Fish Q&A: Real Answers from Vet Experts

I am looking to give my dog natural treatment for scratching (no fleas present). I am going to bath her weekly with natural shampoo and add coconut oil to her diet but I've been told fish oil can also help with skin. Can Igive human fish oil to her and if so what dosage?

To be honest the efficacy of these remedies depends on the underlying cause of it. Fleas (ruled out), allergies and bacterial or mite infestations are among the most common causes of it. Unfortunately these are all treatable through medications (not natural but synthetic molecules). A good supplement with essential fatty acids is Coatex, fish oil is good as well but needs to be dosed quite accurately.

I just cleaned and changed the water in my beta fish tank. I have 1 male beta fish. Afternoon putting him back in the tank with new water, he seems to be acting differently. His swimming seems to be frantic, he is at the top of the water a lot, he was searching the rocks along the bottom, and he has bumped into the tank walls a few times. Did I do something wrong with his tank? Could his water be too hot or did I not condition the water right?!? Is this normal or is there something wrong??

When performing water changes it is recommended to change about 15-25 %of the water. His helps keep some of the good bacteria in the water as well as decreases dramatic temperature changes which can cause significant stress on the body. I suspect that it is the temp change that is hard in him, however if a dechlorinator was not used in the water then that could be problematic as well. If you feel that is the case please Add a dechlorinator. I hope he improves!

My betta fish look very sad and he sit at the bottom of the tank a lot. He's fins don't stand out as much, they are more bunched together. Is there anyway to help him?

I'm sorry to hear Paul us not his normal vibrant self. There could be many things going on, old age, poor water quality, disease...The first thing I would do is get his water tested, many pet stores offer this service for free. Additionally, betas do best in a tank that has heating and filtration. You may look at purchasing a 5-10 gallon tank with a filter and heater. This will ensure the water quality stays better than a standard beta bowl. Hope this helps.

hello I have started giving my dog omega 3 fish oil which will help her with allegies as she has been on apoquel for a couple of weeks. How often per week should I give her these omega 3 tablets? Can I give her them twice a week for example?

Some fish oil supplements, such as DermCaps or EicosaCaps, can be given daily, others are given 2-3 times weekly. You will need to read the label of the product you have to determine a schedule. The dose and frequency will depend on the amount of Omega 3s in the capsules and your dog's body weight.

Can a male Betta be in a 10 gallon aquarium with other fish?

Hi and thanks for using Boop by Petco! Good question. Most Betta sold in pet stores are males and no they cannot be housed with other fish species because they will fight the other fish. They are also housed in 1-2 gallon sized aquariums or smaller aquariums by themselves since they fight. Good luck with your fish.

Hi, i got 2 new fish yesterday. Ryukin fish, and they are very stressed I think. They mostly just sit in one corner but only swim when it's dark and no one is around. I have a filter tank, and a led light that also makes bubbles. How can I de-stress them?

They need a much larger tank. A 20 gallon tank (properly cycled) suffice for several months. When full grown, a minimum 55-60 gallon tank with adequate filtration will be necessary for healthy fish. For now, maintain water quality via filtration and weekly partial water changes. These fish do best at temps between 65 F and 72 F but can tolerate colder temperatures as long as temperature swings are not too rapid.

Hi I have two border collies each around 70/80 pounds and I wanted to give them melatonin and fish oil to help with their dry skin and coat. I was wondering what the proper dose of each is safe for them. Thanks!

There are no published studies to give doses of either of these supplements. However, 40-100mg/kg of body weight is commonly recommended for fish oils (combined DHA and EPA). So for your dogs, that would be 1500-3600mg EPA+DHA per day. The biggest side effect of fish oils is greasy or loose stools. It may also cause pancreatitis in dogs that are sensitive to excess fat. You can try 3-5mg of melatonin once per day. I would do it at night since it may make them sleeping. You will need to check the list of ingredients in the supplement you choose to make sure it does not contain xylitol.

Hi, I'm feeding my cat the one of the best wet and dry cat food in the market. The brand is fine but the flavors is always fish like salmon, tuna, ocean white, grilled saba, and fish with chicken, and shrimp. There's even no turkey, liver, beef or the chicken. Is that okay to feed my cat those wet and dry food flavors everyday?

Yes, as long as the cat food you're feeding contains and AAFCO statement it should be fine to feed those flavors. You do want to make sure Oliver doesn't end up with vomiting or diarrhea as this may indicate he cannot tolerate a certain type of food. This article may be of interest to you: https://www.petcoach.co/article/what-to-look-for-when-choosing-your-pet-s-food/ Thanks for using Boop by Petco!

Riley has what seems like very dry skin lately, she itches and chews at her side/legs/ears a lot. We have tried giving her fish oil and coconut oil, as well as Benadryl, to help with the itching and re growing hair she chews out. are there any product recommendations to help with her itching, or growing fur back?

Riley definitely sounds quite uncomfortable. The best medications available to prevent and address itching and scratching are prescription only, but I assure you are much more effective at controlling the issue than Benadryl. Based on the distribution of the scratching, I believe it is possible Riley could be suffering from a food allergy. You should consider placing her on a new diet with a brand new protein. Many of the prescription only diets contain single proteins (meaning there is no by products of any other meats at all). Your veterinarian will be able to provide you with information on these products, and issue you a prescription to the pharmacy of your choice to purchase it. In terms of addressing the itching right away, your vet should prescribe a medication call Apoquel or Cytopoint. One of them is a daily oral while the other is a month injectable. An e-collar might also be necessary at first in order to prevent Riley from causing any more damage to herself. If you choose to undergo a food trial, it should be done for at least 6-8 weeks without feeding ANY other protein. While I understand this is difficult, any small amount of protein that is not the novel one has the potential to throw off the entire trial. Good luck with Riley and her itchiness!

Fish Vet Q&A

I am looking to give my dog natural treatment for scratching (no fleas present). I am going to bath her weekly with natural shampoo and add coconut oil to her diet but I've been told fish oil can also help with skin. Can Igive human fish oil to her and if so what dosage?

My betta fish look very sad and he sit at the bottom of the tank a lot. He's fins don't stand out as much, they are more bunched together. Is there anyway to help him?

hello I have started giving my dog omega 3 fish oil which will help her with allegies as she has been on apoquel for a couple of weeks. How often per week should I give her these omega 3 tablets? Can I give her them twice a week for example?

Can a male Betta be in a 10 gallon aquarium with other fish?

Hi, i got 2 new fish yesterday. Ryukin fish, and they are very stressed I think. They mostly just sit in one corner but only swim when it's dark and no one is around. I have a filter tank, and a led light that also makes bubbles. How can I de-stress them?

Hi I have two border collies each around 70/80 pounds and I wanted to give them melatonin and fish oil to help with their dry skin and coat. I was wondering what the proper dose of each is safe for them. Thanks!