Vet Q&A-Fish

I have a pet lovebird named peaches, i am feeding her dehydrated fruits and vegetables and tropican lifetime granules for cockitels, it is also for lovebirds, it has 8% of calcium, i am not giving her a lot of calcium because it can kill her, no fortified seeds, cuttle fish bone and clay cal, i do not feed her calcium every day, i just give it to her before and after she lays and egg, what is the right amount of calcium for pet love birds?

Birds require calcium for more than just egg laying. It strengthens bones, aids in enyzme and hormone function, muscle development, nerve transmission and certain metabolic processes among other biological functions. A cuttlebone or mineral block should always be available. Limit dehydrated fruits that can be high in sugar. Fresh fruits, vegetables and greens would be preferred. They should make up no more than 25% of the diet. Pellets should make up the majority of her diet at 75%. Fresh foods can make up the remaining 25%. Generally, anything good for you is good for her except for chocolate, caffeine, alcohol and avocado.

All I read above is good info. So I placed the ick infected fish in a QT tank, turned up the heat to 79 and added air stone in it. Prior to That I had treated them for 6 days with ich meds. It the last couple days they have been clear. How long once they are clear before I can put them in the big tank ? The big tank they had been in has been bone dry for 4 days. The gravel and rocks have not only been boiled as well as baked in hot ,oven as I read on line. Can I safely set up the big tank

Ideally, the tank should be kept at about 86 F for two weeks to resolve Ich infection. The gravel or substrate should be vacuumed and tank furniture sanitized. If you are setting up the tank anew, you will have to allow time for it to properly cycle prior to adding fish.

I have 2 fancy goldfish in a 60 gallon tank and one of them, has stopped eating and became lethargic after about five days after I got him! He hasn’t eaten in about 4 days. The tank was cycled using a filter cartridge from an established tank. 15% water changes every 4 days and yesterday I did a 50% water change, I then removed the activated carbon and added metroplex and kanaplex and aquarium salt. No improvement. Should I put the activated carbon back in or continue treating with the meds?

Check the water chemistry. A large water change can cause ammonia spikes or other imbalances. Check the water temperature as well. Goldfish do best in cooler water, between 65 F and 72 F. Consider a quarantine tank for him if he is the only symptomatic fish. Continue with the medications as directed on the package.

my dog has developed a intolerance to most dry food, she has in the past had mmms, pancreitous and has been treated with steroidsand since jan 2017 had diorehora no other symptoms. at the moment she is on a white fish and sweet potato diet and is doing fine , when I do introduce new things the dioreha returns

Hello. It sounds like you dog has food allergies, which can cause the secondary conditions you listed. Dogs with food allergies often cannot ever eat normal dog foods. If she's doing well on the fish and sweet potato diet, that's what I would leave her on because new food will flare her allergic response. Also ask your vet about Apoquel. This is safer and more effective option than prednisone. This medication works just on the allergic response and is safe. I'd have your vet check her and see if that's right for her, as well as try a hypoallergenic diet like z/d of Ultamino. Best to you and your dog!

Bella had diarrhea a couple weeks ago, since has returned to normal natural balance fish and sweet potato kibble and pretty normal stools. As of Monday, she has been licking her back area a lot and will sometimes act skiddish. There is a smell quite frequently but not standard fishy smell when needs expressed, this is different. we go to the vet tomorrow but any thoughts on what it could be? No discharge, redness or swelling from what I see. She is acting normal otherwise.

I'm so sorry that Bella is not feeling well. With the signs that you are describing and the fact that she recently had a bout of diarrhea, I would suspect a problem with the anal glands. It is common for them to not express normally and get very full when a dog has diarrhea. If they are infected, the smell will probably be different than the normal fishy smell of anal glands. It is good that you are taking her to your veterinarian so they can examine her and express the anal glands to see if that is the problem. If they do look infected, your vet will most likely prescribe antibiotics and pain medication.

Why does my Betta fish have lines on his gills?

The lines may be due to infection or inflammation. It is difficult to see exactly what you mean in the image provided. Most issues can be managed by providing clean water. Use a home test kit or submit a sample for testing. Most pet stores or aquarists will do this for free or for a nominal fee. With a Betta in a small tank, you can (and might need to) perform 100% water changes weekly or every other week to prevent toxins (ammonia, nitrites or nitrates) from building up to dangerous levels. Use only aged or conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent further stress or shock. Use conditioners, such as StressCoat or AmQuel/NovAqua, to make water safer to use. A heater should be used to maintain temperature between 78 F and 80 F. Plain aquarium salt (NOT table salt) can be used for a short time as a general tonic to improve gill function, reduce stress, treat minor infection and aid in recovery. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt per gallon of water in a cup of tank water and gently pour it into the tank. Treat for no more than 7-10 days.

My beagle had fleas a few months ago. We used several different treatments (shampoo, front line, capstar) over 2 months to finally get rid of them. It has been over a month and he has these patches all over his body that I can only describe as "cradle cap" like infants gets. There is a strong odor as well. We have tried a variety of shampoos, benadryl, fish oil, coconut oil (both topical and ingested) with no relief. He is losing hair also. No open areas. Any suggestions?

He may have an allergy to the fleas or environment such as grasses, pollens and dust. You have the fleas under control but an allergy can cause itching weeks past this. Because there is dry patches of hair loss and an odor I would worry he has a secondary bacterial or yeast infection on his skin from all the itching. This will usually require medicated shampoos and oral antibiotics/antifungals to clear up which you can get from your vet. IF he is older then you may want to get his thryoid checked also as this can lead to further bacterial infections.

When using aquarium salt to help treat ich how much do I use? The box says 1 teaspoon per gallon and everything that I have read says 1-5 tablespoons per gallon. I've raised my temp up to 82 so far.

If your fish are salt tolerant, use one teaspoon of plain aquarium salt per gallon of water to treat Ich. Dissolve it in a cup of tank water then pour it slowly into the tank. Increase water temperature to about 85-86 F and hold for 10 days. Vacuum the substrate once your fish lose the "dots".

Today my turtle isn't active as he normally is. He stands at the bottom of the tank as still as a croccodile or folds his head or legs into his shell. I did a water test and made sure ph is okay, I placed that calcium thing in the water, the temperature is on 26 to 26.5, he has a ub light and a floating island, he has room, he has feeder fish and small crayfish which has eaten most of, and the filter is working fine. Why has my turtle lost its sparkle?

Recheck the water and air temps with a different thermometer. Typically, the behavior you are seeing, in the absence of additional symptoms, is usually due to low temps. Check him over for obvious injury or trauma. Monitor for persistent or worsening lethargy, loss of appetite, discharge from the eyes/nose/mouth, blowing bubbles or "gaping" (holding mouth open or repeatedly opening/closing it). If necessary, have him examined by your veterinarian or by a veterinarian experienced in treating reptiles. You have an amazing habitat for your species of turtle. When he eats, make sure he doesn't ingested any of the gravel. Additionally, offer some fresh chopped greens since these turtles are omnivorous.