Match the active ingredient to what you are actually treating. Respiratory signs and CRD usually point to tylosin or doxycycline; E. coli and paratyphoid to amoxicillin or enrofloxacin; canker and other protozoa to ronidazole or metronidazole; coccidiosis to amprolium or toltrazuril. Every listing states the active and the strength. If you are not sure what you are treating, ask an avian vet before dosing — the wrong antibiotic wastes time the bird may not have.

Aquarium ranges are sold under trade names that hide the drug. Fish Mox is amoxicillin, Fish Doxy is doxycycline, Fish Flex is cephalexin, Fish Zole is metronidazole, and Fish Sulfa is sulfamethoxazole with trimethoprim. We list the active on every product page so you are never guessing.

The figure is the amount of active per capsule or tablet, so a 500 mg capsule holds twice the drug of a 250 mg one. Which you need depends on the volume of water being treated and the size of the animal. Dosing on our pages is given per litre of drinking water or per gallon of tank, so work from the volume rather than from the capsule count.

Rules differ by country and by state, and they change. These products are sold for ornamental aquarium fish and non-food pet birds, and it is your responsibility to check what applies where you live. We do not give veterinary advice and cannot tell you whether a given product is lawful for your intended use. When in doubt, speak to a vet first.

Work from the volume of the drinker, not the number of birds. Make up fresh medicated water daily — most actives degrade within 24 hours and warm weather speeds that up. Remove other water sources for the course, or birds will drink from them and under-dose themselves. Rates are on each product page.

Dose by water volume, and calculate the real volume rather than the tank's rated size — substrate, rock and equipment can take out 10 to 15 per cent. Remove activated carbon and any chemical filtration for the course, as both strip the active straight out of the water.

Follow the course length on the label and finish it, even if the animal looks better on day two. Stopping early is the main way resistance builds, and the survivors of a half-course are the ones that recolonise. If there is no improvement in the stated window, stop and reconsider the diagnosis rather than extending the course.

Not unless a vet has told you to. Some combinations are antagonistic, some stack toxicity, and combining two on your own makes it impossible to tell which one worked or which caused a problem. Treat the most likely cause first and give it the full course.

No, and we cannot advise it. These products are labelled and sold for ornamental aquarium fish and non-food pet birds. Dose rates, excipients and safety margins are different in mammals, and some actives that are routine in birds are dangerous in cats. If a dog or cat needs treatment, see a vet who can prescribe for that animal.

It can. Antibacterials do not distinguish between the pathogen and the nitrifying bacteria running your nitrogen cycle, and broad-spectrum actives such as amoxicillin or ciprofloxacin hit harder than narrower ones. Treat in a hospital tank where you can, test ammonia and nitrite daily through the course, and have water ready for extra changes.

Yes — rebuild the gut. A course clears useful flora along with the target, which is why birds often scour or go off condition afterwards. A probiotic or digestive support product for a week or so after the course is the step most keepers skip, and it does more for recovery than extending the antibiotic.

Assume yes unless the label says otherwise. Many actives pass into eggs, and withdrawal periods vary by drug and by jurisdiction — they are not something to estimate. Check the label for the product you are using, and if it is silent, do not eat the eggs during treatment or for the period a vet advises afterwards.

Cool, dry, dark, and in the original packaging — the lot number and expiry are printed there. Heat and humidity are what degrade most powders and tablets, so a kitchen windowsill or a damp shed is the worst place for them. Do not decant into unlabelled containers; an unidentified powder is a useless powder.

Antibiotics are final sale. Health and safety rules mean we cannot accept returns, exchanges or refunds on antibiotic products once they have left us. Other items can be returned within 30 days unused and in original packaging — see the refund policy for the full detail and how to get a return authorisation.

Almost certainly yes. Manufacturers change bottle shapes, label artwork and cap colours regularly, and our photographs cannot keep pace. What matters is the active ingredient and the strength printed on the label. A cosmetic difference is not a defect. If the active or strength is wrong, contact us and we will put it right.

Email sales@wepetverse.com or call +1 (706) 680-9963. For an order question, quote your order number. For a product question, tell us the species, the rough weight or flock size, and what you are treating — we can point you to the right active and pack size, though we cannot diagnose an animal we have not seen.