intestines) will have been damaged past the point of repair.

Jay

 

[reef2021]

First - fish do not entirely have the same anatomy as a person - there is a rectal prolapse, in fish its a cloacal prolapse - and sometimes its an ovarian prolapse (all of those organs are together. My question - Is the fish eating, is it still having waste (stool)? Often times an ovarian prolapse - due to egg binding - can resolve - though I have not had great luck. PS - I have also not had great luck treating with antibiotics. It will either go back in - or it will not. Would be interested to hear @Jay Hemdal's opinion. Mine is leave it where it is and hope it resolves. A QT tank / hospital tank is also fine - I'm not sure, though that it will help.

He just stopped eating today. Prior to this morning he was eating well. I saw a white stringy stool come out of him yesterday.

Thanks for the response!

 

[reef2021]

It could have begun as a minor injury that got infected. Could it be a cloacal prolapse? It could have begun as that perhaps, but now there definitely seems to be some infection component to it.

In the picture, the lesion seems "additive" as opposed to "subtractive". What I mean is that the material seems to be growing out from the fish, not eating away at the fish's tissue. There is a rare marine fungal infection that does that.

My fear here is that even if you stop the infection with antibiotics, the internal organs (in this case intestines) will have been damaged past the point of repair.

Jay

Thank you.

I feel bad that I didn’t ask for help sooner. I posted on Humblefish and it was suggested I try and treat with cipro and methalyne blue baths in a hospital set up. Do you think it’s worth trying? Or should I consider euthanasia?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Thank you.

I feel bad that I didn’t ask for help sooner. I posted on Humblefish and it was suggested I try and treat with cipro and methalyne blue baths in a hospital set up. Do you think it’s worth trying? Or should I consider euthanasia?

Cipro is an option. Methylene blue at 4 ppm might help if it is the fungal issue I mentioned. I'd give it a try.

Jay

 

[reef2021]

Cipro is an option. Methylene blue at 4 ppm might help if it is the fungal issue I mentioned. I'd give it a try.

Jay

Okay. I’ll take him out of the reef and start medicating him.

I’ll keep you updated on his situation. Thank you.