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What You Need To Know About Veterinary Care For Fish?

It is hard to deny that fish are adorable creatures and make great pets. There are many advantages of keeping pet fish as compared to cats or dogs.

Pet fish can only stay in the aquarium/ tank or pond. Hence, you don’t have to worry about cleaning the poop or taking the fish for a walk every day.

I have come across innumerable people who love keeping (or would love to keep) variety of fish.

Their exotic colorful body and the ease in the care aspect is why people are so intrigued about keeping pet fish.

All that is true but what is also true is that many people fail to understand that fish can encounter a variety of diseases very easily.

Even one simple mistake on your side may create a hazard in the life of a fish.

If you are reading this article, you are probably just like me who loves keeping pet fish.

I have had an aquarium ever since I was 6 and had my fair share of disasters when it comes to keeping fish as pets.

I remember one time, when I was 11 years old; I had added 8 medium sized fish in a 15 gallon aquarium.

I had a feeling that wasn’t such a good idea. And sure enough within 4 weeks, three of the fish died due to overcrowding. That was a great lesson learned.

fish-tank
My Fish Tank.

I learned another lesson couple of years after the above incident.

This time I lost quite a few fish due to the incompatibility of the different species of fish I had introduced into my existing tank.

There are more incidences like that where I have lost my fish because I didn’t have the knowledge about keeping them.

lightbulbThat is why I always stress on how important it is to gain the knowledge about the specific species of fish before you keep them as pets.

Even though you take top precautions, sometimes your fish will get sick. You may even have to take your pet to an experienced fish doctor if you want to save them.

This is very true if you have a fish that has cost you quite a bit of money and you don’t want to lose the fish.

How will you know that your fish is ill?

A lot of times, pet fish owners fail to understand what their innocent little creatures are suffering from.

Sometimes fish show abnormal behaviors that force us to scratch our head and think “What can actually go wrong with my Goldy?!”

In such cases, only a vet can tell you what is making your fish behave like this.

Before I go any further, I would advise you to keep a close eye on your fish. If you aren’t vigilant, you may miss some or all important common symptoms before it is too late.

Common symptoms mainly comprises of weariness, white patches on the skin, rubbing against the wall, swimming near the surface of water, rotten gill, etc.

These common symptoms are indicators of something going wrong and you may need to take them to a fish doctor.

What can a fish doctor do?

An experienced vet (fish doctor) can help you in a variety of ways.

They can give you suggestions and preventive measures to help you keep your fish in a happy and a healthy surrounding.

If your fish is suffering from nutritional disorder then they can give you a nutritional advice.

Different species of fish may require different set of diet. If a gold fish likes to have pellets, it does not mean that a trigger fish would have the same thing.

Flakes and pellets are considered balanced nutritional diet for most fish species. However, there are other species that need plants or live fish as a part of their complete diet.

At times, your fish may get stressed and this can directly impact their immune system and consequently be prone to various diseases.

Vet-taking-samples-of-fish-tissues
Vet taking samples of fish tissues.

Only a vet will be able to diagnose and treat your fish the right way. He/she will be able to tell you the right medicines to use if necessary.

For common illnesses, the vet may just examine the fish physically. He/she may either treat the fish right then or give you instructions on ways to treat them.

If there is a serious problem, the fish doctor may also analyze the tissue and fluid samples of your pet fish.

He/she may collect the skin and tissue samples in a glass slide and put it under the microscope to examine them.

If the disease is rare and intensive care is required, there may be other advanced procedures to treat the fish. The fish may also need to get x-rays done.

Every living being needs love and care to recuperate and get to feeling better. Likewise, fish need proper care to get better and flourish.

One thing is for sure – when in doubt, always consult a vet. A good fish doctor with a great deal of experience can make a big difference.

Did you find this article useful? Don’t forget to comment below and share your thoughts and experiences.

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5 thoughts on “What You Need To Know About Veterinary Care For Fish?

  1. YVery informative article on keeping fish as pets. I know of a lot of pet owners who are not even familiar that vets can treat their fish and that there are experienced fish doctors they can go to. For me dogs are the best pets, as they shower you with uncomditional love and affection, with fish that is not possible.

  2. Hi there,
    Thats a great information.
    Fish tanks and aquariums are amazing. You want to have a pet and you love them. But, you don’t have enough place or huge apartment to keep a dog, or you don’t have enough time to take care of them. If these things are bothering you from getting a pet, then the best thing for you is getting a fish tank. There are many advantages of fishkeeping.

  3. Keeping a fish comparing to dogs and cats is quite hard, so I suggest if you decide to keep it that means you take all the responsibility in terms of its safety and health. In that case you must learn all the basics and details about keeping fish

  4. […] If you are new to salt water bath and don’t really know what you are doing, it might be best to get help from a professional fish doctor (vet). […]

  5. […] If you are new to the salt water bath and don’t really know what you are doing, it might be best to get the help from a professional fish doctor (vet). […]

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