Getting a fish pedicure is not all that it cracks up to be. Fish pedicures especially have been banned in many parts of the U.S., Canada, and Europe due to the many health risks and cruelty of animals that come along with its service.

Garra Rufa fish, the fish most commonly used for fish pedicures come from Turkey and other surrounding countries nearby. Due to the amount of fish that were being captured and sought out for in order to use for this specific reason caused the government in Turkey to put legal protections out for the Garra Rufa.

There was too many being overfished and they are extremely easy to purchase. Almost anyone who has access to a credit or debit card can buy these fish. Once bought they are shipped in plastics bags filled with water, during the shipment some of the Garra Rufa fish do not even make it to their new homes.

For those that do make it, their new homes are not those to look forward too. The level of cruelty that they put these fish through is terrible. The owners that want to use these sought out rare fish starve them so bad that when individuals, who are wanting the fish pedicure, put their feet into the water filled with the Garra Rufa, the dead skin on your feet is the only food that they receive. If these Garra Rufa were not to eat this dead skin they would die.

There are numerous health risks that come with these fish pedicures. For instance, the tubs that clients put their feet into are not always cleaned properly and the fish have waste that will collect in these tubs along with bacteria and other germs from the client's feet. Many people that seek out these rare fish pedicures are individuals that suffer from athlete's foot or funguses that occur on the foot. And due to the fact that these Garra Rufa fish are starved before the pedicure, these fish will begin to eat even the healthy skin on the client's feet which can cause problems. Having these bacteria filled tubs can cause infections and other risks for the clients if they have open wounds on their feet during the experience.

All of these health risks and cruelty that these fish are put through and have to endure are what leads the U.S. and several other countries to take a stand and ban this practice.