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KOI HEALTH
Emergency Medicine in Koi PathologyConventional supportive measures such as using salt solution (sodium chloride), antibiotic bath (kanamycinÒ , GallimycinÒ , Potassium Permanganate), and medicated feeds (RometÒ ) may not be effective in rescuing severely sick koi. This article focuses on the use of injectable antibiotic in treating serious topical lesions. Although koi keepers can associate water quality with koi pathology, topical lesions may arise unexpectedly from time to time. Ulcerous lesions on affected koi may be difficult to detect from an aerial perspective. This is true when a person is looking down at a fishpond. By the time the lesions become visible, the stage of tissue damage may be severely advanced. Irritants such as parasite and nitrogenous waste can initially weaken the protective barrier of the immuno-compromised koi. Pathogenic bacteria or virus then become invasive once they gain entry into the koi’s body. These harmful micro-organisms feed on nutrients present in the tissues of koi. They simply eat up the koi in order to sustain life. Manifestations of infections are often reflected by systemic and/or topical symptoms. Complications associated with bacterium or sepsis can be fatal over a short period of time. Therefore, when severely ill koi arrive at the Sick Koi Clinic. They need assessment and treatment promptly.Aeromonas infections are common in koi diseases. Therefore, the selection of medicine used to treat these fish must be based on the triad of principles efficacy, toxicity/safety, and cost feasibility.Aminoglycosides are often used due to their efficacy in treating pseudomonas infections. However, they can be deadly if used incorrectly. These drugs have a narrow therapeutic index, meaning that the difference between a therapeutic and a lethal dose is very small. The knowledge of these drugs becomes the determining factor in rescuing extremely sick koi. Dosing of intraperitoneal (IP) antibiotics should be based on an accurate weight of the affected koi. Amikacin should not be routinely used at the outset. Although gentamicin has been portrayed as a bad drug, it can be very effective against pseudomonas species if used correctly. The resistance profile for aminoglycosides is as follows: gentamicin < tobramycin < amikacin. This means that either tobramycin or amikacin will kill organisms that are resistant to gentamicin. Koi keepers need to pray or chant for a recovery if their fish are invaded by organisms that resistant to amikacin. It makes common sense not to use the most potent drug up front, unless mycobacterium is the causative agent of illness. A third generation cephalosporin (cefotaxime) is useful in treating sepsis as it has some anti-psuedomonal activity. Nonetheless, its activity needs to be supplemented by an aminoglycoside.Depending on culture and sensitivity testing, the following agents are viable options in treating common topical lesions:
Clinical response often appears 24 hours after the start of IP/IM antibiotic therapy and a complete response can be expected 7 to 10 days afterwards.Points to Remember:Wash Hands Before Handling Injectable drugsWear latex/rubber gloves if necessaryBring solution to room temperature prior to injectingUse minimal volume of injectionPlace koi in a plastic bagUse normal saline as a diluentUse of sedative is controversial
Medicine for Koi
Due to the influence of scientific advancement in medicine, some koi enthusiasts have been "conditioned" to use chemicals or pharmaceuticals as a primary mean to "treat" any conceivable ailment in koi. The need to use "something" for "everything" becomes a knee jerk process even when the cause of the problem is unclear. The morbidity and mortality associated with improper use of chemicals or pharmaceuticals will be briefly discussed in this article.Chemicals such as organophosphate, potassium permanganate, formaldehyde, and hydrochloric acid should be handled with extreme care, for they are generally toxic to the user, environment and koi. There is a very fine line between the therapeutic and toxic range associated with the usage. The best approach is to avoid using them if possible. Using these chemicals as a "shot-gun" therapy is dangerous to the koi as well as the users. Many users of these agents may not fully comprehend their mechanism of action and their potential adverse effects to the Eco-system. Some people say that I am too "wimpy" to be a koi-keeper when I discourage them from using these heavy arsenals. There are moments when these people inadvertently send all their favourite koi to heaven at their volition. Mistakes in calculating the dose, injecting the fish with "poison" , and using the wrong agents are common causes of death among koi.There is a veterinarian who is well known for his work in treating koi accidentally killed most of his collection from over-dosing them with potassium permanganate. He mentally calculated the dose needed to treat the koi. When he realized his mistake, most of his koi had died in agony. In a similar scenario, another koi expert injected his stock of koi with amikacin, azetreonam, and cefotaxime. Believing that using potent antibiotic agents would solve the problem, he extradited their journey to heaven.I truly believe that we should not resort to "heavy arsenals" whenever the koi show signs of distress or illness. Wild koi survive in their natural habitat for years without any major intervention by humans.The best medicine for koi is: keep it simple and focus on the water quality and filtration. Watch your koi on a regular basis and you will develop a sense to their behavioural patterns.
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