Severe Bloat Cure

[Waterbox]

Ok, I know everyone says to just feed peas, do water changes etc. but I have tried everything and nothing seems to help my Goldfish. I am hoping someone on here has experience to help me with an alternative treatment. Here's the situation:

I have an outdoor pond, about 400 gallons or so. The fish with the problem is my largest common goldfish, about 9 years old. About 2 years ago she started bloating up a bit, but could swim/eat/breed regularly etc. Now she is very large and bloated, and has been so for about one year. She spends most of the day floating at the surface on her side and has trouble swimming. It is not dropsy, but I have no idea what it is. Peas don't work, the water is pristine etc.

I have been thinking of 2 options, was wondering if anyone has had experience or heard anything about this:
1) Try gently squeezing/massaging the fish to see if I can get something moving through her. This doesn't sound too good to me but I think at this point I need to try anything as her quality of life is going down.

2) Use a syringe and extract the air from wherever it is trapped. I got this idea from a Frontosa keeper, here's the article:
http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/frontosa_floating.php

I am tempted to try the syringe method, but if you guys can give me ANY other alternatives please do so before I go ahead with this. In the mean time I am going to see if I can talk to some sort of veterinary specialist who might know more on the procedure and where I could get the best tools for the job.

 

[saph.st24]

unless you exactly what your doing i wouldnt attempt the syringe.
there are many internal organs in close proximity that your could accidently put the syringe into

after 2 years its most likely the swimbladder is damaged beyond repair and may never get better,
people say that bringing the fish indoors and gradually warming them can help,a good quality diet pellet not flake, greens (lettuce,peas cucumber) or even antibiotics as swimbladder problems can be bacterial

you can buy swim bladder treatments, but you should put the goldfish in a filtered hospital tank its cheaper for you as your treating a smaller amount of water