|
Information on Using Ornamental Fish Medications Safely |
|---|
|
|
Medications available to the fish hobby are becoming increasingly more difficult to source due to tightening regulations and demands. Also, some countries have made fish treatments prescription only, requiring a veterinary script. We are lucky in the United States to be able to still have access to these medications; however, must use them correctly to avoid a resistance buildup, which leads to the given medication becoming ineffective. This has already happened with some fairly common products due to misuse or abuse.
|
|
Resistance is created by under dosing through using too low a dose or by not using for an appropriate number of days. Once resistance is built the medication becomes ineffective in treatment. We need to use the products available wisely or may find that they are removed from the shelves and lose our ability to help our pets when their immune system needs additional support.
|
|
The FDA started cracking down on antibiotics. Many of the medications that used to be available for dogs, cats, farm animals, etc are now prescription only. This action was taken to better control how antibiotics are used as past abuse has lead to "super bugs" where simple bacteria are becoming immune to a medication that once upon a time would knock it right out.
In the Ornamental Aquarium hobby, we got very lucky. The new regulations states antibiotics for livestock and companion animals, which fish are neither. But, if those in this hobby continue we will soon find antibiotics will disappear. I for one do not want to see that happen!
The end of 2023, the FDA sent letters to large manufacturers and distributors. They were notified to stop making antibiotics available to the general public and given a timeline to allow the sale of currently available products, but to cease manufactur and distribution in 2024. This drastic action was deemed necessary due to the high volume of abuse, misuse and improper dosing, especially in products that were low dosed and not directed to proper dosing levels. The types of bacteria becoming antibiotic resistant is now affecting human health worldwide. By the end of 2024 I expect antibiotics to require a veterinary script for purchasing.
| |
Please stop using antibiotics as a preventative. I am aware of some popular quarantine methods that state to use just one dose of an antibiotic in the name of preventing disease in ornamental aquatic species. This is plain irresponsible! Antibiotics will not build to a theraputic level with a single dose; and all this will do is create more resistant diseases. This approach does nothing good and will lead to no medications being made available without contacting a veterinarian.
The goal of this website is to offer known and accepted dosing as well as provide warnings and feedback from customers who reported something unexpected. This information has been published on this website with a goal of becoming a trusted reference site. We are still working on this site and updating as time allows.
|
|
