Vet Q&A-Fish

Hello- I'm hoping your knowledgeable staff might be able to answer a question for us, please. My daughter has a goldfish that she has had for 3.5 years (won at a county fair). These last few months or so he's (she?) had a bubble growth growing on the top of his head. This last week we noticed parts of it are starting to turn black. Can you tell us what this is, by chance, and if there is anything we can do for it? We were thinking a tumor of some sort maybe? :( I've attached some photos I

Hi and thanks for your request and pictures. This tumor like lesion could be due to a lymphocystis. This is a virus (herpes), mostly seen in goldfish, which can cause these type of cauliflowers mass-like lesions. Of course to be confirmed, this should be sampled and or removed completely. Unfortunately these masses can grow much bigger that the one showed in the pics and can become infected. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Hi my oscar fish is still recovering from popeye disease and lost one eye and is partially blind in the other, he is now showing signs of hole in head but im unsure if it is or if he has injured himself. I'll attach a picture, if it is hole and head what is ur recomeded treatment thanks.

Thanks for reaching out about your Oscar and including photos, but difficult to see the HLLE lesions due to too dark. The eye looks terrible and systemic antibiotics are recommended at the least. A veterinary visit is highly recommended to clean the wound and provide other possible treatments. The water quality must be kept pristine (pH, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates) to assist recovery. Antibiotics added to the water do not penetrate into the body, nor do fresh water fish drink, since osmotically water enters over mucous membranes (gills, mouth, skin) and antibiotics do not cross this barrier. HLLE causes can be multi-factorial including water quality, bacteria, parasites, carbon particles in activated charcoal (filters), low vitamin C, etc. Check and correct water quality, replace existing food if older than two months (vitamin C degrades quickly), see a veterinarian with fish experience. Good luck.

Hey so I have female and male goldfish that have already laid eggs in the past, but I just let them eat the eggs but now I have the equipment and everything else to save the eggs and let them be goldfish anyway these females have gotten larger and I was wondering if you would be able to tell by these pics if there pregnant, would you also be able to tell me how long a fish is carrying it eggs for, thanks

Thanks for reaching out and including photos. Coeloms (abdomens) are swollen, but unable to determine if eggs. Often when it is time to spawn, the vent becomes slightly everted. An ultrasound would be the only way to truly determine if eggs are in the abdomen. Good luck.

My female dog is spayed but sometimes her private parts smell like fish why is it so ??

If the smell comes and goes, then it is most likely from the anal glands. Dogs have scent glands on either side of the anus that release a stinky liquid that commonly smells fishy. If she is scooting or licking excessively, then I would have your veterinarian check her anal glands to make sure that they are not overly full. However if the smell is coming from her urine, then I would be worried that she has a urinary tract infection and would recommend having your veterinarian examine a urine sample. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.

My fish are losing their color like they do when dead then they die it's like they are decaying before they die what causes this & how do I treat/prev

Loss of color in fish can be a sign of severe stress. Stress can be brought on by disease, poor water quality, over cleaning the tank (too frequent or too large water changes), over aggressive fish, poor or inadequate nutrition, being moved, over crowding, and a host of other situations. I recommend that you start by reviewing your water quality and tank environment. How are your water parameters? Review how often you do water changes and how much water you change at one time. How much are feeding? Could you be over or under feeding your fish? Is there a bully fish in your tank - a fish that chases or aggresses against other fish. Are the number of fish in your tank suitable for the size of the tank? Look for signs of disease. Fish can suffer from bacterial, viral, fungal, protozoal, and parasitic infections, but not all species of fish suffer from the same illnesses. You can find charts of fish diseases in books or on the web to help you narrow down what illnesses might be affecting your fish. Treatment of disease will be based on determining what type of organism is making your fish ill. To prevent illness in fish, maintain high water quality, avoid over crowding your tank, and quarantine new fish before introducting them to your tank.

Can I give my dog fish oil from Costco? The dog supplements are much more costly. Will it be ok to give one softgel daily? Do I need to supplement vitamin E with fish oil?

It's fine to give dogs the human grade fish oil. Chloe can have 1,000 mg fish oil containing 300 mg of EPA/DHA combined for every 30 pounds of body weight. These pills are a little more than that, but it will be fine. She won't need vitamin E supplementation also. I hope this helps!

My dog just ate a dead rotten fish and he seems very quiet and tired, what can I do?

Hello and thank you for contacting Boop by Petco. If he just ate the fish, you should take him to your local vets and they will make him vomit. If he had the fish over 1-1.5hrs ago, making him vomit will not be beneficial. In that case, you need to monitor him at home for signs of vomiting, diarrhea, blood in stools, abdominal pain, twitching, being unsteady on legs. If you notice any of these symptoms, you should take him to your local vets right away.

My goldfish's fins are turning black. I changed the whole water 2 days back. I put medicine after every water change. Still it's increasing. What should I do? And how often should I change the water and amount of water I should change? Can we substitute aquarium salt with any other things.

Elevated ammonia levels can result in "burns" which may turn fins and scales black. Use a home test kit or submit a water sample for testing. Most pet or fish stores will do this for free or for a nominal fee. If ammonia levels are elevated, daily partial water changes, using aged or conditioned water, can decrease ammonia to safe levels (0.25 ppm or less). StressCoat or plain aquarium salt (NOT table salt) can aid in healing. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt per gallon of water into a cup of tank water and gently pour it into the tank. Confirm adequate filtration. The filter should be rated for at least twice the volume of the tank. You can change 20-30% of the tank water every couple of weeks. Use only aged or conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent stress or shock.

hi! my betta fish has had a lump on his side for about 10 days, and it seems to be growing. i’ve tried salt baths but nothing has seemed to work. i also don’t live near any fish vets or, vets in general. i’ll send some pictures, and you can see the growth in them. the bump has become more stretched out and lighter.

It may be a tumor or infection since it is just on one side. Without diagnostics though, it can be difficult to determine the underlying cause. Maintain pristine water quality via filtration and regular partial water changes. You can try a broad spectrum antibiotic which can be found in the aquarium section of the local Petco. Follow label directions carefully and remove the carbon filter insert during treatment if indicated. If antibiotics to not resolve the lump, then it could be a tumor or mass which would need to be addressed by a veterinarian experienced in treating aquatics.