What makes Doctor Richmond Loh more than just a mere Fish Doctor? Apart from being able to prescribe and dispense veterinary drugs, what expertise and experience does he bring to the table?
See http://tinyurl.com/qhnvt3p
The welfare implications of fin clipping in fish.
I was recently asked by a member of the Animal Ethics Committee on whether I considered fin clipping a painful procedure in fish. There’s no simple yes/no answer and as veterinarians/scientists, we need to qualify our answers with logical reasoning.
The short answer is that YES, it is a PAINFUL procedure, but the pain is only TRANSIENT.
The tail fin in carp has been documented to contain A-δ and C-type axons (these transmit nociceptive [pain] signals in [higher] vertebrates).This said, it would be difficult to discriminate between the pain from clipping procedure and the handling stress.
Provided that the biopsy is not substantial (no more than 50% of the fin should be resected), the pain would only be transient, and there should be no bleeding. And provided that the procedure is conducted aseptically, and the water quality, nutrition and immunity of fish are optimal, the fin should heal quickly and will regrow. Topical anaesthetic like lidocaine may be beneficial.
One thing that needs consideration is how it would affect the swimming ability of the fish after fin-clipping. In more sedentary fish, it should not be an issue. But if it were the zebrafish that swims at speeds continuously, they rely heavily on the caudal and pectoral fins for swimming. So I would argue that these fins should be avoided for clipping. On another note, the fins that show fastest regeneration times in salmon are the anal fin and the pectoral fins. Conversely, the adipose fin (in species that have them) and pelvic fins show slowest regeneration times in salmon.
So if fin-clips are for collecting genetic material from individual fish for the purpose of genotyping, I’d suggest sampling the anal fin. However, if fin clipping is used for marking/identifying individuals, the pelvic fins might be more suitable because it means fewer repeats are needed for longer studies.
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Yours sincerely,
Doctor 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
Podcast on fish and pain.
This podcast below from Ben Diggles on the controversial area of fish and pain is interesting and relevant.
View it here – http://www.humananimalscience.com.au/fish-pain-welfare/
Dr Ben Diggles lead the iki jime project supported by the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy in the aquatic animal health working group at http://www.australiananimalwelfare.com.au/aquatic-animals ………..This work has been praised in Europe and elsewhere in the world.
Publications:
Rose, J. D., Arlinghaus, R., Cooke, S. J., Diggles, B. K., Sawynok, W., Stevens, E. D., & Wynne, C. D. L. (2014). Can fish really feel pain?. Fish and Fisheries, 15(1), 97-133
Diggles, B. K., Cooke, S. J., Rose, J. D., & Sawynok, W. (2011). Ecology and welfare of aquatic animals in wild capture fisheries. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 21(4), 739-765.
Diggles, B. K. (2013). Historical epidemiology indicates water quality decline drives loss of oyster (Saccostrea glomerata) reefs in Moreton Bay, Australia. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 47(4), 561-581.
Fish Joke for Monday-itis: Who looks after sick sharks?
A: Nurse sharks.
Have a FINtastic week!
R <+>{
Don’t dump that fish!
Please do take heed. If we want to keep keeping fish, then we ought to act responsibly.
Watch this excellent clip – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhYR5uNa4Bg
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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
I would hug a koi, but a tuna?
Read more about the plight to save our oceans from over-fishing:
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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
The effects of chlorine toxicosis in fish.
It’s summer time and there’ve been numerous incidences of over-filling ponds. Why do fish die? What damage do they sustain from the chlorine in tap water?
Find the link to an article my colleague and I put together from my work as a diagnostic veterinary pathologist when I was in Tasmania – http://tinyurl.com/tfv-cltox
Follow me on: Facebook “Fin Page” – YouTube – Blog – Linkedin – Twitter
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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.
Looking for more books? Check out this site.
WSAVA 2015 – Aquatics Programs at the World Small Animal Veterinary Association Congress
The 2015 World Small Animal Veterinary Association World Congress (WSAVA 2015) will bring together vets and veterinary nurses/technicians with the aim of advancing the quality and availability of small animal medicine and surgery.
WSAVA harnesses the expertise of the world’s foremost veterinarians for a stimulating exchange of knowledge and experiences. And this
year, there will be a strong aquatics program with several members from the WAVMA presenting.
WSAVA offers the global veterinary community unmatched access to the research and insights of leading experts.
It will be held in exciting Bangkok, Thailand,15-18 May 2015.
Read more here:
http://www.wsava2015.com/
And I’ve just submitted my presentations 🙂
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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
Fish Joke for Monday-itis: This can’t be, Harry Potter!
Have a FINtastic week!
R <+>{
Lethal testing for viruses in ornamental fish postponed after complaints by pet industry – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Are these the results of the petition created by Mr Rout at Boronia Aquarium and by people-power?
A pity that the leading picture is of a wrong type of angelfish.
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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