Porcupine with bulge/distress

[Cheeriup]

Hi. I have had my young porcupine puffer for almost 2 years. She's been healthy and active for the entirety. Last night I noticed a significant bulge on her back right side and causing her anus area to protrude quite a bit. It is *not* also on the left side, and there is no prolapse showing at this time. It was not present the previous day. She appears to be in some amount of distress, staying in the same spot and with slightly elevated respirations.

I've considered all the possibilities that I'm aware of, and I think it's most likely blockage of some kind, or serious constipation. She eats a good, varied diet and I use vitachem with it. She does not eat anything that is still shelled aside from occasional supervised snails, which I haven't given her in several weeks. She doesn't have anything in her tank quite small enough to fit in her mouth, though it is possible that she ate a really large piece of food- she does kind of scarf everything down. I have not tried burping, and have not touched her at all. I don't believe the pea method will work as she's has not been interested in food.

I greatly appreciate any ideas - I really don't want to loose this one.

Salinity - 1.023
Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - 3.0ppm
PH - 7.8

In a 75 gallon grow-out with 1 young Niger trigger.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi. I have had my young porcupine puffer for almost 2 years. She's been healthy and active for the entirety. Last night I noticed a significant bulge on her back right side and causing her anus area to protrude quite a bit. It is *not* also on the left side, and there is no prolapse showing at this time. It was not present the previous day. She appears to be in some amount of distress, staying in the same spot and with slightly elevated respirations.

I've considered all the possibilities that I'm aware of, and I think it's most likely blockage of some kind, or serious constipation. She eats a good, varied diet and I use vitachem with it. She does not eat anything that is still shelled aside from occasional supervised snails, which I haven't given her in several weeks. She doesn't have anything in her tank quite small enough to fit in her mouth, though it is possible that she ate a really large piece of food- she does kind of scarf everything down. I have not tried burping, and have not touched her at all. I don't believe the pea method will work as she's has not been interested in food.

I greatly appreciate any ideas - I really don't want to loose this one.

Salinity - 1.023
Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - 3.0ppm
PH - 7.8

In a 75 gallon grow-out with 1 young Niger trigger.

While it helps with parasite acquisition, the salinity is slightly low but no impact on the belly distension. How are you testing water as it is rare with puffers and eels to have zero readings which may be false but not cause for stomach.
Regarding the bulge, constipation/blockage is actually suspect issue and if eating can sometimes be resolved with feeding of brine shrimp which acts as a laxative. While food ends up in that area, often constipation will involve the entire body cavity.
What is color of its poop ?

 

[Cheeriup]

While it helps with parasite acquisition, the salinity is slightly low but no impact on the belly distension. How are you testing water as it is rare with puffers and eels to have zero readings which may be false but not cause for stomach.
Regarding the bulge, constipation/blockage is actually suspect issue and if eating can sometimes be resolved with feeding of brine shrimp which acts as a laxative. While food ends up in that area, often constipation will involve the entire body cavity.
What is color of its poop ?

Thanks, I appreciate the input. I'm just using an API master test.

I've never actually seen her poop. Ever. And not for lack of observation. And she's not able to do so now, it appears.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thanks, I appreciate the input. I'm just using an API master test.

I've never actually seen her poop. Ever. And not for lack of observation. And she's not able to do so now, it appears.

Kit explains zero readings which it generally say zero when it is higher. I suggest takimg a water sample to a store that does NOT use Api kits and compare readings- then you'll know

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hi. I have had my young porcupine puffer for almost 2 years. She's been healthy and active for the entirety. Last night I noticed a significant bulge on her back right side and causing her anus area to protrude quite a bit. It is *not* also on the left side, and there is no prolapse showing at this time. It was not present the previous day. She appears to be in some amount of distress, staying in the same spot and with slightly elevated respirations.

I've considered all the possibilities that I'm aware of, and I think it's most likely blockage of some kind, or serious constipation. She eats a good, varied diet and I use vitachem with it. She does not eat anything that is still shelled aside from occasional supervised snails, which I haven't given her in several weeks. She doesn't have anything in her tank quite small enough to fit in her mouth, though it is possible that she ate a really large piece of food- she does kind of scarf everything down. I have not tried burping, and have not touched her at all. I don't believe the pea method will work as she's has not been interested in food.

I greatly appreciate any ideas - I really don't want to loose this one.

Salinity - 1.023
Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - 3.0ppm
PH - 7.8

In a 75 gallon grow-out with 1 young Niger trigger.

The two common causes of this are intestinal blockage and swallowing air. The latter almost never happens unless you feed the fish from the surface or have recently captured it in a net to move it or something.

Peas is an old goldfish remedy, it really doesn't have any application to marine fish.

Epsom salts can work to help move things along, if fed in the diet at 1%. Of course, if the fish isn't eating well, that won't work. Also, you need to bind the Epsom salts to the food, I make a gelatin food for example.

Some people put Epsom salts in the water, but seawater already has a LOT of that salt in it, so this trick works beter for freshwater fish.

In many cases, things just work their way out.....

Jay

 

[krose.forrest]

My puffer currently looks exactly like this and we are really starting to get worried as he hasn’t eaten in over a week either and just wants to stay in his rock cave. What ended up helping yours?