Dropsy is a fish illness which affects freshwater fish.  Goldfish seems to have a real problem with this illness.

I sucked a Goldfish down through my siphoning tube and the fish lived for one year with Dropsy.

Dropsy makes your fish look like a pine-cone.  The scales will stick straight out and the fish will become bloated.

Often times, this is from organ failure.  Fish usually end their lives with Dropsy. 

To avoid any more problems, unplug your filter so that the fish doesn’t get stuck to the filter system.

You can purchase medication to try and help your problem.

You will want to fast your fish (avoid feeding the fish) for at least 1 day.  The fish might be constipated.

Fish can get Dropsy and die in one day or they can live with Dropsy for several years.

I would suggest buying medication and try to heal the fish.  Most often times, it will not work but you can still give it a whirl.

I had several fish that were 3 years old and they all died when they got Dropsy.