very ill 5 year old 9 inch Oscar Fish

Question
I have had my Oscar since he was the size of as quarter, he i 5 1/2 years old and close to 9 inches long. He has been doing great !! This morning I found him laying on his back at the bottom of his 55 gallon tank. His belly seems a bit distended mid girth, from the bottom of his belly close to his rectum and spreading up a little more then one inch. He loves Purina Puppy chow, could this be the cause . i am afraid he is constipated. Help me please, I love my Oscar.  With great hope and anticipation to a speedy solution from you Oscar experts, With Deepest Regards, Donna Rae Bindert

Answer
Donna,

Why would you feed your fish dog food? They are completely different animals. Only feed fish food made for fish. Your Oscar might be suffering from swim bladder disease. If you can try feeding him a pea. Get a frozen pea or 2 and pop them in hot water. skin the pea and try to get him to eat it. DO NOT feed him any more food until you get the pea in him. It is a natural fish laxative and might help him pass what is blocked. Please, this is just a suggestion and might not work on him since he is already laying on his back. I would, in the future, feed your fish only what is meant for them to eat. You might have to hand feed him the pea. Just be very gentle while holding him. Let me know if he gets better or if the pea doesn't work.