Vet Q&A-Fish

My dog is on two supplements for her heart. I'm wondering if these will really help her or if they are just a waste of money? Is it true that If they are genetically prone to something, supplements won't do much? I also have her on three other supplements but I think those are good ones. They are fish oil, a joint pill and probiotics and enzymes. I'm trying to streamline my supplements to only the necessary ones. Do you have any recommendations of which ones you would cut out and why? Thanks!

There isn't any scientific proof that these supplements work, it's more anecdotal evidence. If you want to streamline them, I probably would suggest removing the ones for her heart. Supplements won't changes her genes fi there is a genetic predisposition to them. I will include a link to an article you may find help and interesting on supplements in pets: https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-top-ten-pet-supplements-do-they-work/

My dog has really bad dry skin, lots of dander and some bumps and scabs on her body? Can she take fish oil, coconut oil, flaxseed oil, and krill oil at the same time?

Dry skin will not usually cause bumps and scabs. These are more likely due to fleas or mites or, more commonly, allergies. Make sure your dog is on an appropriate flea/tick preventative such as Advantix. You should speak to your veterinarian about possible treatment options for atopy (environmental allergies) including anti-histamines, steroids or newer medications such as Apoquel. Bathing your dog every other week with an oatmeal shampoo may also help alleviate the itching. Fish oils are great for dry skin and also have anti-inflammatory properties.

I have been treating my betta fish for fin rot but I have noticed a small white lump growing on one side of his gills. I've been using AQ Salt as treatment for the past 3 days (2 tsp in 1-gallon tank with 100% water change daily) and noticed little improvement. I was wondering what the small lump could be and if I am doing something wrong with the treatment. He seems to be more lethargic either hiding or floating at the top of the tank. He also seems to be eating less

Without an image or exam it can be difficult to differentiate between fungal or bacterial infection vs a developing tumor. Continue treating with AQ salt. It may take a few more days before you begin to see improvement. If the fin rot is minor, you can use 1 tsp /gal of AQ salt. Severe rot can be treated with aquarium salt at 2tsp/gal. Keep the water temp between 76-768 F. Turn off the light and filter to inhibit bacterial growth and decrease water current. Use treated or "aged" water daily for the water changes. A home test kit should be used to confirm good quality water is being used each time. Treat with AQ salt for a maximum of 10 days. His behavior may be due to low water temps or a chemical imbalance.

My fish has droppy and I'm very scared for him. Please tell me how I can cure this effectively and fast

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, Cosmo should examined to look for any sign of bacterial/fungal infection and eventually water should be treated. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation (where you can post pictures ) if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

i need help asap. i have a bearded dragon.. and i got him from a friend, he is 2 yrs old and she called him a "runt", well ive had him for 3 rm 4 days now. and he is very slow at eating his crickets and mill worms. he never sleeps in his aquarium. when i pick him out of his cage he will sleep onme until i put him back, and stay awake until next time i take him out. i was given him because he was fighting with the other bearded dragon. im worried

These are quite generic signs and this behaviour could even be completely normal. Adult bearded dragons may get into period of starvation and lethargy sometimes. I would recommend a check up at your local veterinarian anyway to be on the safe side and make sure he is completely normal on physical examination.

I bought two guppies a few days ago. The first guppy is acting fine, swimming along with all the others, but this new one is hiding behind the filter, and under the roof of a little hut I have in the tank. Her tail is limp and not fanning out, and she tends to sit at the top of the water. Iv'e checked the symptoms on multiple websites and got many different answers. I've also looked at their tails, and it looks as if both new fish had the very beginnings of fin rot when I bought them. Help????

unfortunately it is really common that fish are sold when they are already sick. I would be concerned the one hiding has a respiratory infection or possible fungal disease like fin rot. You can try and medicate the water with over the counter anti fungals. However I would recommend trying to take them to a fish specialist to get better medications due to having to treat both of them. If one continues to get sicker I would recommend placing it in its own tank.

My 6yo German Short Haired pointer has developed cysts on one side of his flank and hind leg. Over the last few years he also has a lightening of hair around his ears , nose and a patch on rear leg. I was told it could be copper deficiency, hower he has fish at almost every meal. Any advice is much appreciated,

This kind of lumps/growths need to be ideally assessed by your veterinarian to have a definitive and specific answer. Usually there are two ways your vet can do that a part from examining it directly during physical examination. A biopsy can be taken under local or general anesthetic, otherwise a smaller sample through a fine needle can be aspirated (this technique is called FNA= fine needle aspiration). Differentials include skin cysts, infections, benign or more sinister type of tumors. 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.

I have two gold fish that live in a 55 gal tank. The water is clear, but brown starts to accumulate on the inside of the glass, and on the ornaments in the tank. I have been using a few different water treatments, the water is clear. I use a sponge tank scrapper to get it off of the glass, but the ornaments are all covered with brown. Is there a fish or something else that would clean that stuff up?

The brown marks are likely diatom growth. You can rid the tank of them by confirming or providing adequate filtration, increasing water motion (use powerheads to create current), remove any tank furniture and scrub with a stiff brush or bleach it, perform a 30-50% water change before returning tank furniture, regulate light exposure (use a timer on tank lights), repeat this process every 2 weeks. You will see less diatom growth after each cleaning. If possible, consider moving the goldfish into a larger tank, at least 75 gallons if you have the space.

Chloe has gotten up to 17.5 pounds again. Should I cut back on her food or does she look ok? What would be the most she should weigh? She gets 2/3 of a cup per day currently along with her chews and treats. She is averaging about 330-345 calories per day. Here's what she gets daily. 2/3 cup kibble-280-295 cal Low fat Biscuits- 25 cal Pill pocket- 8 cal Fish oil- 10 cal Joint Pill- 2 cal Multivitamin- 2 cal Chews- (twice per week) 45-50 cal Thanks!

Right now she looks OK but I would not want her to gain anymore weight. I recommend rechecking her weight in 2 to four weeks and if she's continuing to gain weight then you will need to decrease her food.