RTC anus bulge - anyone help!!

[1bob1]

Hi everyone rescued an S.A Red Tail Catfish last night have noticed that his anus is pretruding out from the underside cant find any info on this can anyone help on this topic or seen this before please see pic.
Thanks
Bob

[Jools]

I've never kept RTCs at home but I've read lots of posts like this over the years.

He's eaten something (such as a heater sucker) and can't pass it - red tails are famous for this. However, in this case it appears to have gone far enough through the fish that it can't be regurgitated.

I'd suggest you need to spend some money on a vet.

Jools

[1bob1]

Hi Jools i suppose its possible that something has been eaten by the RTC but do you think it could actually travel past the stomach the guy we got it from had the fish from 3" and had been trying to sell for a long time it had just outgrown his tank he diddnt have anything like that in the tank obviously if its still like it in the morning i will get him / her looked at in past cases when objects have been swallowed do peaple say this happens with the aunus??
thanks for the reply

[Jools]

do you think it could actually travel past the stomach

Yes. These things eat large fruits in the wild and pass large stones. If it wouldn't pass the stomach the fish would go off its food and regurgitate.

the guy we got it from had the fish from 3" and had been trying to sell for a long time it had just outgrown his tank he diddnt have anything like that in the tank

It, whatever it is, may well have been in the gut for a while. An x-ray will prove me right or wrong. I guess it could also be damage from a previous incident but that's getting even more far fetched.

in past cases when objects have been swallowed do peaple say this happens with the aunus??

Nope, they are usually passed or regurgitated.

Jools

[1bob1]

Ok good info Jools thankyou i will keep an eye on him / her till late and get up early he / she is going to be with me for a long time so the least i can do is have the fish looked at thankyou for your time i will post an update tomorrow
regards
Bob

[grokefish]

I love RTC's I wish I had a tank big enough for one

I concur with Jools, keep us updated I am intrigued.

[Viktor Jarikov]

Welcome to the Planet, Bob!

That's a first for me too. IME (oh, having lost only a couple of dozen of RTCs) and from what I read, they usually regurgitate what they cannot digest or take a long time to pass a foreign object or, when they cannot do either, they eventually die. Sometimes people successfully extract things from their stomachs (when they cannot throw it up and neither can they pass it in their intestine). Once in the intestine and they cannot pass, it is either a surgery ($$$) or death.

A couple of examples of successful extractions with nice vids:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG5Dz5Iwol4

http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... 93#p253193

I have never seen what your guy shows. I'd imagine if the foreign object cleared all the intenstines, it should be able to come out of the anus. Hence, atm I am inclined to think that this may be a swollen (inflamed) anus/colon or a parasite just about to come out.

The fish has a red spot underneath the left gill and a suspicious red area under the left pec fin - does not look all right. It may have health issues. Or may not.

[Jools]

Viktor

I had assumed the red markings etc were due to the fact the fish was moved a day before the pics were taken. As I've said above, an X-ray would answer the question above speculation as it appears no one here has seen this before.

Cheers,

Jools

[1bob1]

Right boys and girls firstly sorry for not getting back to yesterday as it was a mad day where i barely found time to visit the loo let alone sit infront of my pc heres what happened x-ray showed no foreign objects at all i noticed before we went that the bulge was half the size it was the night before when picture was taken so after a chat with the vet he thought it could be some sort of parrasite which i agreed it could be and left to do some thinking and reaserch of my own as he was no catfish specialist like myself last night after he / she had settled down i gave the fish its first feed in its new home 4 mussels which were gulped down as you would expect. So thismorning i turned on the lights and noticed he / she had shed some slime through the night also of intrest was the fact that his / her anus looked normal its now midday and the fish is starting to pass the food from last night anus is a quarter of the size you can see in the original picture so i am none the wiser as to why this is happening it could be a stress isue i guess my water quality is always spot on i would guess it has a lower ph than from the tank he / she came from as that guy used treated water strait from the tap and i use ro. The fish itself is not showing ant signs of stress it swims around then rests a bit has another swim etc any thoughts??

Some intresting links ubove as well thanks i would have tried to look / feel down his / her stomach if the fish was bigger as i have done this with wells catfish 60 - 100lb size

[Jools]

Glad I was wrong and you don't need to contemplate surgery.

The fact it's eating so quickly after the move would suggest all you need to do is keep doing what you're doing.

Jools

[1bob1]

Welcome to the Planet, Bob!

Thankyou Viktor


A couple of examples of successful extractions with nice vids:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG5Dz5Iwol4

http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... 93#p253193

Very nice links

I have never seen what your guy shows. I'd imagine if the foreign object cleared all the intenstines, it should be able to come out of the anus. Hence, atm I am inclined to think that this may be a swollen (inflamed) anus/colon or a parasite just about to come out.

I am now thinking mabey the same

The fish has a red spot underneath the left gill and a suspicious red area under the left pec fin - does not look all right. It may have health issues. Or may not.

The red spot underneath the left gill is an old injury that he / she knocked when being caught as to is the red area under pec he / she also split left pec and top fin during the process i wanted to catch it myself but his tank if you no what i mean

[1bob1]

Glad I was wrong and you don't need to contemplate surgery.

Not today anyway lots more time for it to eat something else

The fact it's eating so quickly after the move would suggest all you need to do is keep doing what you're doing.

Jools

I hope so Jools i guess the fish losing its slime coat is a change in enviroment and a bit of stress so i gave the tank a nice dose of prime with the change today

[Viktor Jarikov]

Good news. If the fish is eating well, it'd be easy to give it some anti-parasitic meds with food. I think I'd try the general, safe, and wide-spectrum de-wormer praziquantel and then another one of similar qualifications - metronidazole. Those two should kill any parasites it might have. Metro has also certain anti-bacterial/fungal/viral properties.

It seems now the symptom is intermittent and varies in magnitude. It is still not normal, I'd think. Makes me also think of a condition in humans where a part of the colon can fall out/get exposed when defecating. Not that this is the same symptom but shows that some kind of problems in that area that may look like that are known.

On a smaller chance, it could be a strange reaction to the stress of re-homing and of new water and tank and it will subcide on its own sooner or later.

About the vids: yeah, I was not suggesting to poke around in its stomach (for no reason) but rather to show what they can swallow. Surely, if anything, it is not your fish's stomach that needed "stomach-oscopy" but the colon/anus could have been examined manually (hard task, of course - I don't think fish take lightly to the attempts at colonoscopy).

Sounds like you have an interesting and diverse experience with cats. What do you mean when you say you are a catfish specialist? Are you a vet too? How did you get its X-ray? That'd be an interesting learning if you provided details and another first for me. Anyway, sounds like you are a great addition to our forum. Looking forward to learning from and with you.

[1bob1]

[quote="Viktor Jarikov"]Good news. If the fish is eating well, it'd be easy to give it some anti-parasitic meds with food. I think I'd try the general, safe, and wide-spectrum de-wormer praziquantel and then another one of similar qualifications - metronidazole. Those two should kill any parasites it might have. Metro has also certain anti-bacterial/fungal/viral properties.

Good advice thanks again

It seems now the symptom is intermittent and varies in magnitude. It is still not normal, I'd think. Makes me also think of a condition in humans where a part of the colon can fall out/get exposed when defecating. Not that this is the same symptom but shows that some kind of problems in that area that may look like that are known.

you are right its not normal catfish is resting at the moment so i cant check i will have a look and if i can post a picture later of what it looks like now

On a smaller chance, it could be a strange reaction to the stress of re-homing and of new water and tank and it will subcide on its own sooner or later.

If its still happning in two more days i will treat with one of the forms you mentioned but i hope as you say its an adverse reaction to better water

About the vids: yeah, I was not suggesting to poke around in its stomach (for no reason) but rather to show what they can swallow. Surely, if anything, it is not your fish's stomach that needed "stomach-oscopy" but the colon/anus could have been examined manually (hard task, of course - I don't think fish take lightly to the attempts at colonoscopy).

I no you wernt suggesting i poke around but with large fish like the wells it is possable in a relaxed fish to examin the contents of its stomach i have handled many big wells catfish in england and Europe but this should only be done by someone who has good knowledge of the fish

Sounds like you have an interesting and diverse experience with cats. What do you mean when you say you are a catfish specialist? Are you a vet too?
No Viktor i was saying that both me and the vet were no catfish specialists so his opinion though valid was really only as good as mine you guys are much more knowledgeable and it is me who is learning

pic is me and the misses with a 72lb wells Mandarin uk fish infact the largest in the country

[Viktor Jarikov]

Nice! Thanks for explaining and sharing. What's Mandarin? A special piebald variety?

[Redtailrob]

Lovely Wels 1bob1.

This isnt the Jones Pit fish is it?? Thunk thats a pure albino.
apologises all going of track

[1bob1]

Nice! Thanks for explaining and sharing. What's Mandarin? A special piebald variety?

Hi Viktor i think as redtailrob says its a true albino photos do not do this fish justice self takes

Bob

[1bob1]

Lovely Wels 1bob1.

This isnt the Jones Pit fish is it?? Thunk thats a pure albino.
apologises all going of track

Close but no cigar this fish is not from Jones pit misses doesnt want me to say because she wants to go back for one larger that goes over 92lb

[Viktor Jarikov]

It has been a while. How is the fish, Bob?

[1bob1]

Hi guys and girls the cat is doing great no meds used he / she is eating well no problems at the bottom end fins have mostly healed up currantly in a 300ltr new home arrives next week 1500ltrs 7ft x 3ft x 2.5ft looking forward to setting that baby up