Prolonged Paralysis?

[Andie]

*surfaces for much-needed air amongst final papers, scandal and strikes*

Oh, it's been just a great semester at my university, and Nessarose has decided to make it truly special. Since before Christmas she has been, for want of a better word, paralysed about her midsection. There also seems to be partial paralysis in her tail; she struggles to the surface in fits and starts to get air and to eat, but otherwise she rests in a sort of 'J' shape on the bottom, her nose pointed up. There's a slight kink to her spine, though possibly just from her resting position; it's especially noticeable when she tries to swim properly (usually when some food sinks in front of her and she has to reach to get it).

I've put her in a large tank with a very shallow amount of water; she hasn't been in more than an inch of water since January. I've kept her clean and as warm as the room will alow, and I've watched to make sure she eats (she's still got quite an appetite, and her colour has never been lovelier). She's made it this far without any other apparent trouble (not that not being able to swim properly is really okay for a fish, but at least she's breathing) but I'm starting to figure if this is going to be long term, rather than a quick convalescence, I might want to try for a diagnosis.

Does this sound like anything anybody has encountered before? She's only thirteen months old, and since she's lasted four months now I have no reason to believe she won't last for several months more; I'd just really like to know what I migth be dealing with, here.

 

[fawnmodel]

It sounds like genetic spinal deformity. Unfortunately it can appear later in life, after a long time of swimming normally.

IF she appears otherwise healthy and is not suffering, it is probably ok. Only once I have culled a very damaged fish at several months old, who was undamaged previously.

 

[jollysue]

TB? There are other possible symptoms of fish TB, but the most obvious is spinal deformity. Synirr had a bout recently with Fish TB.

Ms. Kinky has a seriously kinked tail. She can swim but likes to lounge in her plant at the surface, and I seldom see her swimming on purpose.

I have a cockatoo with a crocked spine that others have suggested could be TB.

 

[Andie]

I did consider TB, but she's not displaying any other signs; just the spinal kink. Besides which, she's had a very slight kink ever since I got her- it's only become more pronounced since January, when she started to get like this. She isn't exhibiting any other symptoms; it just hurts me to look at her for too long because she looks so uncomfortable!

 

[l.michelle]

Hi, I have two cases of something similar, but with two different situations.

The first was with Melvin, I hadn't had him for even a year, I got him fromt he pet store, anyway, he became what looked to be paralyzed, he wouldn't swim to the surface, wouldn't eat, etc, So i moved him from his tank and put him in a shallow glass dish probably about 2 inches deep, he laid on hs side, not moving, he ate when the food fell in front of him. He would only move if you touched him, then it was kind of a side swim, he couldn't be upright. He eventually died like that, I never found out what it was he had. But I think he was paralized.

The other situation is with Mortimer, who just died on Friday. He was very lethargic, wouldn't move, he would try to swim to the surface (in his bowl i moved him to out of his 5 gallon), he would struggle up to the surface, then would just sink right back to the bottom. He would sit upright, almost vertical with his tail on the bottom, or sometimes depending on how he fell back down to the bottom, with his nose pointing to the gravel, back fins upright. I attributed this to old age though (he was 3.5 - 4 years old), but I am no fish expert.

I really hope any of this helps, although i doubt it does, just similar situations, of what it might be.

One thing, are you sure about her age?

 

[Andie]

The second of those two sounds a bit closer to Nessa, yeah. And yes, I am positive about her age She and her sisters and brother were spawned on January 11, 2005 Of course that, particular spawn has not been kind to me- of the five fish I started with in July, I now have two left. I lost the other three to dropsy (first time in five years I ever had a problem with dropsy, too, I might add) and I'm not really surprised now when health problems crop up, just because these guys have been particularly problematic. Only Sarima has escaped any real problems so far.