Vet Q&A-Fish

My fish won't stop floating, and it's been maybe two weeks now. I figure it's her swim bladder, so I've fasted her a few days by now and fed her little bits of peas, which after the peas she swims normally and all is good. Then, the next day, she's back to floating with a curved shape in her spine. When I first got her, she wasn't like this. What can I do?

Confirm proper water temp. Bettas do best between 78 F and 80 F. Low temps may lead to stress and illness. You can also try a small amount of plain aquarium salt (NOT table salt). Salt can aid healing and acts as a general tonic. Use 1/2-1 teaspoon per gallon of water. Driftwood or Indian Almond Leaf can also be used to condition water.

What could be causing my dog’s constant dandruff? He is a 3 year old French bulldog mix with medium length fur. His dandruff never goes away. No scratching, skin looks normal not red, flakes are white. He eats Acana freshwater fish food, and I add salmon oil to it every day. I only bathe him every other month, and when I do I use oatmeal dandruff shampoo. I brush him with an undercoat rake 3-4 times a week, and tons of flakes come out. I’ve also tried rubbing in coconut oil, it didn’t help.

It sounds like you're doing everything right. You have him on a great quality food and are adding more salmon oil to make sure he has enough EPA and DHA in his diet. Have you had your vet evaluate his skin? I wonder if he may have something like seborrhea? Sometimes dandruff can be due to dry skin, but it sounds like he should have plenty of good oils in his skin and coconut oil didn't help. Sometimes dogs have dandruff because the skin is producing too many skin cells and they flake off creating dandruff. The solution to the later is an anti-seborrheic shampoo. Here is more information about seborrhea. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1561 I would recommend having your vet evaluate Ollie. If they can't find any other reason for the dandruff, I would discuss trying an anti-seborrheic shampoo. Good luck! I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using Boop by Petco.

Hello, I have aquarium, it had 4 goldfishes in it. 2 were about 3 years old and 2 I bought it few days ago. But suddenly, all of them got infected and today one of the old goldfish died.. kindly help me...

It is possible infection or parasites were introduced into the tank with the new fish. It is always recommended to quarantine any new fish prior to adding them to a main tank. Another possibility may be poor water quality due to overcrowding. Goldfish produce a larger than average bio load which means they need bigger tanks and better filtration to handle the wastes. Ideally, one goldfish should have 20 gallons and you should add 10 additional gallons per fish. As they grow, a larger tank will be a necessity. The filter should be rated for at least twice the volume of the tank. Test the water quality or submit a sample for testing. Most pet or fish stores will do this for free or for a nominal fee. Ammonia and nitrites should be 0.25 ppm (parts per million) or less, nitrates should be 40ppm or less. Temperature should be between 65 F and 72 F. Partial water changes (30% of volume) can be done daily to stabilize water chemistry. Use only aged or conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent further stress or shock. Plain aquarium salt (NOT table salt) can be used to treat minor infection (bacterial or fungal) and to aid in healing. Dissolve up to 1 tablespoon of aquarium salt per gallon of water into a cup of tank water and slowly pour it into the tank. Treat for 7-10 days then perform water changes to decrease salinity.

Is human fish oil ok for dogs?If so, what things must i looked out for when buying fish oil so that i can make sure it is safe for my dog.

Human fish oil products are safe for dogs. They are a good source of omega 3 which I use to reduce joint inflammation from arthritis. As Chacha is so small the maximum dose for her is 500 mg Fish oil daily. I usually start with a lower dose to make sure she doesn't get diarrhea and then I gradually increase it. You can split the dose also if you feed twice daily. Some people use liquid, others cut open the capsules and put the oil directly on the food. For EPA aim for 120 mg daily and DHA around 80 mg daily. Thanks for using Boop by Petco to help you care for Chacha.

I was wondering if Betta fish fins grow back. I had recently made a mistake when putting two male bettas in a divided tank and one of them has a habit of putting his fins through to the other side (since it had previously housed a baby). The result was my more agressive Betta ripping the fins of my first. Should i be worried that my Betta with torn fins will be off balance and won't have his long fins anymore?

As long as the damage is not too severe, they should regrow. Clean water is critical. Use a water conditioner such as StressCoat to aid healing. Be sure to maintain water temperature between 78 F and 80 F.

My male Veiltail betta is experiencing some mild fin rot. I've 100% changed all the aquarium water, what should I do next?

The pet stores all have water additives you can use to help. I’ve used the melaleuca products in the past that have worked well. Continue to do frequent partial water changes and keep the water chemistry well balanced. Good luck!

I have a green spotted puffer. I was wondering if it could be happy with an algae eating fish in brackish water?

Algae eating fish will not do well in brackish water. They will eventually succumb to the high salinity. Your best option would be brackish water snails such as nerites like the Zebra or Olive snails.

I was wondering on how I could safely move my koi fish into my home for the winter with a tank. I have two koi that are about five inches long. We weren't shure how big of a tank to get , how to feed them , and how to keep the water clean. Help? By the way we are keeping them in a bucket until we can get the right tank.

Anything less than a 100 gallon tank would be insufficient for koi of your sizes. They can be fed as you feed outdoors. Filtration would be critical to maintain water quality. A combination of mechanical, biological and chemicals filtration would be required.

My betta fish is typically highly energetic and had a full, long tail. Recently, however, his eyes have become enlarged, almost bulging, and has had a white film over him. Just last night I noticed his tail is very sparse, so I ran out to get a medication for ich, treated the bowl, and he seems to be better today, swimming around instead of just laying on the bottom, and actually eating. I just want to ensure there's nothing else I should be doing. Thanks!

Ich typically presents as tiny white dots all over the body. The white film may have been a fungal infection and the eyes may have been affected by a secondary bacterial infection. The Ich medication may have had an ingredient(s) that treated the infection even if it wasn't Ich. Maintain water quality and temperature (78F - 80F) and dissolve 1 teaspoon of plain aquarium salt (NOT table salt) per gallon of water into the tank. This will aid healing and can treat minor bacterial/fungal infections. Treat for 7-10 days then perform water changes to decrease salinity. Use only aged or conditioned water to prevent shock or stress.