Exotics - fish

Question 1

What is the consultation process for fish?

Answer 1

History eg. pond, water quality, stocking levels, disease progression, fish behaviour
Clinical exam - water quality test, fish exam
DDx, diagnostic tests, diagnosis and treatment

Question 2

What is a sign of hypoxia in fish?

Answer 2

Gathering around fountains/water aerators

Question 3

What can you use to anaesthetise a fish?

Answer 3

Phenoxethanol
MS222 Tricaine methane

Question 4

How long can you have the fish out of the water for before it has to go back in during anaesthesia?

Answer 4

5 mins

Question 5

What are the stages of anaesthesia in a fish?

Answer 5

Stage 1 - light sedation, slight loss of reactivity
Stage 2 - deep sedation, total loss of reactivity, normal equilibrium
Stage 3 - partial loss of equilibrium, erratic swimming
Stage 4 - total loss of equilibrium, reactive only to deep pressure stimuli
Stage 5 - loss of reflex activity, gill flaps not moving much
Stage 6 - medullary, gasping, close to death

Question 6

What diagnostic tests are carried out as part of a fish clinical exam?

Answer 6

Mucus scraping - for parasites
Gill and fin preparations - for parasites
Bacteriology - swab ulcers, kidneys etc.
Blood sampling
Radiography
Ultrasonography

Question 7

What are the common parasites of fish?

Answer 7

Trichodina - small protozoa
Skin fluke
Sea lice

Question 8

What is the treatment for trichodina?

Answer 8

Formalin

Question 9

How do you blood sample a fish?

Answer 9

Advance needle until hits tailbone, then bring back a bit until get blood
Ventrally is easier but can go in laterally

Question 10

What are the different methods of administrating medication to a fish?

Answer 10

In water dips, baths
In food medication - relies on animal eating
Gavage - crop tube
Injection
Topical - for ulcers etc.

Question 11

What are the injection sites in a fish?

Answer 11

Dip between dorsal fin and head
Or into muscle flanks on side

Question 12

How do you give antibiotics to a fish?

Answer 12

Injection when under GA
In food
Not in water - destroys bacteria in filters

Question 13

What is a zoonotic disease in fish?

Answer 13

Fish tuberculosis - mycobacterium
Local no healing ulcers

Question 14

How do you treat fish TB?

Answer 14

Cull - no treatment
Quarantine new fish for 2 months

Question 15

How do you euthanase a fish?

Answer 15

Anaesthetise (MS222 or phenoxyethanol)
Pentobarbitone injection, sever spinal cord

Question 16

What are the notifiable diseases of fish in the UK?

Answer 16

Koi herpesvirus disease
Infectious salmon anaemia
Viral haemorrhagic septicaemia
Infectious haematopoietic necrosis
Bacterial kidney disease
Spring viraemia of carp
Gyrodactylosis - fluke

Question 17

What do you do if high ammonia in water quality test?

Answer 17

Add zeolite rock - absorbs it

Question 18

How can you reduce stress in fish?

Answer 18

Add salt to water - 2g/L

Question 19

What is the most common cause of disease in fish? What is it caused by?

Answer 19

Ulcer disease - due to septicaemia
Immunosuppression from poor water quality allows bacteria in water to invade

Question 20

What bacteria is most commonly found to cause ulcer disease in fish?

Answer 20

Aeromonas hydrophila

Question 21

How do you treat ulcers?

Answer 21

Clean with iodine
Pack with waterproof gel
Inject antibiotics

Question 22

What does reddening of the fins mean

Answer 22

Septicaemia

Question 23

What are 3 causes of a swollen abdomen in fish?

Answer 23

Dropsy - ascites in abdomen
Polycystic kidney in goldfish
Tumour

Question 24

How do you treat swim bladder disease?

Answer 24

Warm up water
Add salt to water
Starve fish for a couple days

Question 25

What causes raised white spots on fish?

Answer 25

Carp pox - koi herpes virus
Not pathogenic - do nothing