Vet Q&A-Fish

My 10 week old blue heeler/kelpie got into my neighbors pile of raw salt water fish today and when I got home he's been throwing up, lethargic, swaying and dozing off and on. What can I do to help him?

Poor Dually! I am really concerned about him. It sounds like he is very sick and needs to be seen by a veterinarian immediately. Too much salt, mercury or even bacteria that some fish have in them could certainly cause these symptoms and can be very serious. I hope he starts to feel better!

I've recently just purchased a fancy black gold fish and this white looking fish. The white fish looks as if it is pecking at the black gold fish and now it looks like my black gold fish is white. Exactly we're the white fish is sucking at. What's going on

The black fish is a Black Moor Goldfish. The white fish is a kissing gourami. It is commonly called a "kissing fish". This species of Gourami can be very territorial. What it is doing is bullying the Moor and trying to chase it away. You may need to remove one or the other. Gouramis are best kept in pairs or small groups. Consider also removing some of the plastic plants as they may injure the Moor's eyes.

Hello. So I live in pakistan and amazon dosent ship here and there are only 2 available types of kitten food and the first one is by smartheart and it contains chicken, egg, fish and milk and my kitten loves it the other one is by me-o it contains saltwater fish that's all I know about it and my kitten doesn't like it at all he will starve than eat that food so I wanted to know which kitten food should I feed my kitten?

If there are only two available foods for kittens in your geographic region I would feed the one that your cat is most likely to consume without problems. If for some reason your cat begins to have issues with that type of food I would feed the other one but consider adding something like chicken broth or tuna juice to it. Hope this helps!

My British shorts being a fatty. He meows for food every few hrs. Should I just ignore him and give him his daily 2 meals. I fed him dinner, a big wet hearty ration of beef and then an hour later he started meowing for more, circling his plate. So I give a fish stick to enjoy. But he still had appetite. So I then gave half a plate of dry food and poured water. He finished his food quick and now after an hour, he's staring at the cat food on the counter, still hungry. Is this because of puberty?

Acts are very smart, and it sounds like he has trained you to continue giving him really tasty treats! I would recommend that you stick to only cat food, measured out according to the packaging guidelines for his weight, and only feed him twice a day. It can take a little bit of tough love for him to learn you are serious. Also, a diet of beef and fish sticks are not very balanced for a young cat as it is lacking in the appropriate mix of vitamins that growing kittens need.

I am getting a beta fish and my sibling is getting glow fish. Do you have any suggestions as to a 10 gallon fish tank we can purchase with two separate compartments and an opaque divider? Thanks

It wouldn't be recommended. Bettas do best in little to know current, while Glofish enjoy more current and water flow. Additionally, Glofish are a schooling fish and do best in groups of 6 or more. If you split the tank, there won't be enough room. You would also need to keep the tank at the upper end of the glofish range (72F - 80F) since bettas do best in warmer water, 78 F to 80 F.

I have these two fishes in 21 litres tank with filter the waterfall ones. I clean their tank every once a month. They are so happy and always active. I have gotten the orange fish since last year October I think? And the gold one since start of this year because I had two but other fish died so I got the gold one :) how can I tell if there age and female or male?

If they are less than a year old, it is difficult to reliably determine sex. Males will be more streamlined than females and, during breeding season, will develop white "dots" (tubercles) on the gill covers. Their vents will also be smaller and more oval shaped. Females will have larger, deeper bodies (for carrying eggs) and their vents will be rounder and more pronounced.

My British shorts being a fatty. He meows for food every 3 hours. Should I just ignore him and give him his daily 2 meals. I fed him dinner, a big wet hearty ration of beef and then an hour later he started meowing for more, circling his plate. So I give a fish stick to enjoy. But he still had appetite. So I then gave half a plate of dry food and poured water. He finished his food quick and now after an hour, he's staring at the cat food on the counter, still hungry. Is this because of puberty?

Great name! It is true at this age he could be having a growth spurt, but cats also learn very quickly to keep asking for food when they are rewarded! I would make sure his body condition is good (not too fat or too thin), and that he is on a good quality food with enough protein. If that is the case, I would get him on a meal schedule so that he (and you!) are not as tempted to ask for (or give) food when it is not meal time. If he is still staring at you, try playing with him or giving him new cat toys instead of feeding him. I think it is good you are asking this question instead of feeding him more as many of our cats are overweight!! I hope this is helpful!

Hello, I bought 3 fish (2 cichlids and 1 ray) and an aquarium (90 litres) yesterday. I prepared the aquarium and put the fish inside. However there is a power shortage at the moment. The temperature of the water is fine but what can I do to increase the oxygen level?

Hi there! The fish will probably be ok for a day, but if the power doesn't come back on, you should consider purchasing a battery-operated aerator. I highly recommend that all fish owners keep one of these on-hand for situations like this. I don't know if this person ships to Turkey, but a similar product would be fine, too: https://www.ebay.com/p/Rapala-Battery-Powered-Aerator-Model-Raertr-c/1000293148?iid=371986500727 Most fish will come to the surface for air, but they really do need dissolved oxygen to thrive. Good luck!

My dog recently had a run in with poison Ivy. I used a cone, benadryl and oatmeal baths and he was fine in about a month. But he found a way to get past the cone and chew on his back and butt. Now the poison Ivy is gone but I still can't get him to stop the chewing. He chews until it's bloody and has to have constant supervision or a muzzle and we both hate it. I've tried fish oil and anything else anyone has offered for relief. I plan to take him to the vet in a few days but what could this be?

The area is infected which can cause some itching. It may be due to an allergy from something in the environment or fleas. I would check to see if you can find anything fleas or start a flea prevention since it is a simple fix. The infection will need to have antibiotics to fully clear but a medicated bath can help flush the hair follicle and start working on the infection. You vet can discuss the several medicines that control allergies and help keep this under control if it is long term problem.