Dropsy video

[kagome]

I found this really cool video made by a vet about dropsy. I thought ya'll would find it interesting.

[Carl]

Interesting video.
I liked his point about salt in relation to blood.
As well I like the point that a second go around with Dropsy almost never results in successful treatment, which is why preventative treatment is so important (as per a referenced article)
While he explained the different possible causes, I would have directly pointed out that Dropsy is a symptom, NOT a disease

I would disagree with Mycobacterium Tuberculosis as a cause, although I am sure it is possible, I've seen no cases where I could point to the classic symptoms of a Mycobacterium Tuberculosis infection. As well fish disease meeting I've had with other experts never noted this as a cause.
More commonly seen is Aeromonas.

References:
www.aquarium-pond-answers.com/2012/04/tb-in-fish-mycobacterium-tuberculosis.html
www.aquarium-pond-answers.com/2006/11/betta-with-dropsy.html

As for treatment, when there is a classic case of Kidney caused Dropsy, while Metronidazole is often part of my "cocktail"approach, I often include Kanamycin. OR I use Naladixic acid. In either case I also use a Medicated Wonder Shell to round of the cocktail treatment.
As for Clout, I think we are really talking about a different problem, not classic Dropsy, and besides, Clout can be very hard on fish. For fish suffering from classic Dropsy, I would question such a use.

Carl

[kagome]

I would agree that he does need to point out that dropsy is a symptom and not a disease. He did in a roundabout way, sort of, but I agree this should be made very clear that it's a symptom.

I think a really good point to take from this is that if it really is dropsy ALL the scales will be sticking out, not just the ones over the swelling.

This video actually made me feel better about something. When my beloved Green Sevrum, Pretty Girl, died, I thought that I had caused it by not taking care of her properly and causing her to come down with dropsy. But now I'm fairly sure that she was egg bound. She was due to lay another clutch when she suddenly started to swell up in her lower abdomen. Her belly would turn white right before she laid eggs so she was showing all the signs of being ready to lay. I kept checking the tank for eggs but none appeared. Then she just started to swell and her ovipositor was distended. Only the scales over the swelling stuck out so I don't think she was taking on a bunch of water. I did my best to save her but to no avail. It still really sucks that she died but at least I don't have to beat myself up about it.