Vet Q&A-Fish

Hello, I am writing on behalf of my male Betta fish. I believe my fish has marine velvet. Some of his symptoms are lethargy, color fading, trouble swimming, and a rust colored patch on his head. His water is also somewhat murky even after a recent water change. He is in a 1.3 gallon tank, and is the only fish residing in it. I am worried for him and wonder what to do. Please let me know your opinion on the situation, and some possible treatments.

Thanks for reaching out about Nugget. First, water quality should be tested for pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. If any of those parameters are abnormal, they should be corrected. Marine velvet is a condition of marine fish, so probably not your concern. Other bacterial or fungal pathogens are possible. Dietary problems can accumulate over time. Fish pellets should be re-purchased every 2 months as vitamin C degrades quickly. With out the addition of other fish, parasitic concerns are minimal. If your concerns continue, seek the advise of an aquatic veterinarian. Good luck.

I have a pair of parrot fish but not fertile eggs get so I can add flower horn male in aquarium tank for breeding parrot fish and flower horn , and can I get babies like a parrot fish after breeding process ( female parrot fish + Flower horn male ) ?

Thanks for reaching out. Not sure if an accurate answer can be presented in this medical forum, but some breeder have had success with cross breeding these two to get a hybrid fish. Not sure what husbandry parameter, and sexes of which species those successes have revolved around. Maybe contacting a fresh water fish club can better answer these questions. Good luck.

How to protect goldfish from parasites.

Prevention is absolutely necessary. Water quality should constantly checked to make is sure high standard is maintain and all new fish should be placed in a quarantine tank for at least 2-3 weeks to make sure they are eating, free of disease, and are able to recuperate in a stress-free environment. Hope this answer was helpful, but 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.

Hi, I need advice for some good supplements or something else for skin and hair,my cat's fur looks fine but is very thin,he doesn't have his usual winter coat (all my cats are with very big winter coats,only his hair is not enough), since some days he scratches his body a lot and today I found little bald spot on his tail,I use Salmon fish oil but it doesn't help much,the only hair supplement that helps him content only liver and glucose, and I don't know if it's safe for daily long use, thanks.

Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. Salmon oil is a great choice. I think though that the primary condition needs to be treated for this to get better. So if this is due to allergies, these have to be addressed for it to improve. Supplements in this scenario can only help if the primary condition is being treated. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

hi, my dog is approximately 55-60 days pregnant to her first litters. Last night till now, she is suffering a severe diarrhea, and vomiting often times an hour. I suspect it was due to her food yesterday since i gave her rice with fish mixed in her puppy dog food, and bec. she ate it all immediately, i added some more with a mixed of cooked lentils. After then at night, she started vomiting and diarrhea. I am really worried! please, please help... ASAP. Thank you

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Cookie. She will need to see her veterinarian today. It will be very easy for her to become dehydrated from the vomiting and diarrhea. She may require medication to control her symptoms, but options are limited due to her pregnancy. If you haven't had it done already, x-rays will be taken to count the number of puppies she is expecting. This information will help you during to labor to know if she has had all the puppies or not. I hope this information helps!

When vets say up to 10% of a dogs diet can be treats does that include supplements as well, such as fish oil and joint tablets? Thank you. for example 10% of my dogs diet equates to 25 calories and her fish oil capsule is 10 calories and her joint tablet is 2.5 calories. That alone is 5% of her total diet. Does that mean she can only get 5% from treats instead of 10%?

Hello. No. In general supplements are not counted into daily calorie counts, unless you were feeding a high fat nutritional supplement. Basically ignore the fish oil & joint supplements when calculating total calories per day. thanks for using Boop by Petco.

What is the best gecko or other small reptile for a beginning reptile keeper that is relatively cheap not counting snakes because my boyfriend won't let me have one. One of my local pet stores has tokay geckos and leopard geckos the other one has a couple more options within my price range but I am still asking for advice. I have a 20 gallon aquarium to keep it in at the moment but I can go larger as it grows if I need to

Leopard geckos are great "starter" reptiles. They don't require special lighting (UVB) like other reptiles. A 20 gallon tank is big enough for one. Add a heat source, hides and a water bowl and you are good to go. You can review gecko care at the links below. http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Care-Sheets/Lizards/Leopard-Gecko/ http://www.anapsid.org/leopardgek.html

Hello, i have two RES that i bought from fishshop, i have an aquarium that dont get any direct sunlight, so i help them basking under the sun, one of my RES showed white spot like this, is it fungus? Or shedding? And what should i do? I tried using methelyne blue, and it showed no effect, also my other RES has a little bump on his neck, he didnt have it on the first day i bought, any suggestion? Thanks in advance.

Thanks for reaching out. The lesion on the neck is probably due to pulling the head in repeatedly and traumatizing the skin on the shell edge. Putting a visual blind around the tank might be less stressful. Not sure if the white is exposed bone, infection or hard water deposit. Can you gently scrub it off? The eyes on the first turtle appear a little swollen and this could be due to poor water quality or vitamin A deficiencies. What does the diet include? Check and correct water quality. Review diet. If lesion grows, a veterinary visit is recommended. Good luck.

Is it ok to give a cat Goldfish

Goldfish crackers are not meant for cats and are high in salt. If Mamba happens to eat a few, it's probably ok but I don't recommend to feed them to her as treats. Don't give Mamba a real live gold fish. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.