William H Wildgoose MRCVS
Pet fish vet
Skin wounds
There are many causes of skin wounds in fish and bacterial ulceration is a common problem that often requires a vigorous approach to clean and dress the ulcers under an anaesthetic, then treatment continued with a course of antibiotics. Their skin can heal very well under good conditions and even severe injuries can recover if treated promptly. This is an unusual case where a dog bite saved the life of a koi that had jumped out of its pond
This koi jumped out of its pond, then picked up and taken to its owner by their pet dog 10 days earlier. There was a large wound below the left eye
Under an anaesthetic, the loose damaged skin was removed and the surface dressed with iodine before being given antibiotics
At 18 weeks, the submandibular wound had healed well and although the loss of some bone caused distortion of the jaw, the fish could still feed well
This koi jumped out of its pond, then picked up and taken to its owner by their pet dog 10 days earlier. There was a large wound below the left eye