[SOLVED ] Q. Fish sinks to bottom of aquarium,looks like its dead but when I try to fish it out, it come live again.it come up to eat once in awhile then...

it sinks.

Experienced and professional animal trainer provide their insights in answering this question :

A. It indicates serious disease and problems with swim bladder. It can be connected with parasite, bacteria and others. See a vet if you have other fishes in the aquarium because it can be contagious

How to Identify Common Pet Problems ?

Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced pet care professionals :

If you`ve noticed your fish struggling to stay afloat, sinking or even swimming upside down, it`s likely that your fish is suffering from swim bladder disorder.

After the fish dies there is no more DO being ingested and the air in the bladder starts to dissipate, causing the fish to sink to the bottom. After a few days, the internal organs of the dead fish decompose and a gas is formed. This gas causes the fish to once again float.

Most fish are slightly denser than water, so sink immediately after death. However, like a drowned human, they become more buoyant over time as bacterial decomposition produces gases inside the body.

If your fish is floating at the very top of the tank, he might be dead or he might be sick. If he is lying at the bottom of the tank in the substrate, he may also be dead. Observe your fish for any signs of life, including the movement of his gills as he breathes.

Oxygen remains in the bladder after a fish dies. Additional gases are released during decomposition. “The fish is like a closed container,” says Boriek. “As the fish decomposes, gases fill the body cavity.” The belly becomes a guts-filled balloon and the fish floats to the surface.

A dying fish might have some obvious external symptoms like cut-up fins, abrasions, inflamed gills, or other signs of parasites. Some behavioral changes might include erratic swimming around the tank, laying sideways on the substrate, gasping for air at the water`s surface, or scratching against hard surfaces.

Because the fish live in the water and the changes happen gradually, they adjust to it. When a sudden, large water change occurs, it causes such a drastic shift in the water parameters that the fish often cannot tolerate it and they die.

If you notice dead fish and wildlife, DO NOT TOUCH OR HANDLE THEM; simply let us know by providing the following information. Please report sick or dead bats using the White-nose Syndrome Reporting Form.

Very fresh fish still have their neurons fully intact, even though they`re dead. As soon as you add a bit of salt to the exposed muscles, the neurons are triggered and the muscles contract. So very dead fish will continue to move about until they use up all their energy stores.

Positive buoyancy disorder, where the fish floats at the surface or on its side, is the most commonly presented form of swim bladder disease, especially in goldfish. Most likely, the cause is overinflation of the swim bladder. Overinflation usually takes place in the posterior chamber.

Epsom salts reduce swelling and act as a laxative for fish. It`s very helpful for fish with swim bladder or bloating issues.

Fish, like humans, can get “bent” when exposed to rapid changes in pressure during capture. The bends, or decompression sickness, is a syndrome associated with a rapid and extensive reduction in environmental barometric pressure (Philp 1974).

Because the spine and muscles on the dorsal side (top) of the fish are more dense, the belly rises up. Depending on how deep a fish was when it died, it might not rise to the surface, at least not until decomposition really sets in. Some fish never gain sufficient buoyancy to float and decay under the water.

Most dying fish can be easily revived with changes to the water. Maintaining water quality is essential to keeping your fish happy and healthy—and alive. You can buy a fish tank water testing kit at most pet stores. These tests can help you identify any problems with the water, such as high ammonia.

Listlessness: If your fish seem tired and lethargic, it can be as a result of many factors. One common cause is improper water temperature. If your fish`s water is too hot or too cold, they will be very inactive. Check your heater and verify that your aquarium is at the right level.

Yes, fish feel pain

The American Veterinary Medical Association states in their guidelines for euthanizing animals that fish “should be accorded the same considerations as terrestrial vertebrates in regard to relief from pain.”

While fish do not sleep in the same way that land mammals sleep, most fish do rest. Research shows that fish may reduce their activity and metabolism while remaining alert to danger. Some fish float in place, some wedge themselves into a secure spot in the mud or coral, and some even locate a suitable nest.

A partial water change should be completed when you find that a fish has died. It is recommended to do a 10% water change at a time to reduce stress on the remaining fish in your tank. If the ammonia levels remain high after doing a 10% change, or if you have a larger tank, you can complete a 20% partial water change.

Leaving it for a full seven days is best, as if others die within that time you`ll know there`s an underlying problem. Don`t be tempted to restock and add lots of others, as this in itself can cause a water quality issue. Add a few fish each week and observe behaviour.

Place your fish in plastic bags.

Fill the bag a third of the way full with water from the aquarium. Then, place one fish into each plastic bag. Don`t put multiple fish in the same bag. Place a second bag over the first bag so that it is extra protected.

Fish can live out of water for between ten minutes and two months, depending on the species. Typically, amphibious and brackish water fish can survive far longer out of the water than freshwater fish species. Neon tetras and guppies can`t survive for more than ten minutes when out of their tanks.

Suffocation. Like all animals, fish need oxygen to survive. But instead of breathing air, fish species absorb oxygen from the water through their gills. If the flow of water from their mouths to their gills is blocked, your fish won`t be able to keep breathing and may suffocate.

Fish have gills that allow them to “breathe” oxygen dissolved in the water. Water enters the mouth, passes over the gills, and exits the body through a special opening. This keeps an adequate amount of water in their bodies and they don`t feel thirsty.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

Q. We have a 4 yr old lab-pit mix we raise from 6 weeks.If my husband tries to take hin by the collar and make him go out to pottie he growls.Problem?

ANSWER : A. This is not good behavior. Rather than take him by the collar, call him to come with you. If he’s not good about coming when called, you can work on that. Keeps treats on hand to to entice him out and reward him when he does go potty and he’ll come to look forward to it. Clicker training is another great way to teach a dog all kinds of things, from obedience to tricks.

Have treats on hand that you know he loves, then simply click and treat. He will come to associate the sound with getting a treat. Start putting distance between you so he has to come to you. Call and click and when he comes to you for that treat, treat him and give him lots of praise. Move to hiding somewhere in the house, call and click. When he comes to you reliably inside when you call, click and treat. When this behavior is consistent, move outdoors with a very long leash. Call and click, if he doesn’t respond, give a light tug on the leash. If he takes even a single step toward you, click, treat and lots of praise. Keep doing this until he comes eagerly. Next, try him off-leash in a securely fenced area. Call and click. At this point he should be responding well and coming easily to the call and click. If he does not, go back to the last step he performed reliably and work on that again until he responds well. Eventually, you can start not treating him every time, but still praise him. Gradually lessen the frequency of the treats until he comes just to the click and praise.

Keep training sessions short, ten or fifteen minutes to start, no more than 30 minutes at a time and do it a few times a day. Try not to do it any time he is overly excited so that he can pay attention to you. Always end a training session on a good note, even if it is just getting him to do something he already does well on command. And never, NEVER punish a dog when they come to you, no matter how far they’ve made you chase them, no matter how frustrated and angry you might be. That teaches your dog that coming to you is a bad thing.

Read Full Q/A … : Causes of Limping in Dogs

Q. My 3 month puppy eats his own poop and is also biting what can I do to prevent this

ANSWER : A. When it comes to poop eating, you want to consider a few things. First off, what is his diet like? Maybe something is lacking in his diet that is causing him to want to eat his own poop. This is the most common reason why dogs eat THEIR OWN poop. Try a higher quality kibble like Taste of the Wild, Ziwipeak, Orijen.. and try feeding three meals per day, instead of the more common two meals per day. Remember to gradually switch his kibble. Add a little bit of the new kibble and reduce the old kibble very slowly.. little by little every couple of days until the bowl is mostly new kibble! You should also be cleaning up his poops IMMEDIATELY after he does them.. I mean like, you have a bag in your hand, and you are low enough to scoop it up RIGHT when he finished so he doesn’t have a chance to eat his poop.

When it comes to nipping there are a few things you can do. First, you should yelp as soon as the teeth touch your skin, stand up, cross your arms, and ignore the puppy until he is ignoring you. Once he is off doing his own thing, swoop down and calmly reward him by playing with him WITH A TOY so he doesn’t nip your hands. Whenever you pet him, or interact with him, you should always have a toy on-hand so you can give it to him. This toy should be a soft braided rope toy that YOU own. This means, your puppy is never allowed to have this toy on the floor, and your pup can never “win” tug games with this toy. This is YOUR toy that disappears when you’re finished playing, and reappears when you want to play. If you keep this up, in a weeks time, your puppy will be so excited to see that toy, that as soon as you bring it out, he stops nipping you because he wants to play with the toy. Another thing you can do is have two bags of toys. Bag#1 is full of chew toys/soft toys/squeaky toys/etc. After one week, Bag#1 disappears and out comes Bag#2. Bag#2 has the same types of toys as Bag#1, and it only stays out for one week. This keeps the toys feeling like new to your pup!

Read Full Q/A … : Why Dogs Eat Poop – The 5 Primary Causes – Dog Poop Diet

Q. My puppy will be 8 weeks old tomorrow. I’ve had her for a week now, and she still isn’t responding to any training or her name. What can I do?

ANSWER : A. Try clicker training her to come when called. Clicker training is an effective way of training you dog to not only come when called, but can be used to teach a variety of tricks and tasks.

Have treats on hand that you know she loves, then simply click and treat. She will come to associate the sound with getting a treat. Start putting distance between you so she has to come to you. Call and click and when she comes to you for that treat, treat him and give her lots of praise. Move to hiding somewhere in the house, call and click. When she comes to you reliably inside when you call, click and treat. When this behavior is consistent, move outdoors with a very long leash. Call and click, if she doesn’t respond, give a light tug on the leash. If she takes even a single step toward you, click, treat and lots of praise. Keep doing this until she comes eagerly. Next, try her off-leash in a securely fenced area. Call and click. At this point she should be responding well and coming easily to the call and click. If she does not, go back to the last step she performed reliably and work on that again until she responds well. Eventually, you can start not treating her every time, but still praise her. Gradually lessen the frequency of the treats until she comes just to the click and praise.

Keep training sessions short, ten or fifteen minutes to start, no more than 30 minutes at a time and do it a few times a day. Try not to do it any time she is overly excited so that she can pay attention to you. Always end a training session on a good note, even if it is just getting him to do something she already does well on command. And never, NEVER punish a dog when they come to you, no matter how far they’ve made you chase them, no matter how frustrated and angry you might be. That teaches your dog that coming to you is a bad thing.

Read Full Q/A … : How To Teach Your Puppy His Name – Puppy In Training

Q. Fish sinks to bottom of aquarium,looks like its dead but when I try to fish it out, it come live again.it come up to eat once in awhile then it sinks.

ANSWER : A. It indicates serious disease and problems with swim bladder. It can be connected with parasite, bacteria and others. See a vet if you have other fishes in the aquarium because it can be contagious

Read Full Q/A … : 3 Ways to Tell if Your Fish Is Dead – wikiHow

Q. My 20 month Cavalier doesn’t eat unless I let him eat from my finger, then he eats. Sometimes he will only eat once a day and leave his food.

ANSWER : A. It is possible that your dog is just not satisfied with his current food, or may be a picky eater. There are several things you can try to encourage your dog to eat.

The first step is to remove any additional treats or people food that may be more enticing to your dog than his own meal. If you feel you must give him some form of treat, be sure to place them directly in his food bowl and mixed with his regular diet. This allows him to get some snacks while also “forcing” him to try out his current meal to get the reward.

Enticing your dog to try his food by adding a pet-safe gravy or even a few treats of plain boiled chicken mixed in can help. Be sure to mix the foods thoroughly so he must explore his own food before getting the treat.

Some small breed dogs may also have a hard time with certain bowls and their collars. If there is a metal name tag on the collar and a metal bowl, the clinking sound can sometimes scare off dogs and make them not want to eat from their bowl. Using a bowl of a different material, or removing the collar prior to a meal may help with this issue.

Your dog may also just not be into his current food and may like another variety better. You can try a new variety by gradually switching over a period of 7-9 days, slowly adding in more new food and removing old until it is switched. This change may encourage him to try out meals again, and the slow changeover will allow his body to adjust to the new diet without digestive upset.

Read Full Q/A … : HELP PLEASE! My 20 Month Old Son Wont Eat – Mamapedia

Q. Why does my dog eat grass?

ANSWER : A. As another user mentioned, dogs can eat grass when they want to vomit. Sometimes, when a dog has an upset tummy, they will eat grass. If you notice your dog eating grass frantically, you can assume vomiting will shortly follow. Grass does not digest and pass normally. If your dog eats too much grass, it can cause serious issues with pooping. Your dogs poop can end up all tangled inside of her, and it can need veterinary assistance to remove it. The same goes for celery, so avoid feeding celery to your dog.

The other day my boyfriend accidentally left the laundry room door open where we were keeping the trash that was filled with cooked chicken bones. She ate one of the chicken bones lightning fast. We had to induce vomiting by feeding her some hydrogen peroxide. After we had fed her the peroxide, she immediately began frantically eating grass because her tummy was upset.

If there is something lacking in your dogs diet, it could be that your dog is eating grass to make up for it. I am sure that my dogs diet is extremely well balanced (I do not only feed her an air-dried raw food-type diet (Ziwipeak), but a wide variety of safe, healthy foods), so when she eats grass, I know that it is because she has an upset tummy.

That is why I think it is important making sure your dog has a very well balanced diet. If your dog is on a low quality kibble, your dog may be trying to let you know by eating grass (or eating poop).

Read Full Q/A … : Why Dogs Eat Grass: Causes and Prevention – WebMD

Q. My cats nose is stopped up on antibiotics. She has a loss of appetite, acting normal though. Is 3 ounces of can food enough in 24h? 9 pound cat

ANSWER : A. Cats with stopped up noses tend to eat much less, as you’ve noted, because they can’t smell their food as well. And the smell of food is pretty important to a cat’s appetite. You can start by warming up the food in a microwave – not too hot, test it yourself by putting your finger right in the center, as the temperature of microwave food can vary – as this will intensify the smell and hopefully make your cat more interested.

Saline nose drops, like those that are used on little kids, are safe to use on a cat to clean the discharge that is dried around and in the nose. There’s a brand called Little Noses that’s available in the U.S. That I like. You can put it on a q-tip and try to remove the debris. Humidifying the air with a humidifier can help as well, or you can put the cat in the bathroom and run the shower enough to generate steam. Don’t use “real” nose drops like Neo-synephrine or anything else like that – cats quickly build up resistance to them.

A 3 oz can of food is an OK amount in 24 hours, but do try the techniques above to help your cat get more interested in food. You might also try some baby food – no garlic or onions in the ingredients – as cats usually really like the taste of it.

Read Full Q/A … : Make a Refundable deposite :: Express HelpLine

Q. My dog doesn’t eat, what should I do?

ANSWER : A. If this is a puppy, see a veterinarian immediately. Puppies should want to eat. Common causes for anorexia in puppies include viruses (parvo is a big one), parasitism, and foreign bodies. They need immediate care – go to an emergency vet if yours isn’t open. Puppies can get low blood sugar and dehydration very quickly.

If this is an adult dog and you observe other concerning signs, such as diarrhea or decreased energy, you should see a veterinarian.

If the dog seems otherwise bright and stable, try offering different types of food: wet food, canned tripe, or cooked chicken and rice. Some dogs will go for canned baby food: chicken, turkey, or beef as the main ingredient. Make sure there are no garlic or onions in the ingredients!

Causes of anorexia in adult dogs can range from less serious to severe. Younger dogs are more likely to get into trouble- they tend to eat things they shouldn’t, and can get foreign bodies from eating things like socks, or stomach upset from getting in the trash. Any dog may stop eating due to stress, or just being a picky eater. Middle aged dogs can stop eating when they’re stressed and also have Addison’s disease, which can be fatal. Older dogs tend to stop eating when they develop cancer or renal disease.

There is no one-size-fits-all recipe to know when the right time is to take your dog to the vet. The moral of this story is, if it’s not getting better, your pup feels bad, or you’re worried – go see the vet!

Read Full Q/A … : My Dog Won’t Eat