Application of metoclopramide as gastroprokinetic in koi carp (Cyprinus carpio) with positive buoyancy disorders

A two-year-old Koi carp or fancy carp (Cyprinus carpio) with a symptom of recurrent positive buoyancy was admitted to the Veterinary Medical Aquatic Animal Research Center of Excellence (VMARCE), Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University. Radiographic examination with positive contrast media revealed gas accumulation in the gastrointestinal tract without obstruction; subsequently, idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction was suspected. The anti-flatulence drug simethicone was administered, but the fish did not respond to the treatment. Therefore, metoclopramide, as the medical trial at a dosage of 0.5 mg/kg, was intramuscularly injected once daily for four consecutive days. The fish convalesced with neutral buoyancy on day five following initial treatment. The symptom remained in remission for 4 weeks, and the fish required a second metoclopramide treatment to relieve the buoyancy problem. Although the fish was not fully recovering and needed medical treatment every 4 weeks, this is the first report of metoclopramide application as a prokinetic drug for relieving positive buoyancy disorders due to idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction in koi carp.