New Resources When Treating Fish Diseases

Resources when facing fish health diseases, symptoms of illness like white spot, and parasite treatments.

There is a lot of information on the internet but it can come from inexperienced sources, and in many cases now, may be a ‘bad-translation’ of stolen content. It’s a “thing” these days.
“Change enough words and it’s not plagiarism!” so they say. And when non-English speakers are ‘changing words’ I’ve seen some amazing errors.

The best fish health information can be found on DrJohnson.com because it’s coming from ONE person and not a panel of self proclaimed experts. (Forums)
Other sites in the same family include: Fishdoc.co.uk and Koivet.com

But, sometimes you don’t want a computer near the pond, and prefer details in a written paperback format so, perhaps your best bet is Dr Erik Johnson’s textbook “Koi Health & Disease” 2.
It’s written in a cookbook “How to” format that almost anyone could understand. It’s been well reviewed. In fact, the ONLY criticism of the book on Amazon.com is that the images inside the book are black-and-white greyscale. You don’t lose any information with that, but people expect full color these days.
Another resource is Fishtreatments.com (A sister site to drjohnson.com) Things are different on that site.
At that Fishtreatments web site, which calls itself a “What To Buy For That Bug” web site, you get the symptom, plus a brief description and then HOW TO TREAT IT.
You’ll see an emphasis on improving water quality but you’re not left wondering how to do that. Everything is spelled out from lighting to filtration, medications and resources on how to use them –
The site focuses on Amazon.com-availability because they have Prime shipping, which allows virtually overnight delivery of most things.
You’re just LUCKIER when your local pond supplies store has everything in stock.
Many times they do.

https://drjohnson.com/thebook/
https://fishtreatments.com
https://amzn.to/2wTqgGR  The Book via Prime

Goodbye Dear One: On Euthanizing a Pet

Goodbye Dear One

How old am I?

I just couldn’t say,

I lived in the moment,

For each day to day.

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All I’ve known

Is chase, and play

Guarding you, to

Do as you say.

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It’s been so great

to be in your Pack

Included in all things,

We each “got our backs”

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But then life got harder

I gladly endured,

For the love of my family

It kept my heart moored.

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Then like a pen,

I ran out of ink,

It got harder to move

Even harder to think.

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And when it got bad

My people took note;

“We should send him to Heaven”

Came the merciful vote.

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So, again I’ll stand tall,

with The Dog’s endless spirit

To serve as a new pup,

The one who endears it.

 

by Dr. Erik Johnson

New Article: How Your Dog SHOULD Eat

Excerpted from this candid and accurate article:

“When a dog is eventually at a healthy weight it will get PICKY about dry dog food. If we left it at that, our dogs would never get fat.

At that point it’s your call whether you mix something in the dry food to coaxe a lean dog to eat, or simply let her eat per her needs, and stay lean.

“She stopped liking her food. She just wouldn’t eat it.”

This is because they don’t NEED many calories when they’re mostly indoors, lean and healthy.”

Dr Johnson goes over how a dog should eat and describes the “figure” most dogs should have. This makes it easier for owners of “heavy” dogs to recognize the problem.

Here’s the “How Your Dog Should Eat” Article on DrJohnson.com

 

Pizza in a Bag – HOW NOT TO FEED YOUR DOG.

Pizza In a Bag (A Truthful Satire)

Finally! Your dog will never decline food. 

“Aren’t you tired of mixing melted butter and whip cream with the dogs food to get it to eat?” Well, those days are over!

This will get your dog eating like it’s hungry, even when it’s not. Not even a little bit.

Remember the days of sitting at the dining room table with your child, forcing the emptying of the plate three times a day or “you’ll sit here until you do”? And the kid just wasn’t hungry?

Threats were good. Feeding cookies and cake was good. But letting the kid just choose how much she ate? No possible way. 

Of course you don’t. Forcing a kid to clean their plate when they’re not hungry made fat kids. I’m living testament.

Instead:

Find a food that your dog self-regulates. IMPORTANT: Find a food your dog has the ability to walk past when it’s NOT HUNGRY.

Note (with happiness) that picky dogs are either:

“A good weight. Like BCS4“

-or-

Unwell. 

This would make a good bumper sticker:

A picky dog with three ribs showing, is sick. A picky dog with no ribs showing is just fine.

https://drjohnson.com/bcs

Positive Reinforcement is a Strong Idea with Weak Results

More than forty years ago people didn’t take any crap off their dogs. Dogs were NOT our equals and we didn’t join THEIR pack. They were admitted to OUR pack and were absolutely expected to be respectful to us, or they were “sent to the farm”

Excessive Barking, Bad Behavior, And How to Avoid Alpha Dominance or Actual Control of The Dog

[Disclaimer: This article will be shocking to most people because it expects them to be dominant over their dog.]

If you find yourself saying “Oh no, he would bite me if I tried trimming his nails” –

You are NOT alpha to your dog.

Don’t take crap off your dog. Find an Alpha trainer (usually ex-military or extremely experienced) and use one.

One night I got up at 3 in the morning and before I knew it, Isabelle was across the floor to have-a-gnaw on my feet and my foot went under her as I stepped forward and scooped her across the floor and into the bedroom door. Bonk.

I wasn’t running. But, let’s face it: I might-as-well have kicked her. At least in her mind, I kicked her.

She instantly became the most obedient dog we ever had, and never gnawed a foot again.

NO she was not traumatized, fearful, punishment-trained or any of the PTSD that the trainers promise your dog will have from what happened. ## Furthermore I’ll reiterate it was an accident ##. But the trainers will assure you that the “punished” dogs will have lower self esteem, appreciate fine music less, become sociopaths and Narcissists, try to run away, fail in dog classes, badmouth you in therapy, and end up less creative than “Good” owner’s dogs.

Bull shit.

The rednecks had it right. Rednecks don’t take shit off their dogs. And it works.

Read the whole article here:

Natural Biology of Altum Scalare

This matters because it kind of addresses some of the ways (and reasons) you can improve the condition and success with Altum scalare (Angel fish) 

In nature: Altum scalare would form schools of individuals, dozens of them, just hanging in a gentle Amazon-current among tall plants like Valisneria – and the water was warm with a pH about 6.9-7.0 and tannin rich. And always, floating down the river to where they would congregate, there would be tiny insects and larve, copepods, daphnia – in vast amounts because well, it was the Amazon and it wasn't polluted. So, it was warm and the feed was constant, and tiny. So they eventually evolved into “not powerful” swimmers, mastering instead “motionless” and calorie conservation, compressed low-drag bodies and tiny mouths for pinpoint accuracy taking native copepods and rotifers, like Daphnia. 
Feed was constant in their natural world: Because warm water hastens metabolism, so that meant they had to be on the lookout for every tiny morsel of food.
BASICS OF ANGELFISH JOY: 

 = Tannins

 = Moderate to low pH
 = High aeration without too much water current 
 = Temperature in the high-seventies, low eighties
 = Frequent or constant light feeding
 = Carnivore fare (tiny slow-sinking pellets / flakes) 
ERIK L. JOHNSON 

THC Delta 8 in dogs:

An update on THC Delta 8 Isomer in Dogs 

Despite the Internet’s insistence that Delta-8 Isomer THC in dogs is “toxic” –  it’s entirely the opposite. 

THC Delta 8 in dogs works VERY well with a long re-dosing interval. 

Once-a-day dosing is VERY reasonable. If you dose Delta-8 Isomer gummies in the morning , it will wear off completely at about 18-22 hours. 

Dosing THC Delta 8 in dogs more conservatively can ensure that effects don’t last more than 24 hours. And can sustain a suitable length-of-effect without dosing as high as the first dose. 

After the first few doses of THC Delta 8 in dogs, drooling is MINIMAL. 

There is definitely a “first 3-5 hours” of visible effect from the Delta 8 Gummies. Where the dog might sway while standing, or bump into your leg when turning around. After that time, however, you can still see a ‘calmness’ without any physical manifestation. Just a “slower wagging tail” and a more “considered” response to squirrels in the yard or the UPS man crossing the driveway. 


I doubt that a dog would need to be on Delta 8 THC Isomer gummies for life. My wager would be that a dog would realize that “so much angst” is unnecessary and unwarranted and “forget” to be so spazzy about things. That would be the hope, anyway. 


There’s a chart for dosing, and a VERY comprehensive discussion of the obvious and not-so-obvious side effects of THC Delta 8 isomer gummies in dogs. The assessments were done with healthy subject dogs, using 25mg Gummies by “Koi Inc.” Grape flavored without xylitol. 

THC Delta 8 in dogs:  https://drjohnson.com/thc 

Disclaimer: It’s crucial that these comments and notes aren’t broadened to include Delta 6,9,10 nor “full spectrum” THC or “plain weed” because it’s NOT. These notes and assessments are made on a specific strength, brand and dose of Delta 8 isomer THC given as an oral ‘gummy’. It has never been recommended for use over 1mg/kg and it’s unlikely it would ever need to be. 

 

BONE BROTH and BEEF BONES Notes that’ll surprise you I think.

Marrow Bones and Bone Broth 

A note for dog owners. 

I want NOT to bombard with information about dogs and cats but sometimes I see something “enough times” to think that “Hmmm I should say something about this because people won’t know.” 

It’s about bone broth. 

Bone broth is a soup or stock made with bones. Like, the marrow (which is a LOT of fat) is melted out of bones making a tasty marrow / bone broth. 

What’s good: 

It has lots of nutrients that are from the marrow. Even iron. 

What’s bad: 

It’s a LOT (I mean a LOT) of fat. So if you noticed that when you put it on your dog’s food they “Eat like never before” that’s why. And then you’ll notice their weight climbing up month after month. 

REMEMBER: 

Bone broth is basically “Liquid Pizza” for a dog’s waistline. 

It gets worse: 

Bone broth and any other source of fat over 15% in toto are actually LIKELY to cause gastrointestinal upset, diarrhea and eventually, chronic colitis. 

If you and your Vet are battling your dog’s chronic diarrhea (like every month or more) it could be a cumulative effect of too much fat in the diet. Overweight dogs have a very high likelihood of diarrhea and GI Upset. 

CONCLUSION: 

I said all that to say this:   I’d leave Bone Broth out of a dog’s diet. If they don’t wanna eat dry dog food dry, twice a day, then I’d suspect they’re at a really good weight and don’t NEED the calories. 

Adding Bone Broth makes them eat WITHOUT NEED and they get fat. 

Two random notes:   

BONES GET STUCK SURPRISINGLY: 

We cut a bone off a dog’s lower jaw again the other day. It was a “marrow bone” which is basically a ‘bracelet’ made of bone, and full of marrow / fat. The bone gets ‘emptied out’ pretty fast, giving the dog a sudden 750 calorie punch in the waist. Then they slide the bone down over their lower jaw and have to go get it cut off. 

BEST BONE FOR DOGS:

Secret sauce: Beef Shanks. All of the marrowy goodness MUCH more slowly, and no bones over the lower jaw. ALWAYS make sure it’s a BEEF shank because a PORK SHANK will splinter like a Pinata full of razorblades. 

A WORD OF CAUTION: 

In fact, I STRENUOUSLY recommend AGAINST any and all bones which are PORK origin. Only BEEF bones have any chance against the jaws of a dog over 40 pounds. For the rest, Pork Bones Splinter. 

 In the picture, Robin plays with a big BEEF Knuckle

THC in Grams: That’s How “They” Discuss Delta 8 THC in Dogs

It’s obvious to an outside observer that CBD manufacturers have everything to lose with THC becoming more and more accessible. 

CBD doesn’t work without micro-traces of THC. 
Which is fine if you use CBD with less than 0.3% THC and give enough to hit some THC-mark that works. 
But I believe that THC in one form, or another (Delta-8) is here to stay and should be embraced. 
The following article shows that THC isomer Delta-8 being discussed in GRAMS is an effective way to demonize it, versus acknowledging that in MILLIgrams (a thousand times less) –  It’s safe. 

Let’s look at Delta 8 use in dogs. Specifically: DELTA 8 isomer of THC, by mouth, in dogs.

There are NO articles on the Internet that SPECIFICALLY address the use of THC-Isomer Delta 8 in dogs, canines. There ARE however hundreds of articles that have been mashed up, and TITLED to contain information about THC isomer Delta 8 –  however ALL of those articles are variations of practically a SINGLE article that appeared on a University website, which was written by biased authors providing disinformation thusly:

  • That THC Delta 8 Isomer is toxic in dogs.
  • That the symptoms of administering ANY dose of THC Delta 8 isomer are identical to dangerous, documented overdosage with THC in-general.
  • Reference ONLY articles that highlight the symptoms, doses and management of animals receiving the LD50 of full-spectrum tetra-hydro-cannabinol.

In other words, the articles are a DISINFORMATION effort to demonize Delta-8 THC Isomer use in dogs simply by attributing research on THC overdose as symptoms of any THC Delta 8 isomer dosing. Practically all instances of this information end up by suggesting the purchase of a “safer” CBD Product from the website. Delta 8 THC is dangerous? Nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, the LD50 of THC Isomer Delta 8 in dogs is THIRTY TIMES the doses that you’d actually use for therapeutic effect in dogs.

Let’s look at Delta 8 use in dogs. Specifically: DELTA 8 isomer of THC, by mouth, in dogs. Not full THC. And not at overdose.

https://drjohnson.com/thc-delta-8-cannabinoid-isomer-use-in-canines-dogs-marijuana-subpart-dosing-risks/

Beta Blocker Atenolol to Modify Heart Rate and Blood Pressure in Cats: Feline Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Atenolol is a beta blocker commonly used by veterinarians to treat specific heart rhythm problems, hypertension, or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in cats. This class of drugs works to block the beta specific receptors which in turn can reduce symptoms such as artificially increased blood sugar, a too-fast heart rate, and increased blood pressure – similar to the effects of an ‘adrenalin rush’.

Interesting Summary Points:

  1. Using beta blockers in cats with HCM did not influence symptoms
  2. Using beta blockers in cats with HCM did not extend or shorten life
  3. Beta blockers did reduce blood pressure and reduce heart rate which are desirable in HCM cases
  4. Beta blockers are well tolerated by cats and their dosing is pretty consistent and well worked out.
  5. Metoprolol is, at this writing, discontinued.