The Fish Vet's Blog

Happy new year and thanks for your support!

Posted on 2015/01/01 by TheFishVet - Richmond's School of Fish

Check out the interesting stats for my blog.

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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

Aquatic Vet 2-Year Internship Available – U. Florida

Posted on 2015/01/012015/01/01 by TheFishVet - Richmond's School of Fish

Veterinary Internship in Aquatic Animal Health

The University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine (Aquatic Animal Health Program) and Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory (UF-TAL) (School of Forest Resources and Conservation) in partnership with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Marine Mammal Pathobiology Laboratory (MMPL), the Florida Aquarium, Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo, SeaWorld of Florida and Volusia County Marine Science Center have developed a two-year post-DVM training opportunity in aquatic animal health. This veterinary internship will provide veterinary experience in the areas of marine mammal medicine, stranding response, public aquarium, zoo, research, and aquaculture medicine.

The position will be available July 1, 2015 and the successful incumbent will spend the first year in a rotating intern program that will be based in Gainesville, Florida with time at the College of Veterinary Medicine with the AAHP faculty, zoo medicine, radiology and anesthesia services as well as the Wildlife and Aquatic Veterinary Diagnostic lab (WAVDL) laboratory. There will be an emphasis on clinical research development, including molecular diagnostic techniques for their first year research project. There will be also rotations available at SeaWorld of Florida, Lowry Park Zoo (Tampa Fl.), Volusia County Marine Science Center, and the Marine Mammal Path Laboratory, with additional time available at Clearwater Marine Aquarium, the Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory and other Florida partners.
Assuming successful completion of the first year of training, the incumbent will be invited to transfer to the Florida Aquarium as the primary base of operations for the second year of training. The intern will be spending part of the training period with the UF-Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory during this time.

During the two year program the intern will also be provided opportunity to participate in the University of Florida Aquatic Animal Health program’s teaching, public outreach programs, and health assessments when the duties at Florida aquarium permit.

Basic Qualifications: A DVM or equivalent degree is required. Demonstrated research, pathology experience and a track record in publication of research results is highly desirable. Candidates with demonstrated clinical proficiency with non-domestic species will be viewed favorably. The ability to work well with people of all abilities and backgrounds is essential is essential.

How to Apply: Qualified candidates are requested to submit a letter of application, curriculum vitae, and three letters of reference. All of the above must be post-marked by January 25, 2015 to be considered for initial screening. The University of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Please send applications to Nina Thompson, AAHP Program Assistant, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, PO Box 100136, Gainesville, FL 32610-0126; phone 352-294-4198, e-mail: nina.thompson@ufl.edu. The search committee will begin reviewing applications immediately and will continue to review applications until an appointment is made.

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A. David Scarfe PhD, DVM, MRSSAf, CertAqV
Cell: (847) 650-4628
dscarfe@ameritech.net

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

wavma.jpg?w=780

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

Debate continues over whether fish can feel pain. Why?

Posted on 2014/12/312015/01/01 by TheFishVet - Richmond's School of Fish

I think this debate only continues because of the lack of understanding, and that some people are choosing not to understand the evidence.

Fish are sentient beings, they feel pain, are intelligent and are capable of learning. They tick all the boxes necessary.

Begin forwarded message:

From: “Dr. David Scarfe”
Date: 22 December 2014 23:59:06 AWST
Subject: AquaVetMed e-News: Debate continues over whether fish can feel pain

December 22, 2014
Debate continues over whether fish feel pain

Do fish feel pain? Can they suffer? Historically, the opinion on both counts has been that they don’t, but these views are rapidly evolving as scientific evidence expands.

That fish respond to injurious stimuli unconsciously and aren’t actually aware of pain is a view championed most notably by James Rose, PhD, professor emeritus of zoology at the University of Wyoming. In a 2014 article titled “Can fish really feel pain?” published by the journal Fish and Fisheries, Dr. Rose concludes that research suggesting fish are conscious of pain is unsubstantiated and lacks adequate empirical support.

Aquaculture is the fastest-growing animal food–producing sector in the world. The traditional view is fish aren’t conscious of pain and, therefore, are unable to suffer. Research showing otherwise is gaining traction within the veterinary and scientific communities, however. He writes in favor of function- and nature-based welfare standards predicated on objective indicators of fish well-being “rather than a feelings-based standard that is highly speculative and scientifically unsubstantiated.” In contrast, the veterinary and scientific communities are increasingly warming to the possibility that pain for some fish species is a more noxious experience than an unconscious, knee-jerk response.

Concerning fish, the AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals state: “Considerable evidence is accumulating suggesting it is appropriate to consider the possibility of pain perception in these species.” The Institute for Laboratory Animal Research in 2009 devoted an entire journal issue to the matter because, as Dr. Lysa Pam Posner explained, of the “growing acceptance in the scientific community that fish neuroanatomy and behavioral responses reveal that these animals feel pain. It would then be logical to conclude that an animal that can feel pain can also experience distress. It is likely that humans will never fully know the extent to which fish feel pain, but acknowledging that they do raises the likelihood that fish will receive the humane treatment increasingly provided to vertebrates,” wrote Dr. Posner, an associate professor of veterinary anesthesiology at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

The issue was one of several explored at the AVMA animal welfare symposium titled Humane Endings. The meeting was held Nov. 3-5, 2014, in suburban Chicago. Best practices for euthanasia were discussed and research aimed at refining humane killing methods was examined for the purpose of ever-refining the AVMA euthanasia guidelines. Dr. Roy Yanong, a professor and extension veterinarian with the Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory at the University of Florida, explained at a symposium presentation how developing euthanasia recommendations for fish is especially challenging, considering … … .

See the full JAVMA News story at http://tinyurl.com/ovz5uce. For a related JAVMA News story on the “Humane Endings” Symposium, go to http://tinyurl.com/q9vekjf. For additional information see http://tinyurl.com/mldnagt.
___________________________
AquaVetMed e-News provides information to veterinary and veterinary-allied subscribers concerning aquatic animal medicine, health, welfare, public health and seafood safety, obtained from a variety of sources (largely AquaVetMed subscribers). While provided by the American Veterinary Medical Association’s, Aquatic Veterinary Medicine Committee and are for public distribution, they do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the AVMA or the veterinary profession. See the AVMA Terms of Use (http://tinyurl.com/29h2rf) for further information.

Subscription and Contributions: Interested veterinarians and veterinary-allied professionals can subscribe, unsubscribe, or contribute pertinent news or information, by sending a message with “For AquaVetMed -” and the topic in the subject line, to dscarfe@avma.org. If e-News information is used elsewhere please acknowledge AquaVetMed as the source. Encourage individuals to subscribe rather than distribute through list serves.

Note: Undelivered e-mails will not be resent; Subscribers will be deleted from the list after repeated undelivered or bounced messages and will have to re-subscribe. Messages may contain attachments that will have been scanned for known viruses.

Visit our website: http://www.avma.org
________________________________

Apologies, my phone has played up.

Posted on 2014/12/30 by TheFishVet - Richmond's School of Fish

Please email me or use the contact form on my website for communications.
Thank you for understanding.

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Yours sincerely,

2014 President WAVMA.org

How long do fish live for?

Posted on 2014/12/302014/12/23 by TheFishVet - Richmond's School of Fish

What’s the lifespan of a fish is a question I get asked commonly. It’s difficult to say because it depends what fish (there are at least 4000 different species out there) and whether they’re in captivity or wild.

The common goldfish cam live for as long as 20-25 years. Sadly, many new fish keepers are unaware of new tank syndrome and many are taken much earlier, within 2-5 weeks.

The koi carp can be very long lived, at over 35 years (at a behind the scenes meet and greet, singer Gwen Stefanie mentioned she was headed somewhere to celebrate its 300th birthday!). That would definitely be the oldest fish in the world. They’re really something you can hand down over generations as an heirloom.

The Atlantic salmon can live for up to 13 years, but aquacultured fish tend to end up on your table before they reach 3 years.

The list can go on and on.

Check out this newspaper clipping –

Book in to see Dr Loh, TheFishVet, at Boronia Aquarium TODAY.

Posted on 2014/12/30 by TheFishVet - Richmond's School of Fish

—
Yours sincerely,

2014 President WAVMA.org

Good tips for fighting algae.

Posted on 2014/12/29 by TheFishVet - Richmond's School of Fish

Summer time brings warmer weather, hungrier fishes and longer light periods, means algae problems are just beginning to plague ponds across the Southern Hemisphere.

Follow this link to TEN (10) Steps to make your tank algae-free:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Ten-Steps-to-Making-Your-Aquarium-Algae-Free&id=6884906

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Yours sincerely,

2014 President WAVMA.org