Vet Q&A-Fish

Will higher doses of fish oil help prevent heart disease? I'm currently giving my 17 pound dog 225 Mg. of EPA and DHA daily. Should I double this since she is prone to heart disease? Thanks!

No, higher doses of fish oil will not help prevent heart disease. Doubling up her fish oil can actually have detrimental effects on your dog's health, including interfering with wound healing and interfering with the inflammatory response of the immune system. To be honest if a dog is genetically prone to developing heart disease, there is nothing to prevent that from happening. If it's in her genes, supplements will not change genetic expression. I would not give your dog double doses of fish oil.

My dog is scratching and licking constantly. We first thought a food allergy but have tried numerous brands of grain free (including the blue buffalo brand), I only bathe him monthly to avoid drying his skin out but wipe him down every night since he has free range of a large yard. We have tried fish oil but he gets bad diarrhea. I just don't know what else to do and I feel so bad for him

Poor pup! It sounds like you are trying a lot to help him. He could have environmental allergies, fleas, or mites causing the itching. If he isn't up to date on his flea treatment, he will need a spot on treatment such as Advantage or Revolution. You will need to disinfect the environment as well. If he is up to date on his flea treatment, I recommend taking him into the vet for an exam. The vet can do blood tests and skin scrapings diagnose allergies or mites. Once the cause of the itching is found, the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment. I recommend taking him into the vet tomorrow during normal business hours.

My beta fish has some big white spot on its scales. It was smaller before-- now I've come back from college & it's gotten larger. What's wrong?

It's possible Bartholomew has a skin or fungal infection that is affecting him. Testing your water may help if there is an environmental cause, as well as treating for fungal infections. Most pet stores will carry water treatments for the most common causes of fungal growths on fish.

My fish has been slowly losing pieces of his tail, and a weird brown stuff is growing on the tank. I clean it every week, but it won't go away and his tail won't grow back. What do I do?

It is likely fin rot which is caused by bacterial overgrowth. It may respond to treatment with simple aquarium salt. Place Alpha in a smaller tank, half gallon to one gallon, for easier treatment. Use 1-1.5 teaspoons per gallon. Perform a 100% water change each day and using a fresh water/salt solution. Do this for a maximum of 10 consecutive days. Strive for a water temp between 76 F and 78 F. This will inhibit bacterial growth. Turn off any tank light to further inhibit bacterial growth. Turn off the filter as the current may slow fin regrowth and the filter media may remove enough salt to affect treatment. This treatment should clear most cases of fin rot.

My male Crowntail Betta fish is acting very lethargic, he stays at the bottom of the tank and only coming up for air, barely eats, his stomach looks hollow, and the scales along his back are raised. He has been this way for a few weeks but isn't getting better. I change his water weekly, and he lives in an environment where his is not caused stress.

Check the water quality. This can be done with a home test kit or you can submit a water sample for testing. Most pet stores or aquarists will do this for free or for a nominal fee. Correct any imbalances as indicated. Check the water temp as well. Aim for 78 F to 80 F. Use a tank heater to prevent temps below 74 F. Offer a good quality pellet such as Hikari BioGold. You can also feed blackworms or bloodworms. Live worms may get him eating. Freeze dried tubifex worms may also stimulate his appetite. If there are no outward signs of bacterial or fungal infection, consider parasites. You can use metronidazole for fish. It is sold in most pet stores in the aquarium section. Follow label directions and gauge his response after treatment. The raised scales are a concern because that can be a symptom of dropsy. Dropsy is common in bettas and usually fatal. It is typically accompanied by a swollen abdomen though. Fish tuberculosis is another serious concern. This is a slow, progressive illness that can kill fish and ruin tanks/bowls. Start with the basics as listed above. Try water changes with conditioned water and offer different foods to get Thorin eating. You can request a consultation to discuss his condition in greater detail and for additional resources.

please my cat eat fish today and one of the spine fish stuck in the throat and now she only vomit and do nothing (not meow or something)

That is a concerning clinical condition and a check up would absolutely needed as soon as possible at your local veterinary clinic. The spine fish should be ideally removed under sedation or general anesthetic.

my girl victoria convict cichlid is lying on the bottom of the tank still breathing but not moving i did a 20% water change at 11:30am by noon i noticed shes was acting odd water peramiters are reg ph 7.6 high ph 7.8 ammonia 0% nitrates 0% nitrate 0% when i did the water change i used a mircobrob lift super decholireser seachem ph 7.0 seachem salt heat is at 76% what can i do to help her all other fish seem fine victoria was fine this morning before the water change HELP

Separate her out into a hospital or quarantine tank. Bump the water temperature up to about 80 F. Examine her for signs of illness or injury including damaged fins, parasites, dark or red spots or bloating. Add an air stone to increase oxygenation. Without a specific cause, general treatment with salt would be recommended. You can add 1 teaspoon of plain aquarium salt (NOT table salt) per gallon of water to the hospital tank. The easiest way is to dissolve it in some tank water then gently pour it in. Salt aids healing, reduces stress, promotes a healthy slime coat, improves gill function and can treat several parasites. Treat for 10-14 days then perform partial water changes to decrease salinity. If this does not help, consider a broad spectrum antibiotic or antifungal medication based on symptoms. You can purchase either online or in the aquarium section of most pet stores. Read package directions carefully before use.

I have a veiltail male betta fish I did a hundred percent water change on him the water change was warm water he was in a holding tank with cold water and put him in he start acting erratic old darling running in the buildings and plants I took him out cuz they're afraid he's going to hurt himself I put them back in the olden Alden tank and he stopped moving his deals were stuck out words and he was unresponsive from five minutes now he's breathing heavily laying on the ground and he's acting ve

The shock of full water and temperature change may be causing the clinical signs you are seeing now. With any luck, he will adjust and go back to normal. in the future with Wolverine or any other Betta, you should try to avoid doing 100% water changes unless it is absolutely necessary. Cycling the water weekly by about 25% is the best thing you can do to preserve the water your fish are used to.

I handle many types of turtles and fish both inside my house and in an outside pond. I have headaches,, fevers and chills, aches and pains. Could my Doctor test me for Salmonella? Thank You, Vic I have Golden Threads, Reeves, Musk, Map, Sliders and have handled Snappers

Salmonella does not typically cause the symptoms you are describing. This bacteria usually causes GI signs like excessive vomiting and diarrhea. As long as you are practicing good hygiene after being around your turtles (like washing your hands) you should not be exposed.