Fish · Carassius auratus · typical adult weight 0.01–3.00 kg
Sodium chloride is dosed at 6 g/l bath immersion/bath — see duration in goldfishes, per Ramsey I, ed. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed. Part B: Exotic Pets. Gloucester: British Small Animal Veterinary Association; 2023. p.286. — LOCATOR CONVENTION 2026-08-07: the bare 'p.286' in this citation is the PDF index of the held scan, not the printed page. The PRINTED page is p.272; verified by finding the drug named there. If you are holding the book, turn to p.272. — SOURCE EDITION: BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, Part B — Exotic Pets — ISBN 9781910443712, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781910443712. Sodium chloride is used in goldfishes for External protozoans, Ectoparasite control, Osmoregulation. Routes documented in goldfishes: bath, immersion. A typical adult goldfish weighs 0.01–3.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 3 cited dose rules for Sodium chloride in goldfishes, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Aqupharm, Hypertonic saline, Sodium chloride, Vetivex
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bath | 6 g/l | immersion/bath — see duration | 6 g/l as a 24 h bath for 3-5 days. [BSAVA Small Animal Formulary 10th ed, Part B, p.286, printed verbatim] | External protozoans | Moderate | Ramsey I, ed. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed. Part B: Exotic Pets. Gloucester: British Small Animal Veterinary Association; 2023. p.286. — LOCATOR CONVENTION 2026-08-07: the bare 'p.286' in this citation is the PDF index of the held scan, not the printed page. The PRINTED page is p.272; verified by finding the drug named there. If you are holding the book, turn to p.272. — SOURCE EDITION: BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, Part B — Exotic Pets — ISBN 9781910443712, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781910443712 |
| bath | 30 g/l | weekly or as needed | — | Ectoparasite control | Moderate | Ramsey I, ed. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed. Part B: Exotic Pets. Gloucester: British Small Animal Veterinary Association; 2023. p.286. — LOCATOR CONVENTION 2026-08-07: the bare 'p.286' in this citation is the PDF index of the held scan, not the printed page. The PRINTED page is p.272; verified by finding the drug named there. If you are holding the book, turn to p.272. — SOURCE EDITION: BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, Part B — Exotic Pets — ISBN 9781910443712, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781910443712 |
| immersion | 1–5 g/l | immersion/bath — see duration | 1-5 g/l by prolonged immersion. [BSAVA Small Animal Formulary 10th ed, Part B, p.286, printed verbatim] | Osmoregulation | Moderate | Ramsey I, ed. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed. Part B: Exotic Pets. Gloucester: British Small Animal Veterinary Association; 2023. p.286. — LOCATOR CONVENTION 2026-08-07: the bare 'p.286' in this citation is the PDF index of the held scan, not the printed page. The PRINTED page is p.272; verified by finding the drug named there. If you are holding the book, turn to p.272. — SOURCE EDITION: BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, Part B — Exotic Pets — ISBN 9781910443712, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781910443712 |
Every held source for this drug and species, as printed. Where they differ, both are shown — the choice is yours, not ours.
| Dose (g/l) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | IMMERSION | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part B (Exotic Pets)p.286 | 6 g/l as a 24 h bath for 3-5 days. |
| 30 | IMMERSION | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part B (Exotic Pets)p.286 | 30 g/l as a bath for 5-10 min weekly or as needed. |
| 1–5 | IMMERSION | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part B (Exotic Pets)p.286 | 1-5 g/l by prolonged immersion. |
Figures are transcribed from the cited page or table of each held edition and are shown for reference only. They are not dose recommendations, they do not feed the calculator, and none has been reviewed by a veterinarian.
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CONTRAINDICATIONS (BSAVA Part B p.285, verbatim): Do not use if zeolite is used in the filtration system as this will cause the release of absorbed ammonia into the environment. ADVERSE REACTIONS (BSAVA Part B p.285, verbatim): Peripheral oedema is more likely to occur after crystalloids because muscle and subcutaneous capillaries are less permeable to protein. Normal saline contains higher amounts of chloride than plasma, which will increase the risk of acidosis. The degree of acidosis is not likely to be a problem in a healthy patient but acidosis may be exacerbated in a compromised patient. Hypertonic saline administered at fluid rates >1 ml/kg/min can cause a vagally mediated bradycardia, therefore the rate of fluid administration must be carefully controlled. The ophthalmic ointment may cause a stinging sensation. SAFETY AND HANDLING (BSAVA Part B p.285, verbatim): Hypertonic saline solutions should be regarded as drugs and not as intravenous fluids and should be stored separately to prevent confusion. ACTION (BSAVA Part B p.285, verbatim): Expands plasma volume and replaces lost extracellular fluid. In freshwater aquaria and ponds, nitrite toxicity resulting from poor water quality causes oxidation of haemoglobin to methaemoglobin. Chloride ions inhibit nitrite absorption through the gill epithelium and reduce the toxic effect in fish. It also reduces the osmotic pressure between the freshwater environment and the fish tissues. USE (BSAVA Part B p.285, verbatim): When used for fluid replacement NaCl (0.45% and 0.9%) will expand the plasma volume compartment. Compared with colloids, 2.5 to 3.0 times as much fluid must be given because the crystalloid is distributed to other sites. Normal saline is also the treatment of choice for patients with hypercalcaemia or hyperchloraemic alkalosis. Sodium chloride solutions are often used as a drug diluent. Hypertonic saline is used to expand the circulating blood volume rapidly in animals with shock, particularly during the preoperative period. The hypertonic ophthalmic ointment is used in the management of corneal oedema. Hypertonic saline solutions have very high sodium concentrations and it is important to monitor serum sodium concentrations before and after their administration; maintenance with an isotonic crystalloid is usually required after administration to correct electrolyte and fluid disturbances created by the administration of the hypertonic solution. Oral sodium supplementation is recommended by some authors in the long- term management of hypoadrenocorticism. Used for the treatment of external protozoans in amphibians and fish. Used as a short-term bath to control external bacterial an SOURCE: Ramsey I, ed. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed. Part B: Exotic Pets. Gloucester: British Small Animal Veterinary Association; 2023. p.285.
Species-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for goldfishes may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Sodium chloride dose ranges in goldfishes, with cited source references: bath 6 g/l immersion/bath — see duration; bath 30 g/l weekly or as needed; immersion 1–5 g/l immersion/bath — see duration. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Sodium chloride in goldfishes: bath, immersion.
Cited course lengths for Sodium chloride in goldfishes include: 6 g/l as a 24 h bath for 3-5 days. [BSAVA Small Animal Formulary 10th ed, Part B, p.286, printed verbatim]; 1-5 g/l by prolonged immersion. [BSAVA Small Animal Formulary 10th ed, Part B, p.286, printed verbatim]. Duration depends on the indication — match it to the specific dose rule in the table above.
Sodium chloride is indicated in goldfishes for: External protozoans, Ectoparasite control, Osmoregulation.
These are general warnings for Sodium chloride across species; consult the goldfish dosing table above for species-specific guidance. CONTRAINDICATIONS (BSAVA Part B p.285, verbatim): Do not use if zeolite is used in the filtration system as this will cause the release of absorbed ammonia into the environment. ADVERSE REACTIONS (BSAVA Part B p.285, verbatim): Peripheral oedema is more likely to occur after crystalloids because muscle and subcutaneous capillaries are less permeable to protein. Normal saline contains higher amounts of chloride than plasma, which will increase the risk of acidosis. The degree of acidosis is not likely to be a problem in a healthy patient but acidosis may be exacerbated in a compromised patient. Hypertonic saline administered at fluid rates >1 ml/kg/min can cause a vagally mediated bradycardia, therefore the rate of fluid administration must be carefully controlled. The ophthalmic ointment may cause a stinging sensation. SAFETY AND HANDLING (BSAVA Part B p.285, verbatim): Hypertonic saline solutions should be regarded as drugs and not as intravenous fluids and should be stored separately to prevent confusion. ACTION (BSAVA Part B p.285, verbatim): Expands plasma volume and replaces lost extracellular fluid. In freshwater aquaria and ponds, nitrite toxicity resulting from poor water quality causes oxidation of haemoglobin to methaemoglobin. Chloride ions inhibit nitrite absorption through the gill epithelium and reduce the toxic effect in fish. It also reduces the osmotic pressure between the freshwater environment and the fish tissues. USE (BSAVA Part B p.285, verbatim): When used for fluid replacement NaCl (0.45% and 0.9%) will expand the plasma volume compartment. Compared with colloids, 2.5 to 3.0 times as much fluid must be given because the crystalloid is distributed to other sites. Normal saline is also the treatment of choice for patients with hypercalcaemia or hyperchloraemic alkalosis. Sodium chloride solutions are often used as a drug diluent. Hypertonic saline is used to expand the circulating blood volume rapidly in animals with shock, particularly during the preoperative period. The hypertonic ophthalmic ointment is used in the management of corneal oedema. Hypertonic saline solutions have very high sodium concentrations and it is important to monitor serum sodium concentrations before and after their administration; maintenance with an isotonic crystalloid is usually required after administration to correct electrolyte and fluid disturbances created by the administration of the hypertonic solution. Oral sodium supplementation is recommended by some authors in the long- term management of hypoadrenocorticism. Used for the treatment of external protozoans in amphibians and fish. Used as a short-term bath to control external bacterial an SOURCE: Ramsey I, ed. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed. Part B: Exotic Pets. Gloucester: British Small Animal Veterinary Association; 2023. p.285.
Why a species-specific page? Sodium chloride pharmacokinetics differ across species: dose ranges, intervals, and route preferences are not interchangeable. Cross-extrapolation from canine doses is unsafe in goldfishes — the rules above are the citations specific to this species, not generic recommendations.
Sourced from published veterinary references; awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer. See our editorial process. Reference only — not veterinary advice.