Where do you go when your koi get sick?

[Regenmeneer]

In Holland and Belgium, when we have a health problem with a koi that we cannot handle ourselves, we have a few options.

1. We can visit a/our dealer and let them take a look at the koi, do a scrape, control water, etc.

2. We can contact a service from our koi club to take a look at the koi, do a scrape, control water, etc.

3. We can call a veterenarian specialized on koi. We call them koi doctors. They will visit your pond and examen the koi. They might take the koi with them for treatment or surgery.

The first question is, where do you go when you have a sick koi?

Second, can you get a veterenarian specialized in koi to look at a sick koi? And if so, will he visit your pond?

In most cases it's possible to get anti-biotics for koi at a dealer, although this is not legal. Only qualified veterenarians are allowed to do so, because of concerns of resistance to AB becuase of abuse.

Third question, is it legal for a koi dealer to have/use/sell AB?

Fourth, is it possible to get a scrape cultured to ascertain which AB to use?

Rgds

Regenmeneer

[dinh]

Good thread...

>>> The first question is, where do you go when you have a sick koi?

Take care of myself or getting help from koi buddies....

>>> Second, can you get a veterenarian specialized in koi to look at a sick koi? And if so, will he visit your pond?

Not so sure if there is any vet specialized in koi where we live (NorCal, USA)

>>> Third question, is it legal for a koi dealer to have/use/sell AB?

It is NOT legal for koi dealers to sell AB here.....

[aquitori]

Best thing to do is call a club...they have the means to best treat for whatever, besides KHV...

As for AB you are better off geetting that stuff from the club or vet.

[jnorth]

>>> The first question is, where do you go when you have a sick koi?

I try to take care of myself. If it is out of my league I call REC, Keokoi or Mystic Koi for help. I *generally* don't use koi forums to get help (although I do use them to look up dosages) but thats ONLY because I can pick up the phone and get advice immediately from my koi buddies. If I didn't have some really knowledgable friends I would probably post questions. I also have a few koi books with medical advice that I sometimes reference.

>>> Second, can you get a veterenarian specialized in koi to look at a sick koi? And if so, will he visit your pond?

Never tried.

[dick benbow]

here's a commentary on a portion of your question,,,,,
a few years back seattle had the opportunity to have a world class fish vet that traveled the world taking care of all kinds of fish . He had grown tired of the travel and attempted to build a living around "home". That went thru one summer, lots of business but no one wanted to pay him for his time and trouble. the do it yourselfer crowd had "roiled" the water LOL!

To have a trusted dealer is a good thing......chances are they have access to the knowledge and medicine the average koi keeper has to really work at to keep up.


many moons ago, I gave up on the effort and went way over board on prevention. It was a lot less stressful for me and my koi.....

[Nancy M.]

[quote=Regenmeneer]In Holland and Belgium, when we have a health problem with a koi that we cannot handle ourselves, we have a few options.

1. We take care of all Koi Health issues. Keep water quality, in top notch condition, decreases health issues, and stress on both koi and us.

2. We have a koi Vet Dr. Rob Hildreth, and yes he does do house calls.

3. No dealer can sell Antibiotics, only a licensed Vet.

4. Yes we can scrape and get a culture sent over to Dr. Hildreth, but that takes time, so most would start injections before they received culture results.

[mulberryjen]

[quote=dick benbow......many moons ago, I gave up on the effort and went way over board on prevention. It was a lot less stressful for me and my koi.....[/QUOTE]

Dick, you are right on the money. You truly don't appreciate the importance of water quality until you've had to desperately look for koi health advice after the fish are sick.

Found the best source of advice was more experienced hobbyists and koi health advisers - after wasting hours and hours staring at pictures in books and on the internet trying to figure things out on my own and making lots of mistakes, of course.

the actual useless 2 cents I originally had in mind for this discussion was that when your koi are sick, you call a "fishician"....... sorry

[Regenmeneer]

fishician

Jen, read it 5 minites ago and still cracks me up

First of all, let me state that I'm a big believer in water quality and low stocking levels.

Fortunately, I've only needed experienced help on a few occasions. Once when KHV hit my pond in 1999. Once I've had echo and x-rays done because a platinum all of a sudden had a bend body. And once because a Shusui of a friend that was staying in my pond ripped it's tail vertically and had to be operated on.

Most problems I encounter are due to mechanical injury, and will heal without intervention of any sort.

There are a few koi doctors around Holland and Belgium. One living close to me costs about €60 for a house (pond) visit, the one from Belgium costs €90. They also visit koi dealers on a regular basis, and are very busy, especially in spring when demand is high due to less well operating ponds or inexperience of newbe koi owners.

Just trying to get a feeling what the situation is like in other parts of the world, especially because I sometimes read that AB are being used, and wondering if it's being used as it should.

Regenmeneer

[Regenmeneer]

Nancy,

wouldn't you rather wait untill you got the result from the culture because you can then use a specific AB instead of a broad spectrum AB?

Regenmeneer

[dinh]

Quote: Originally Posted by Regenmeneer fishician Jen, read it 5 minites ago and still cracks me up .... There are a few koi doctors around Holland and Belgium. Regenmeneer

Fishician --- we need to submit it to Oxford Uni. for new word of 2006...

Just wondering how to earn a "Koi doctor" in other part of the world...
Does any University or College offering medical program/degree for "Koi Doctors"?

--Dinh