Vet Q&A-Fish

Is it necessary to supplement with small amounts of vitamin E when giving fish oil daily? Please explain, thanks!

As long as you are feeding a formulated dog food, this is not necessary. Supplementing vitamin E, and/or fish oils may help the coat look shinier and can be helpful in certain medical conditions. Otherwise the dog food should have adequate amounts in it. For more information about choosing a well-balanced dog food, I recommend you read the short article at the link below. https://www.petcoach.co/article/what-to-look-for-when-choosing-your-pet-s-food/ I hope that helps and all is well with Chloe.

Hi my fish has white spot and i am treating it.how long should it approximately take to cure?

Ich, or white spot disease, can take about two weeks to treat. You can increase water temp gradually to 86F. This will speed up the ich lifecycle. Once the spots fall off your fish, vacuum the substrate thoroughly, clean plants or tank furniture and rinse the filter media (with tank water). You can use a commercial ich treatment or dissolve 1 teaspoon of aquarium salt (NOT table salt) per gallon of water into the tank. Either are effective when used in conjunction with a temp increase. Whichever method you choose, treat for about 5 days after the last symptoms resolve then gradually decrease water temp back to normal for goldfish. This would be between 65F and 72F.

Can I put a fish medication on my bettas fish bowl to prevent diseases or should I use something else?

Unless your betta is ill with something you know needs treating, putting medication in the water likely isn't going to do anything, and may actually stress out your betta more. Poor Pippa doesn't look like he has much room to explore, rest or be himself! Bettas are best kept in tanks with filters and heaters just like other fish, along with plants to hide and rest on, and things to check out, rather than a bowl, and moving him to one may help keep him from getting ill or becoming too stressed. If you're worried about the water quality, you can also bring in a sample to most local pet stores to have it tested and make adjustments as needed.

Please help. My 14 year old englis springer spaniel has arthritis and her back legs are starting to cross inwards when out walking. She cant walk very far. She is on 100mg tramadol every 12 hours. Please is there any natural fish oils she can take with tramadol. Thank you so much in advance Jane

Poor Millie! It sounds like she may need to also be on steroid if her legs are crossing as she walks. You can talk to your vet about whether or not she is a candidate for that. You can also add in some joint supplements. I like dasuquin and flexadin w/ UCII. You can give both but they must be separated by 12 hours. Also, if you have a veterinary acupuncturist in your area, they have shown great promise in helping arthritic dogs to become more mobile and less painful. I hope this helps!

I just recently got a fish friend of a friend type thing and nobody seems to know what kind of fish he looks kind of lind a gold fish hes a shiny dirty white color with white dots on his tail and two white long whiskers on the bottom of him i just noticed hes turning almost a black color why is that and what kind of fish is it...?

It looks like a species of gourami. Most can be kept in a community tank with other fish. The black may be caused by high ammonia levels. Submit a water sample for testing or use a liquid home test kit to check chemistry. Ammonia can kill fish if levels are high enough. Partial water changes can be done daily to stabilize chemistry and maintain water quality. Use only aged or conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent further stress or shock. My preferences for water conditioners include AmQuel Plus, NovAqua and StressCoat.

Hello, my name is Taylor. I'm not sure if this platform counts with concerns about fish but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask. I have a butterfly male Betta and I feed him betta flakes occasionally, but when he eats them bits and pieces come out of his gills. He doesn't seem to be showing any signs that this is hurting/bothering him but should I be concerned or is this normal? I would provide pictures but it happens so fast that it is hard to capture. Thank you for your time.

Taylor, thank you for using Boop by Petco! We can certainly answer your question. I have good news for you. This is normal and no cause for concern. It is similar having crumbs go all over when you eat chips or a crispy cookie. You can try feeding less flakes or switching to a pelleted diet.

Recently I've been monitoring Bella's skin condition; she's been having black spots on her stomach which won't leave and above that she has two itsy bitsy pimple like white bumps and one under her armpits. I've been thinking about fish oil capsules and Curaseb anti fungal and antibacterial shampoo. Could it be something serious like alopecia or something? Can you please help? Thank you for everything.

Hi, thanks for using Boop by Petco! From your description the white bumps sound like pustules which would indicate a bacterial skin infection. The black spots can be comedones but with out seeing her it would be hard to tell. It would be best to have your Vet examine Bella and provide a diagnosis and then treatment. Overall I love Omega 3 fish oils for skin. I like http://vrshealth.com/canine-products/omegadog/ If you want to bathe her in a medicated shampoo, try this one (https://secure.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=21564). Bathe 2-3 times per week, allowing the lather to sit on the affected areas for 10 mins before rinsing. I hope this helps and I wish Bella the best!

how to cure nitrite poisoning in my goldfish

I would recommend to measure level of nitrites first to have a baseline value. Then start to change water, add salt (chlorine salt- half ounce of salt per gallon) and reduce feeding. Keep checking nitrites and ammonia daily until they are back to zero. Any secondary disease (like bacterial infection -fin rot) should be treated. 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.

A few months ago, I increased the amount of Fish Oil, Omega 3 & 6, that I was feeding my 7-yr. old dog, Jake. I went from about 2 tablespoons to three or a bit more. A dog breeder told me this is good for the dog's memory, as the dog ages. Since then, Jake has had a big increase in Flatulence (usually odorless). Is the Flatulence related to the Fish Oil? He does not gulp his food, and gets plenty of exercise.

Hello. Fish oil can be very beneficial for many conditions, from brain function, skin health & anti-inflammatory properties. Too much, while not overtly dangerous, can cause soft stools & gas. The ideal dose is based on the EPA level in your product ( the label should indicate EPA & DHA amounts ). In general, the amount given should be about 180 mg EPA per 10 pounds of body weight, so base your dose off of this. Giving more does not provide more benefits. Take care.