High-priced veterinary bills are proof owners' love of pet fish is no fluke
Many say they can see the affection and feel the bond

By CHRISTY NICHOLSON
Columbia News Service
Source: http://www.adn.com/front/story/8491499p-8385110c.html

People used to flush sick fish down the toilet, but these days an increasing number of concerned pet owners are taking their goldfish to a veterinarian. Pet fish are now receiving medical care for broken fins, swimming disorders and cancerous tumors.

Dr. Gregory Lewbart found his latest patient to be a puzzling case. He arrived in Lewbart's office with a swollen eye and bloated stomach. Lewbart took X-rays, but saw nothing unusual. To be thorough he decided to do an ultrasound.

Lewbart put the patient in a clear plastic bag with some water and held the ultrasound wand up to the bag.

Lewbart's patient was a Siamese fighting fish named Rusty with flowing red fins, and little more than the size of two nickels.

The vast majority of fish treated by veterinarians used to be the fancy tropical varieties, but vets are now treating the $1 goldfish brought home from a child's birthday party or won at the county fair. When a pet fish gets sick, concerned pet owners are discovering that top-notch help is available.

"The whole area has grown exponentially in the last 10 years," said Lewbart ...............

See source for full story.

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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

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From the Kordon Web Site

What To Do When Your Aquarium or Pond Fish Are Sick

 You have a number of practical ways to consider for finding the answer. 

Aquatic Veterinarians:  If you want professional medical advice and treatment, you need the help of a veterinarian practicing on fishes.  On the Internet go to www.aquavets.com to locate a nearby veterinarian or clinic practicing medicine on aquatic animals.  Veterinarians can be searched for by State and address.  This list is provided by the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Aquarium Store:  Many of the pet stores specializing in aquarium and ornamental pond products have experts or know of experts who can help you determine what is wrong with your fish.  Telephone ahead of time in order to talk to or make an appointment with the person who is knowledgeable in fish health and diseases.  Preferably arrange for the expert to see your fish and aquarium or pond conditions, or, bring your fish to the expert for examination.  Often the only way to make a reliable diagnosis is for someone to be able to see the fish that are sick and see first hand your conditions for keeping them. 

Also ask at the store (or look them up in the local telephone directory, such as under "Aquariums & Aquarium Supplies Leasing & Maintenance") for the contact information on  local aquarium or pond maintenance service workers who make house calls.  They are often experts in fish health and diseases.  Some pet/aquarium stores provide such a service themselves.  Many fish diseases are caused by improper aquarium or pond conditions, so you need to consider not only the fish but also their living conditions.    

Aquarium or Pond Society:  There are many societies across America and elsewhere with members knowledgeable about fish health and diseases.  Ask at your local pet stores for contacts to those near you.  Search the Internet for societies in your area.  For examples:
Marine Aquarium Societies of North America  www.masna.org
Federation of American Aquarium Societies www.faas.info
North American Water Garden Society www.nawgs.com
For a list of Koi, pond, and aquarium societies in the U.S. and elsewhere www.thepondprofessor.com

Helpful Information on the Internet.  Every month that goes by increases the amount of useful information on Internet web sites -- in fact so much so that it is hard to know where to start.  General searches, such as using the search words "aquarium (or pond) fish diseases" provides a multitude of choices to sites, many with excellent helpful advice. 

Books and Magazines:  Your local pet/aquarium stores and bookstores will have books and magazines with information on fish health and diseases.  Do not overlook seeing if you can find the right information in this way that will help you.
Useful well illustrated books to consider:
Aquariology Master Volume.  The Science of Fish Health Management, by Dr. John B. Gratzek, Tetra Press, Morris Plains, NJ
Aquariology Fish Diseases and Water Chemistry, by Dr. John B. Gratzek, et al., Tetra Press, Morris Plains, NJ
Handbook of Fish Diseases, by Dieter Untergasser, TFH Tropical Fish Hobbyist Publications, Neptune City, NJ
Fish Disease Diagnosis and Treatment, by Dr. Edward J. Noga, Mosby Publishers, St. Louis, MO
BSAVA Manual of Ornamental Fish, ed. by Dr. William H. Wildgoose, British Small Animal Veterinary Association, Gloucester, UK
Fish Medicine, by Dr. Michael K. Stoskopf, W.B. Saunders Company, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., Philadelphia, PA
 
What may be helpful to Do: Use General Purpose Fish Medications:  Often the disease organisms are out of sight on or internal in  the fish, or are difficult to diagnose.  What may be of help is to use a general herbal medication, such as Kordon's herbals Prevent-Ich [hyperlink]  or Ich-Attack [hyperlink], both of which are made of multiple herbals that treat a wide range of external infections on fishes, including protozoan, dinoflagellate, and fungus infections. 

Often when there are multiple infections, getting rid of one or more of the infections allows the immune system of the fish to overcome the other infections.  Using Kordon's herbals that are compatible to all fishes, that do not require water changes, and are nontoxic to aquatic invertebrates (such as snails, shrimp, coral animals, etc.), offers an easy way to bring fish back to good health. 

One Last Recommendation.  Do Not Put New Fish With Existing Fish Until You Have Quarantined The New Fish For One Month in a Separate Aquarium or Other Suitable Container.  It is too easy to introduce diseases, and great care needs to be taken that this is not done.  Observe new fish for one month in quarantine to be sure that they do not have infections, before putting them with other fish.  It is suggested that you use regular daily doses of either of the Kordon herbal treatments, Prevent Ich or Ich Attack, to suppress single-celled infections and fungus during the time that the fish are in quarantine.

If you have to put new aquarium fish with existing fish without quarantining the new fish, treat the aquarium for one month after the introduction.  Daily doses of one of the Kordon herbal treatments are recommended.  The situation is more difficult with pond fishes, since the amount of water involved and amount of treatment required is excessive.  It is not advisable to avoid quarantining new pond fishes, because their condition in whether they have an infection is not easy to see in pond conditions.  The fishes can be seriously diseased without it being noticed for days, weeks, or longer.