Vet Q&A-Fish

Hi! My cat is very sick right now. He’s very thin now and doesn’t have energy to stand up. Don’t want to eat anything; we gave him every fish but he refused. He always puke and just want to sleep. Is there anything we can do? Right now we just gave him water with dextrose powder by using syringe.

I hate to hear that about Gray. Unfortunately there are many things that could cause these clinical signs, just like with humans. Causes could include toxins, viral infections, organ damage, cancer or even an autoimmune condition. Since he is so sick, his best chance of recovery will be to go to the veterinarian for diagnostics to determine the underlying cause. That is the only way that you will know how to treat him appropriately. If you choose to continue to give him the dextrose and force-feed him, please be careful that he does not aspirate the contents as this will cause a pneumonia and will worsen the condition. Best of luck with Gray and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Why is my fish discoloring and turning black?

That is not a good sign. This basically means that your fish is not feeling well. The reason for this is usually either water quality or a temperature problem. You will need to have your water quality checked or check it yourself, and make sure that the thermometer is working and the water temperature is appropriate for the type of fish you have. Check water chemistry using a home test kit or by submitting a water sample for testing. Aim for 0 ppm ammonia and nitrites with a 40ppm or less nitrate level. Perform partial water changes to stabilize chemistry and maintain water quality. Use only aged or conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent stress or shock. Observe your fish for spots, wounds, blood spots or similar signs and if that happens ask us again, preferably with a good photo of your fish.

My fish eye fell off on 12-22-18 today I noticed that his eye socket is getting bigger the fish I have is a ram cichlid I asked a question yesterday and got a reply now I'm worried that the eye socket will take his head and good eye what can I do

This may be a severe infection. If you haven't already, move him to a separate hospital tank. Maintain pristine water quality via filtration and regular water changes. Use only conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent further stress or shock. Consider a broad spectrum antibiotic. Look for KanaPlex or Maracyn Plus in the aquarium section of the local Petco. Follow label directions carefully and remove the carbon filter insert during treatment. Unfortunately, given the severity of the condition and his appearance, it is possible you may lose him during treatment.

I just bought my betta fish yesterday from a local shop ever since i bought it does not move much and keeps sitting at the bottom of the tank and has not eaten the fish food the owner gave me it keeps flapping its gill rapidly its my first time owning a fish please help... what should i do? Is it sick? How do i get it to eat and move properly?

These are quite concerning signs. The tank where you place Ale is absolutely inadequate and will soon cause serious consequences. Water Quality and Temperature: Make sure your tank has a filter and especially a heater, room temperature is too cool. They are better off at about 78-82 degrees. If kept too cool, they get lethargic and refuse to eat. Bottled spring or drinking water seems to work out well. Never use distilled water. If kept in dirty and unfiltered water they are prone to fin and tail rot and other bacterial infections. Tank Size and Habitat: Some reccommend a five gallon tank with light filter and heater is perfect They do not like strong water current and should be provided a place near the surface to 'take a load off'.' Petco sells the betta hammocks. Also keep your Betta happy by providing artificial or live floating plants for them to swim around. Feeding Your Betta a Well-Balanced Diet: Betta pellets or high quality flake food. They can be fed every other day without harm. They also do well on the commercially prepared Betta pellets or high quality flake food. 2-3 pellets a day, freeze dried tubifex or blood worms 2-3 times a week, and 3-4 live brine shrimp once weekly (frozen brine shrimp are ok too). A small snail like a tiger or zebra snail can help with the leftovers, but partial water exchanges are imperative to keep them healthy and happy. Any further questions please feel free to ask!

My goldfish has red spots/rashes on his body and fins. What could this mean?

Although a picture could be extremely helpful to determine the underlying cause more specifically this presentation could be due to a bacterial or a fungal infection usually. I would recommend to make sure water quality is good first of all. Most pet stores will do this for free or a nominal fee. Then, as a general approach, I would recommend to set up quarantine tank: make sure the tank is well oxygenation and has some plants for hiding; - add 1 teaspoon of aquarium salt per gallon; - add this product https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/4410/?pcatid=4410 as indicated; - leave your fish there and feed him regularly for 3-4 days until you don't see any improvement - If no results at all are seen after 4 days a check up would be needed as more specific tests may be needed to establish a specific diagnosis. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

Betta fish is spending all day at the bottom corner of his tank and barely eating. He moves quickly when he does swim and his appearance seems fine

Thanks for reaching out about FinTin Tarantino. Betta fish can be lethargic for multiple reasons. First check and correct water quality for pH, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Trying a different brand of food, as nutrients break down over time. New containers of food should be sought every 3 months. If offer floating pellets, try sinking pellets and visa versa. The next concern is he could be sick. A veterinary visit is needed to diagnostic and treatment plans. Good luck.

hi... my flowerhorn fish have swelling ih his left cheek. right cheek is ok. i dont know the cause... any treatment... coz its make fish cannot close mouth. before this he had white poo problem which i treat with paraclear medicine...

Thanks for reaching out about your cichlid and including photos. This is probably not an abscess that can be treated with simple antibiotics. A tumor or possibly a fractured mandible bone causing inflammation. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess, possibly requiring radiographs. If it can not open the mouth and can't eat, then it will starve. Check and correct water quality for pH, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Pristine water quality will be needed to assist in recovery. Good luck.

Hello! my tropic tetra fish, límon, has a cut out down the middle that I have not noticed before and her tail has a small cut too. she lives in a 10 gallon community tank with 3 more tropic tetras. none of her tank mates are aggressive. Does she have fin rot or some other disease? she gets regular water changes and has been acting completely normal. please send help!

Thanks for reaching out about Limon and including photos. This part of the missing dorsal fin appears more trauma than infections, due to lack of abraded edges or signs of infection. Fins do re-grow. Maintain pristine water quality. Good luck.

Hello, do you recommend any heart health supplements outside my dogs daily diet? She is on royal canin weight care. I'm hoping once she loses some weight I can transfer her to the cavalier diet. She is currently on fish oil, probiotics, and a joint pill. I wanted to know if you think it would be worthwhile to have her on some kind of a heart supplement, as she is a cavalier and she is prone to heart issues. Thank you.

A heart supplement wouldn’t hurt but she probably doesn’t necessarily need one, particularly if she does not have documented heart disease. If you choose to use a supplement I would recommend VetriScience Cardio. You should always check with your vet before starting any supplement.