Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Emergency and critical care of fish.
- Journal:
- The veterinary clinics of North America. Exotic animal practice
- Year:
- 2007
- Authors:
- Hadfield, Catherine A et al.
- Affiliation:
- National Aquarium in Baltimore · United States
Plain-English summary
Fish emergencies often happen because of poor water conditions, infections, or injuries. If your fish is in trouble, the first steps are to improve the oxygen levels in the water, ensure the water is suitable, and reduce any stressors. It's important to gather information about your fish and its environment, and some quick tests can help identify the problem. In cases where other fish are at risk and the sick fish is unlikely to get better, it may be necessary to consider euthanasia and a post-mortem examination to find out exactly what went wrong. Common issues include toxic levels of ammonia or nitrite, low oxygen, and various diseases caused by bacteria, protozoa, or viruses.
Abstract
Most fish emergencies are the result of inappropriate environmental conditions and primary or secondary infectious disease or trauma. The immediate response should be to increase aeration, provide suitable water, and decrease stressors. A thorough history, evaluation of the fish and their environment, and some rapid diagnostic tests (particularly direct and stained cytology) often provide the information needed to make a diagnosis and render appropriate treatment. When cohorts are at risk and the patient is unlikely to recover, euthanasia and necropsy are recommended to reach a definitive diagnosis. Some common emergencies include ammonia and nitrite toxicity; low dissolved oxygen; copper and chlorine toxicity; gas supersaturation; and certain bacterial, protozoal, and viral diseases.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17577566/