The Fish Vet's Blog

Article on page 20 of today’s West Australian.

This is a excerpt from a letter I wrote to my cousin when I found out that she started keeping fish when I was 14.

Subject: Let’s breakdown isolation and treat depression!

From: Brian Mc Erlean
Sent: Monday, 10 September 2012 4:18 PM
To: YOU!

Hi all

Please find attached some information you might like to pass on to your colleagues in WA and perhaps keep on file.

It is World Suicide Prevention Week and as a profession we top the Western Australian suicide statistics in conjunction with Aboriginal youth.

In addition to the attached information (WA-info-sheet Flier For Suicide Prevention Week) we have our own AVA site which is open to members and non-members (thank you AVA for opening the Vethealth section to all veterinarians).

www.ava.com.au/resources/vethealth

There is also great information in the UK site www.vetlife.org.uk

It is not all bad news. There are now many veterinarians, researchers and health professionals working on suicide prevention and I know AVA WA President Paul Davey is a firm supporter.

Consider becoming a mentor or help in distributing information to colleagues who may still be reluctant to talk to anyone about their issues. Help breakdown isolation.

Remember the pathway for those in trouble is: GP with an interest in mental health, clinical psychologist +/- counsellor. Attending workshops is another avenue.

Stay sane and happy! If you need any additional information email or phone.

Dr Brian Mc Erlean MVB MRCVS

Australian Veterinary Association Community Coordinator WA

One Life Suicide Prevention Strategy

Mob: 043 356 1922

H. 08 9296 4887

bmcerlean@onelifewa.com.au
www.onelifewa.com.au

Even the best lines get weak after being used a few times…

It’s a fishing joke.

There is no cause for alarm, particularly if the spots:

• arise only during spring;
• they are localised to the gill covers and the leading edge of the pectoral fins;
• they are only on the male fish;
• the fish with such spots do not show signs of ill-health.

If unsure, consult your fish veterinarian as it could be confused with serious diseases such as white spot disease, lymphocystis and velvet disease for example.

I’ve just cleaned my dad’s pond filter before the weather warms up and he showed me a great way of cleaning the pre filter cage. So I thought I’d share it with you.

The filter box was quite mucky and the filter material in it was given a quick rinse in pond water. We will be good for at least the next month or so.

These workshops will be presented by Japanese master artist Mineo Ryuka Yamamato who will come to Perth specifically
to conduct two workshops on fish printing.

Check out the details on the flyer below.

Fish Printing Workshop Flyer

Shared by Ms Amber Howard, Department of Fisheries, Western Australia.

I have always been a fishy person, but not always been a fish vet. Some work I did when I worked in Tasmania was on the diagnosis of Devil Facial Tumour Disease and this formed part of my Masters Degree and Diploma of Project Management. See links to a couple of papers I had published:

http://vet.sagepub.com/content/43/6/890.abstract?etoc

http://vet.sagepub.com/content/43/6/896.abstract?etoc

See this site for more information on the research and how it is progressing – http://www.tassiedevil.com.au

—
Yours sincerely,

Dr Richmond Loh
BSc BVMS MPhil MANZCVS (Aq & Pathol)
The Fish Vet, Perth, Western Australia.
Veterinary Medicine for fish.
http://www.thefishvet.com.au
Ph: +61 (0)421 822 383

Spring has arrived and your pond fish will be coming into season. Thought about artificial breeding so you can select the right pairs for mating? Here we demonstrate the technique for milking a fish. This same technique is used for males and females, for koi, goldfish and many other species.

Note that it’s better to fast your fish for a day to decrease to chance of contaminating your milt and eggs with faecal material. Once the milt and eggs are collected, they can be mixed and then broadcast over spawning mops.

Also, to ensure that your selected pairs come into season at the same time and to maximise fertility, hormonal induction can be used. Ask your veterinarian about these options.

To celebrate my appointment as President of the World Aquatic Veterinary Medical Association, I’d like to begin promoting the area of aquatic veterinary medicine locally.

For this month of September, any Australian or New Zealand veterinary student who LIKES my Facebook “Fin page”

and purchases either/both:

• Fish Vetting Essentials or
• Fish Vetting Medicines – Formulary of Fish Treatments

will receive complimentary student membership to WAVMA.

The books are available here:

http://thefishvet.com.au/shop/shopping.html

Important Note!

Please enter in the COMMENTS section:

• veterinary degree you will receive
• which university you are attending,
• university city,
• year of graduation, &
• which lecturers currently teach aquatics at your university.