The Fish Vet's Blog

WAVMA Webinar B-1010 – Water Quality 101 for Aquatic Veterinarians

Join us for a free webinar on April 10, 2015 at 10:15 PM (AWST – Perth, Western Australia).

Click http://tinyurl.com/ogw4vpz to see the time in your local time zone.

Register now! at http://tinyurl.com/njrahuo

Fishes and other aquatic animals live in a unique environment and in-depth knowledge of how water quality will affect biological processes including respiration, nutrition, hydration, excretion and more life-sustaining functions is essential for practicing aquatic veterinary medicine.

This presentation will provide an overview of the nitrogen cycle and a number of water quality parameters that affect fish health and disease, and treatment plans. Also covered will be practical ways to evaluate, monitor and correct water quality problems caused by shifts in temperature, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, carbonate hardness, general hardness, dissolved oxygen, carbon dioxide, salinity and other physio-chemical parameters.

Speaker: Dr Richmond Loh BSc, BVMS, MPhil (Vet Path), MANZCVS (Aquatic & Path), CertAqV

Learning Objectives – participants will learn:

1. The temperature, salinity, pH, KH, GH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate (the nitrogen cycle), dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide requirements of different fish species.
2. How to manage and prevent water quality issues using physical & biological filters, aeration, water flow, aquatic plants, water exchanges, fish stocking density, feeding rates, etc.
3. How to collect and transport water samples, and to generate water quality test results.

This webinar is suitable for veterinarians, vet techs/nurses, vet students, research scientists and aquarists/aquarium husbandry staff.

NOTE: this webinar will be recorded. If you register for the live webinar and are unable to attend, you will be sent a link to view the webinar at a later time.

Want CEPD credit? (Registration is required)
Information on how to access the recorded webinar (at no cost), and a short knowledge & skills assessment (KSA or quiz) covering the webinar’s principle learning objectives, in order to earn veterinary Continuing Educational & Professional Development (CEPD) credit will be e-mailed to all registrants in 1-2 weeks after the webinar.

As CEPD credit can be used towards re-licensing or registration requirements to practice veterinary medicine, and requirements for becoming a WAVMA Certified Aquatic Veterinarian. We provide WAVMA Members a discount off the US$25.00 fee for earning CEPD credit ($5 for student members, $15 for all others).

Register now for this free live WAVMA WebCEPD webinar at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3512308895861462786. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

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WAVMA Program Coordinator

administrators@wavma.org

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—
Yours sincerely,

Dr Richmond Loh DipProjMgt, BSc, BVMS, MPhil (Pathology), MANZCVS (Aquatics & Pathobiology), CertAqV, CMAVA, NATA Signatory.
THE FISH VET, Perth, Western Australia, AUSTRALIA.
Mobile Aquatic Veterinary Medical & Diagnostic Services.
http://www.thefishvet.com.au
Ph: +61 (0)421 822 383

Skype: thefishvet

President WAVMA 2014

Adjunct Lecturer Murdoch University | Secretary Aquatic Animal Health Chapter – ANZCVS.

The Abalone (Haliotis | short for halitosis?)

 

Have a FINtastic week!
R <+>{

“This study examined concentrations of EE2 and BPA that are not expected to be found in most environmental situations. However, concerns remain about the possibility of passing on adverse reproductive effects to future generations at lower levels. At this time, the ability to evaluate mixtures of estrogenic chemicals working jointly is limited.”

Summary: Fish exposed to the endocrine-disrupting chemicals bisphenol A (BPA) or 17a-ethinylestradiol (EE2) in a laboratory have been found to pass adverse reproductive effects onto their offspring up to three generations later, according to a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Missouri

We are making headway. Read on.

Don’t forget to attend the presentation that’s on tomorrow night!

For more information, see –

https://thefishvet.com/2015/03/10/a-presentation-about-egg-binding-egg-retention-in-koi-fish/

—
Yours sincerely,

Dr Richmond Loh
DipProjMgt, BSc, BVMS, MPhil (Pathology) Murdoch, MANZCVS (Aquatics& Pathobiology), CertAqV, CMAVA, NATA Signatory.
THE FISH VET, Perth, Western Australia.
Veterinary Medicine for fish.
W: http://www.thefishvet.com.au
E: thefishvet
P: +61 (0)421 822 383

2014 President WAVMA.org

Two men go in pet store first one says to the other, “I will show you the power of the superior mind.” He looks into an aquarium at a goldfish. He moves his head to the right, the goldfish moves its head to the right, the man moves his head to the left, and the fish looks to the left.

The other man says, “That’s easy! I’ll show you.” The man looks at a goldfish and proceeds to repeatedly open and close his mouth:)

Many thanks for this joke to Andrew L.

 

Have a FINtastic week!
R <+>{



It’s quite common I get calls to supply medicines, especially "metro" from potential clients. There are many reasons why a veterinarian cannot prescribe/dispense/supply without seeing the patient. We need to use the medicines properly and only when it is needed. Read on to find out more…

March 19, 2015

Antibiotic use in pets could give rise to superbugs, experts warn

Buying antibiotics from pet stores could come back to haunt you, infectious disease specialist says. A lack of surveillance and uncontrolled use of antibiotics in pets across Canada could be adding to the growing problem of superbugs.

Antibiotic medicines, such as erythromycin and tetracycline (the same ones used in people), are readily available in pet shops. No questions asked or prescription required. People, on the other hand, have to see their doctors to get a prescription for such medication.

Dr. Scott Weese, an infectious disease specialist at the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph, said that "just completely makes no sense. If we need to use an antibiotic, we need to use it right — which means getting the right diagnosis," he said.

"We need to use the right drug, right duration. All of these things can go wrong if people access the drugs in a wrong way," said Weese, who’s also the lead author on a new consensus statement calling for greater stewardship of antibiotic use on domestic animals, which was presented at a veterinary conference last year.

It’s not uncommon for pet owners to … … .

See the source (http://tinyurl.com/pryousf) for the full story.

The “consensus statement” referred to in the news article is available at http://tinyurl.com/kcy42rk.

The question on "what’s a pregnant goldfish called" has been rather popular on my blog.

How about koi? The answer is the same. There’s no term for a pregnant koi since they can’t become pregnant. Their eggs are fertilised externally.

Next Wednesday, one of my students will be delivering a lecture about very fat, gravid koi that won’t spawn. What are the dangers of egg retention? What are other things that might present in this way… and how to fix it?

For more information, visit – A presentation about egg-binding (egg-retention) in koi fish.

Follow me on: Facebook "Fin Page" – YouTube – Blog – Linkedin – Twitter

—
Yours sincerely,

Dr Richmond Loh DipProjMgt, BSc, BVMS, MPhil (Pathology), MANZCVS (Aquatics & Pathobiology), CertAqV, CMAVA, NATA Signatory.
THE FISH VET, Perth, Western Australia, AUSTRALIA.
Mobile Aquatic Veterinary Medical & Diagnostic Services.
http://www.thefishvet.com.au
Ph: +61 (0)421 822 383

Skype: thefishvet

President WAVMA 2014

Adjunct Lecturer Murdoch University | Secretary Aquatic Animal Health Chapter – ANZCVS.

Looking for more books? Check out this site.

As winter approaches, the water temperature will decrease. Many biological processes in fish are dependent on the water temperature, and resistance to diseases is one of the major challenges faced by outdoor fish.

What you can do during this time of the year is to:

1. dose your pond with vitamin C on a weekly basis (1-10mg/L),

2. make sure you are giving your fish the best fish foods and

3. check your water quality is optimal (pH 6.5-7.5, alkalinity 4-6 dKH, ammonia 0mg/L, nitrite 0mg/L and nitrate <50mg/L).

4. If you have introduced new fish, aquatic plants or shared pond equipment from a friend, it would be worthwhile to get your fish vet-checked to make sure you have not introduced any nasty diseases. It’s easier to treat fish while the weather is still warm, and their immune system is strong, than during the cold winter months. 

Go to http://thefishvet.com.au/