Vet Q&A-Fish

Hi, i got 2 new fish yesterday. Ryukin fish, and they are very stressed I think. They mostly just sit in one corner but only swim when it's dark and no one is around. I have a filter tank, and a led light that also makes bubbles. How can I de-stress them?

They need a much larger tank. A 20 gallon tank (properly cycled) suffice for several months. When full grown, a minimum 55-60 gallon tank with adequate filtration will be necessary for healthy fish. For now, maintain water quality via filtration and weekly partial water changes. These fish do best at temps between 65 F and 72 F but can tolerate colder temperatures as long as temperature swings are not too rapid.

Hi I have two border collies each around 70/80 pounds and I wanted to give them melatonin and fish oil to help with their dry skin and coat. I was wondering what the proper dose of each is safe for them. Thanks!

There are no published studies to give doses of either of these supplements. However, 40-100mg/kg of body weight is commonly recommended for fish oils (combined DHA and EPA). So for your dogs, that would be 1500-3600mg EPA+DHA per day. The biggest side effect of fish oils is greasy or loose stools. It may also cause pancreatitis in dogs that are sensitive to excess fat. You can try 3-5mg of melatonin once per day. I would do it at night since it may make them sleeping. You will need to check the list of ingredients in the supplement you choose to make sure it does not contain xylitol.

Hi, I'm feeding my cat the one of the best wet and dry cat food in the market. The brand is fine but the flavors is always fish like salmon, tuna, ocean white, grilled saba, and fish with chicken, and shrimp. There's even no turkey, liver, beef or the chicken. Is that okay to feed my cat those wet and dry food flavors everyday?

Yes, as long as the cat food you're feeding contains and AAFCO statement it should be fine to feed those flavors. You do want to make sure Oliver doesn't end up with vomiting or diarrhea as this may indicate he cannot tolerate a certain type of food. This article may be of interest to you: https://www.petcoach.co/article/what-to-look-for-when-choosing-your-pet-s-food/ Thanks for using Boop by Petco!

Riley has what seems like very dry skin lately, she itches and chews at her side/legs/ears a lot. We have tried giving her fish oil and coconut oil, as well as Benadryl, to help with the itching and re growing hair she chews out. are there any product recommendations to help with her itching, or growing fur back?

Riley definitely sounds quite uncomfortable. The best medications available to prevent and address itching and scratching are prescription only, but I assure you are much more effective at controlling the issue than Benadryl. Based on the distribution of the scratching, I believe it is possible Riley could be suffering from a food allergy. You should consider placing her on a new diet with a brand new protein. Many of the prescription only diets contain single proteins (meaning there is no by products of any other meats at all). Your veterinarian will be able to provide you with information on these products, and issue you a prescription to the pharmacy of your choice to purchase it. In terms of addressing the itching right away, your vet should prescribe a medication call Apoquel or Cytopoint. One of them is a daily oral while the other is a month injectable. An e-collar might also be necessary at first in order to prevent Riley from causing any more damage to herself. If you choose to undergo a food trial, it should be done for at least 6-8 weeks without feeding ANY other protein. While I understand this is difficult, any small amount of protein that is not the novel one has the potential to throw off the entire trial. Good luck with Riley and her itchiness!

I forgot to mention I compared the values of each fish oil and both were very similar per 1/4 tsp. so why would RX recommend double? RX vitamins had 750 mg of fish oil, 135 mg of EPA and 90 mg of DHA. Nordic naturals had 1,000 mg of fish oil, 150 mg of EPA and 90 mg of DHA.

To be honest, I'm not sure why Rx recommend double if the values are very similar. It could be that they are suggesting a higher daily amount for your dog than Nordic naturals. There is a dosage range, which can go from 1,000 mg fish oil containing 300 mg of EPA/DHA combined for 30 pounds of body weight to a dose maximum of 1,000 mg fish oil per 10 pounds of body weight. I hope this makes sense and helps!

Is it acceptable to administer Cerenia and Buprenorphine within the same day in a 17 year old cat with kidney deficiency? She also shows signs of vestibular disease and the Cerenia really helps her. Use of the Buprenorphine is quite rare, but we use it as needed for pain. ie...sometimes she moans and groans after eating canned food like fish flavored Weruva--thus, the Buprenorphine.

Poor girl! Yes you can safely give Cerenia and Buprenorphine on the same day and even at he same time, if needed. If she has kidney disease then subcutaneous fluids will also help with that. I know th Cerenia helps with her vestibular disease because it mostly is helping with her nausea. However Cerenia is only safe to give for 5 consecutive days. After that time frame I would suggest asking your vet for motion sickness medication (Dimenhydramine) that can be given long term, if needed. I hope your kitty feels better soon!

My shih tzu has hair loss on his tail. I took him to the vet and they said that it looks like a flea allergy. They gave me Temaril P two weeks ago, but I haven't notice a change. And he still lossing his hair from the tail, nowhere else. Just his tail. The first time that I notice his alopecia was 3weeks ago. What should I do? What should I expect from his medication? Can I use medicated shampoo or Oil Fish to growth it back? Thank you.

You should have noticed an improvement from the Temaril P within a few days of use. I am not sure how old your pet is, but you have to consider other causes of alopecia now, which includes demodexx mite infestation, ringworm (if the skin is also red and has a crusty ring around it, or even an endocrine disorder (Cushing's disease causes a rat tail appearance). I would revisit the vet and get a skin scrape to look for mites, fungal culture (if indicated), and if those come up negative then bloodwork to look for endocrine disorders. Fish oils are not effective at treating alopecia in pets. They are only good for treating inflammation of the skin. Nor will they cause hair re-growth. We need to find out the underlying cause and treat that directly.

My vet said I should give fish oil that also has omega 6 in it. I've just been giving straight fish oil. Are omega 3s plus omega 6s better than just omega 3s? Why? Thanks!

If you are feeding a quality diet, it is likely your pet is receiving sufficient quantities of Omega 6s. Omega 3s break down quicker when exposed to light and air, so it is difficult to maintain therapeutic levels in commercial foods. The two best Omega 3s for dogs are DHA and EPA. Fish oil may contain high levels of both however, it may also contain more toxins. Oil from fish livers may also contain dangerous amounts of vitamins A and D.

My spayed old dog licks her privates and it smells like fish or a skunky smell it makes her breath smell that way as well it stinks her pillow our couch . Its doesnt seem to come from her butt. Its gross

The smell is likely coming from the anal glands even though you don't seem to think it is coming from her anal region. The anal gland fluid has that fishy/skunky odor. The other option is that she has a bladder infection (UTI) and if left untreated can turn into a very serious issue. The final possibility is that her diet or any supplements she is taking is causing the odor. Regardless, she needs a vet exam to get this figured out. I don't think it's an emergency but try to take her in soon.