Vet Q&A-Fish

Can you help me in nutrition best for my 7 and 4 months old, gsd and chihuahua puppies. They are not likely interested in kibbles, so i put rice, fish or meat, and few vegs with kibbles. what food should i feed them in morning that is quick to make and i do live in small town of india, so its hard to get market products. Please suggest. thank you

This is a great question to be asking early. Gsds and chihuahuas have different nutritional needs and large dogs in particular can have serious developmental problems if not feed properly as puppies. I am unsure of what your options are in your small town, but I would continue to look for an over the counter kibble that is AAFCO tested (there should be a section of the label addressing this). If you can't find one, I would ask your vet. You can still add a small amount of chicken, meat or rice to their food. If they only want home cooked food, I am happy to do a consultation to help you figure out which direction to go!

hi. my gold fish has big red spot on her body. it looks like burbles and it seems that she is sick. what can I do for her?

Those may be small hemorrhages and your gold fish may be suffering from a systemic infection (potentially bacterial). The approach to this problem must be radical and logic. Begin by submitting a water sample for quality testing. Most pet stores will do this for free or a nominal fee. High ammonia levels, PH imbalances may be responsible for that. Oxygen concentration and quality of the filters should be determined as well. If water quality is good and there are no major imbalances, your fish should be treated with antibiotics. 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.

Hi, I've 8 cichlids (2convict, 2dolphin, 2iceberg and 2livingstonii cichlids) in a 90 liter tank. My 2 dolphin cichlids are very aggressive. They always hit the others and chase them all the time. Should I seperate them or what else can I do? Also, I was using an internal filter. But yesterday I bought an external filter and installed it (after doing a water change). Next day, my fish started to swim up and stay on top of the tank. Is it normal or did I do something wrong? What should I do?

Remove them or provide more cover (plants and hides) for the other fish to hide or escape. When fish hang near the top, it is usually due to low oxygen levels, low water temperature or improper water chemistry. It could be related to the different filter or the water change. Confirm proper water temp and use a test kit to check water chemistry. Ammonia and nitrites should be at 0 ppm (parts per million) and nitrates should be 40 ppm or less. Monitor chemistry closely until you know how the new filter operates. Make sure it is rated for the size tank you have to ensure adequate filtration. Correct imbalances using chemical treatment and additional partial water changes using aged/conditioned water.

My 9 year old female lab/golden mix has been favoring her left leg, reluctant to put weight on it and "tiptoeing" for about a month. Her ankle and knee xrays are normal. Her left ankle is slightly swollen. She has been on Rimadyl, 2 weeks of antibiotics, joint supplements and fish oil. What would be the next test she should have? What could this be? Her vet does not think it is a CCL tear or hip issue.

Hi there and thank you for your post! I am sorry to hear Sasha is in pain with her left leg. The left ankle being swollen does not make me think an ACL tear, especially if the xrays and physical examination were normal with the knee joint. However, that being said, sometimes when dogs are worked up and energetic in the clinic setting, it can be difficult to assess the knee joint with them awake. These cases I sedate for the xrays and examine the knee joint further under sedation. This may be something to consider with Sasha if she is not improving. Another possibility that I would want to rule out is Valley Fever. The area that you are in certainly does have Valley Fever present (a fungal infection) and this can cause lameness in animals. I would certainly have a Coccidioidomycosis titer performed with your veterinarian to be on the safe side. This also may be a soft tissue injury such as a strain or sprain and may take some time to heal. If there is no improvement, after the directed course of treatment, I would suggest seeing an orthopedic specialist for a second opinion. A CT scan of the ankle joint may help pinpoint the problem as well and this can be done with most orthopedic specialty clinics. Please do not hesitate to call me with further questions / concerns. My main area of interest is orthopedics and if you would like to discuss this further by phone, I am available by consultation.

We don't have a dog thermometer and she is pregnant she is also giving a fish stink that's coming from her vagina what can are use instead of a thermometer. And is that smell bad just pls help and Please reply ASAP

This sounds like she may have developed an infection which could threaten both mother and puppies. Please arrange an urgent vet check for her as she may need antibiotics prior to delivery or a c-section

My dog is eating Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Ultamino Dry Dog Food but she is tried of it, she will not eat till the end of the day and I know she hates it because she ate my friend's dog's food without hesitation. She has skin allergy and we did a test on food allergy. She's allergy to fish mix, grain, egg and milk. What other food can i give her? I want her to eat, I'm tired of her going to the bowl and smells and walks away while looking at me like "this again". Please Help!

Royal canin makes other hypoallergenic diets such as rabbit and potato or Iams makes kangaroo and Oats. Purina and science diet have their share are hypoallergenic diets also it might be worth trying one of these and possibly rotating some so she does not get bored. Food allergy testing through blood is it very accurate, typically trial and error with food is more reliable

I need help my black molly fish does not want to eat has inflamed abdomen and raised scales has white parts and only happens at the bottom of the aquarium I give melafix medicine will work?

The natural antibiotic properties of Melafix work best with minor or external infections. Your Molly may be quite ill and may need more aggressive treatment. If you have other fish in the tank, especially Bettas or Gouramis, you cannot use Melafix as this could harm them. Separate the molly to a hospital tank and treat there. You will need to remove the carbon filter insert during treatment or it will filter out the Melafix. The symptoms listed may indicate bacterial infection, parasites, constipation or obstruction. If Negrito has a pinecone appearance, he may have a serious infection (dropsy) that is causing kidney failure. This would in turn cause the swollen abdomen and lack of appetite. Check the water chemistry, temperature and filtration. Ammonia and nitrites should be absent and nitrates can be present at 40ppm (parts per million) or less. Molies do best in water between 75F and 80F. Perform a partial water change if necessary to stabilize chemistry and maintain water quality. Use only aged or conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent further stress or shock. Clean water is the best way to manage any infection. Plain aquarium salt (NOT table salt) can be used at 1 teaspoon per gallon of water but it is not recommended if your molly has dropsy. In this case, Epsom salt can be used to decrease swelling. Allow a 15-30 minute swim in a bath prepared with 1 tablespoon of Epsom salt per gallon of water. Do this in a separate container. It could help with constipation as well. If the Melafix does not help, use a product such as Kanaplex or Maracyn. These are broad spectrum antibiotics that you can find in the aquarium section of the local pet or fish store. Follow label directions carefully and remove the carbon filter insert during treatment if indicated. Hopefully, any infection will be resolved with treatment. If it is dropsy, unfortunately, this condition has a high mortality rate.

I , inherited a 2 year old corn snake, approximately 3 feet long and very thin I don't really want it get big, but want to make sure I am caring for it correctly What is the best habitat to buy and do they need a reptile light or not? He is currently in a 10 gallon fish tank with wire mesh cover, small housing structure, water dish and fake leafy plant and feed it 3 pink mouse per week ( I was told he should be eating larger mice, but his head/mouth are small even pinkie is a struggle)

Corn snakes can grow to as long as 5 feet. On average, they grow to 3-4 feet. A 10 gallon tank is too small. At minimum, a 20 gallon enclosure is recommended. A temp range of 75F-85F is best. They do not "need" a UVB light source but seem to be healthier with one. At 2 years of age, it should be eating adult mice. If it can't, feed whatever you can to get it back into a positive plane of nutrition so it can grow properly. Consider an exam with your veterinarian or an experienced herp vet to diagnose and treat any pre exiting conditions. Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites. More information regarding care can be found here: http://www.anapsid.org/corn.html

My Auntie feeding Oliver fish guts and fish bones by calling my cat and throwing to the ground. Even I'm going to tell her about how dangerous it is, she won't believe me and she will yell at me. But since my Auntie is always in work, me and my sister have an idea. We planned that everytime my Auntie came home from work, we would put Oliver in a big cage inside home or lock him in the room for like 7 hours. Is that a good idea?

Hi, thanks for using Boop by Petco! I think that is a good idea! Just make sure he has a litter box, water and kitten food. The fish likely won't make him sick but if you are seeing problems with it, maybe confining him in your room when your Auntie is home will solve the problem! I wish you all the best!