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Is there any treatment for a goldfish with a bent spine?

My goldfish suffered a traumatic injury when I was cleaning leaves out of my pond. It now has a bent spine and is not able to swim straight. It just rolls when it swims. Is there any treatment? Is there any hope that its injury will heal? I need to know if I should end its suffering or try to let it get better. Thanks for your help!

14 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Well there's not much you can do to help it. Maybe you can add a little bit of aquarium salt to the tank to help support it better but don't trust me on that im not a goldfish expert (mine died from fungus problem) It probably wont get much better.. whether to end its life or not is your choice

  • 1 decade ago

    How do you know the goldfish is suffering? Animals don't have the same thought process with suffering we humans have.

    Anyway...

    Here are some reasons a fish may develop a bent spine.

    If born that way, the fish may have a genetic abnormality.

    If born that way, the fish may have incurred a developmental problem while growing inside the egg. This could be related to diseases, temperature, injury, etc.

    If the fish was shocked via a faulty heater, pump, etc. or via lighting (striking a pond or surging through a house), this can result in a bent spine.

    A severe injury can bend the spine. Normally though if broken, the fish would die right away.

    Fish tuberculosis sometimes results in a gradual development of the curvature of the spine. I have seen this often in zebra danios but also in a golden orfe and a few other species. A fish with this condition (fish tuberculosis with a bent spine) is often also anorexic. See this section for more on fish tuberculosis.

    Certain vitamin deficiences can result in spine curvature.

    It seems that many fish nearing the ends of their lives get bent spines which usually match one of the above problems but sometimes do not.

  • 4 years ago

    Bent Backbone

  • 1 decade ago

    The bent spine is most likely from a bacterial infection. You can try treating the tank with medication and he may recover...but if the spine is already curving he is most likely in pretty bad shape....but they can live through quite a bit.

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  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    it has a broekn spine. its really a good idfea to put it out of its misery. take it out of the water and flush down toilet. or drown it, as drowning doesnt hurt, its is just uncomfortable. if you just let it live then it will really hurt. there is no treatment for a broken spine.

  • 1 decade ago

    Is the fish able to eat? If it can move around enough to eat it may be okay. I don't think the injury will heal though. If it can't swim well enough to eat I think you should destroy it.

  • Anonymous
    5 years ago

    while a fish can not get away a filter out contemporary, it somewhat is the two too efficient or approximately to die. It sounds like your fish would be passing quickly. it is not a delightful sight to observe, yet there is not something you're able to do.

  • 1 decade ago

    If it is that bad you are just prolonging the fishes agony. It probably has a broken spine.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Sorry to tell you this but i think you should just freeze him to death this is probably the most effective way to end its life without suffering!... Im serious!

  • 1 decade ago

    -sighs- I hate to say this. There is no hope. The best thing to do is end the suffering because this is extreme pain. The fastest way to end it so it won't feel pain is snap it in half. REAL FAST. Sorry for your loss. This won't heal. It's permanent and painful. It will die soon anyway and it will hurt...

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