Vet Q&A-Fish

I have a shihtzu which is 9 months old.She isnt eating her food recently but she likes fish and wheat bread when we used to give them in little amounts when she was 5 months old.Doctors said not to give her any other food other than dog food.I don't know whether he is telling the truth cause i have read in the net its okay there is only one place that sells shihtzu food so is he telling this to sell his food off or is it the truth.And is giving milk unhealthy, will it cause diarrhea. Thank you

Hi, It generally is a good idea to only feed dog food. It is specially formulated for dogs and most are properly balanced and have everything they need. Human food, especially fatty foods can lead to pancreatitis and other health issues. The dog food does not necessarily have to be for Shih Tzus. Hope this helps!

I just got a good fish today and it died why is that

The most common cause of death of a newly acquired fish is usually shock or incorrect water quality. Fish tanks should be set up and left running without fish for at least 3-4 weeks to establish a proper nitrogen cycle. There are products that can shorten this time period. If this is not done, there may be high levels of ammonia, chloramine, nitrates and nitrites which can kill a fish. When introducing a fish, the bag should be floated in the tank for about 30 minutes to acclimate the fish to water temperature. This can prevent shock if the water is too hot or too cold. Test your water quality with 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. Correct any imbalances as indicated. Slowly acclimate any new fish as written above. You can request a consultation to discuss your concerns in greater detail if necessary. Buying fish and starting a tank can be quite confusing initially.

I have this tank half fish tank half snake tank the snake can get into the fish tank which she likes to sit in. this snake is a red tail boa small and the fish i have are just goldfish which I am switching soon bexcuse their just test fish to make sure the tank is running well. Any reason I should close off the tank from the snake??

Yes, boas are arboreal/terrestrial snakes. Although they may be able to swim, drowning is a real possibility in a deeper or full tank. She will also outgrow the current set up soon requiring a larger, more appropriate boa-friendly enclosure.

Sir My Pet ... 1.5 months old.... Not eat food .. after eating fish before 3 days .... Only drink water ... And his health and his health is decreasing very fast in last 3 days ... Please give a suggestion sir .... Please

An immediate veterinary check up is needed. Fish may have got spiky bones in it, or may have been not in good hygiene status. Considering his age and the signs you are describing an examination is necessary to shed some light on the underlying cause of it. Antibiotics and nutritional support may be needed as well.

Is it bad when a beta fish dosent swim much and stays near the bottom of the tank. He only comes up to eat and sometimes just stays behind the filter. He's a male crown tail betta

Yes these signs are quite concerning and compatible with a serious illness. Oxygenation, PH, ammonia levels and water quality should be checked first. Second step would be to spot any possible lesion on the Polu skin (possible fungal or bacterial infection) and if present treat with antibiotics or antifungal meds. 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.

Will adding coq10 to my dogs diet help prevent her from getting heart disease? She's a cavalier King Charles spaniel and is prone to heart problems. I will give it if it will make a difference but I'm already giving multiple supplements so I'm not sure it's necessary? Thanks! ( the supplements I give are: Fish oil, probiotics and enzymes and joint pill)

Unfortunately, this Coq10 will not prevent her from getting heart disease. There's no harm in giving it to her, but as you've said, the cavalier King Charles spaniel is prone to heart disease genetically. Supplements do not change her genetics, but you can help her heart health by making sure she isn't obese and has plenty of exercise.

my cat was diagnosed with ringworm in June/wood's lamp. Since that time he's culture was twice negative. He was on Intrafunlgol one week off one week on and now three weeks straight, After the lime dip he had a severe hair loss reaction, dry hair an sores on his legs are still not healed! I spray twice a day with fungal sprays, add fish oil and coconut oil in his diet and he is still not well. I am worried. Two negative culture seems confusing to me as what;s going on with my 10 years old cat..?

Oral systemic medication only (intrafungol) for ringworm must be given instead of lime dip and sprays. I would not give anything else a part from the oral medication, as the signs (dry hair sores) on legs seem to be due to an allergic reaction to one or to a combination of different products you are giving. I would then repeat repeat the culture again and if negative I would stop intrafungol as well. Please send us picture of the sores to have more specific advices. 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.

My betta fish is lying at the bottom of her quarantine tank. Her fins are clamped. She eats and moves but it not very lively. I just got her. She doesn't have stress stripes. Her quarantine is heated and I don't have a filter up and running yet. I was going to add her to a sorority with some other females that were in the cup next to hers in the pet store.

The stress of the move may be the cause. Of course illness, injury or parasites are also possibilities. Confirm proper water temp, 78-80 F is best. Check chemistry as well. Ammonia or nitrites are toxic. Set up filtration as soon as you can or perform partial water changes using aged or conditioned water that is temperature matched. Drop the water level to make it easier for her to surface until she acclimates and is more active.

2 year old Italian greyhound with itchy red nose with rash. He's had it for 10 days. He takes fish oil and probiotics. He's just finishing antibiotics. 10 days ago he had vomiting and diarrhea. He feels just fine. Hes been to the vet they think allergies. He's eating grain free food.

As your vet said This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. It is very important anyway , in order to rule out skin parasites, to treat with a high quality flea treatment (advocate or advantage), then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Buster collar may be useful to avoid further scratching/rubbing. 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.