What is Constipation?

Constipation is an illness which can affect your fish the same way it affects humans. Constipation can cause your fish to have difficulty, pain and discomfort when passing faeces, or it can prevent your fish from pooing, it can also change the regularity of your fish passing a bowel movement, dependent upon the severity of the constipation.

Constipation can cause your fish to bloat, this symptom can often be confused with dropsy. However due to the bloating this can cause irregularities for the swim bladder and can make the fish become unable to maintain buoyancy, and as a result your fish may become upside down and unable to return to being the right way up.

Constipation in fish can kill them if the blockage is not addressed and treated promptly.

Identifying and diagnosing!

Spotting the earlier signs of constipation can help to improve your fish’s health promptly.

As with all illnesses the symptoms are a guideline that your fish require attention, and you should seek professional help prior to treatment.

  • Lethargic behaviour
  • Bloating
  • Stringy faeces attached to the fish, as opposed to detaching and sinking to the bottom of the pond.
  • Not being able to open the bowels.
  • Erratic swimming.
  • White transparent tube-like poo attached to the fish anus.
  • Loss of appetite.
  • Exhibiting symptoms of the swim bladder disorder.

These symptoms can indicate other ailments so the pond medic will thoroughly examine your affected fish and diagnose accordingly.

Do not delay call the pond medic today. Tel: 07737 674417

Causes

The primary cause of constipation is a lack of fibre available in the diet they are fed. However, there are other contributing factors that can cause the constipation:

  • Lack of essential nutrients in the diet.
  • Being overfed
  • Wintry weather or cold environment.
  • Poor water quality
  • Physical blockages, for example small stones ingested or sand and soil from the pond.
  • Swallowing air with the food from surface feeding.
  • Food which is stale.

How contagious is Constipation?

Not Contagious

However, the cause of the constipation needs to be addressed.

Treatment

The pond medic will create a suitable treatment plan for your pond dependent on what is causing the constipation for your fish.

A high fibre diet will be recommended to help relieve the constipation, if it is possible warming the pond slightly may help to alleviate the discomfort and aid muscle relaxation. In some cases, a salt bath may be recommended to further relax the muscles and help to relieve the swelling caused from the bloating.

Prevention

The main prevention for constipation is to ensure that your fish are fed correctly and have a high fibre, nutritious diet.

If you are unsure about your fish health and feeding your livestock, please the pond medic for advice. 07737 674417