When is it acceptable to euthanize?

As most of you know I am having an awful time with my female bettas. Now on top of the weird worms on one of them and the fin rot I see that 2 of them defintely have small white spots on them which I believe are ich.

They act normal and eat but I can't seem to cure all of this crap and I'm spending A LOT of money on medications. I've probably spent at least 100 dollars this month alone on buying stuff for them trying to get them better.

I'm very tired and very sad. I'm not dealing with all of this very well.

It seems their bodies can't handle anything and they are just suceptible to everything.

When can I tell myself enough is enough and it would be better for them and me if I let them go to fishy heaven?

edit: I just wanted to add that I love these fish so much and the reason why I haven't euthanized them earlier is because I just couldn't. I'm crying just thinking about it but in honesty I think it may be for the best.

i just lost one of my females, jaws. i called her my trooper because in all she underwent 3 months of various anti-bacterial and anti-fungal treatments, with very little success in curing what i have now decided was some sort of internal infection, and the fungus on her was secondary to her compromised immune system.

i wondered in the last few days if i should euthanise, but she was so plucky and friendly and eating every little bit that i gave her, that i couldn't do it. even when dropsy finally set in the last day, she swam to the top to get fed, even though it was a struggle.

so i guess what i am saying is that it is a quality of life issue, if they aren't giving up, can you give up on them?

best of luck! i will read your other topic to see if i have any suggestions!

p.s. here is a photo of jaws RIP

I don't know if many of us want to answer that for you. You have to decide. Everyone who has had a pet die understands. And it's ok to have money issues involved in the decision. I love my companion "Whiskers," whom I have had for 11 years, but I don't know how far I would go in vet bills to try to save him.

On the other hand, these meds and additives are good to have on stock.

If you can't end it just yet, try whatever ich med you have on hand at a reduced dose just to slow the ich down,. Continue with the treatment you are on. Put some ich med in, check to see if the fish are in distress, add a little more, etc. If there is distress, add some water to the tank.

Are your fish suffering? No one knows the answer to your dilema. We want to help and give suggestions. But no one worth their salt is going to blame you for doing what you have to do. You are more important than the fish. We care for you, Elisabeth and think you are a fine young woman.

I know this isnt EXACTLY the same, but maybe you'd like my advice. I used to work with horses up til fairly recently at a riding stables. Now as fit and happy as we could keep those horses, nothing could protect them against a chronic outbreak of strangles (an equine respiritory virus). My two favourite horses both came down with it at the same time.

The first was Teddy, a part native sturdy fellow. We all thought he was going to pull through because right up til the end he was happy to see us and happy for us to be around him, but it soon became clear he was just not going to make it. We couldnt bare to have him put down because of his sweet nature, but he was so very very sick we had to.

The second was Charlie, a skinny hyper-active arab cross. He came dwn very quickly, and we didnt think the poor boy stood a chance, but after a few days he just brightened up quite miraculously.

I guess what im trying to say is don't let them hang on if they are just not going to get better. A peaceful death is always preferencial to a painful one. However, be very careful not to euthanise a fish who is going to make it - we so nearly had Charlie put down and im glad we didnt.

*hugs* i do hope they do pull through, im crossing my fingers extra hard for you.

It sounds like you've tried pretty well everything, and if you feel the fish are suffering and think it is time to euthanize, you will have to make that decision. Money is certainly a relevant issue, as is suffering, and likelihood of recovery. But you will need to decide these things yourself.

However, could I suggest that you use Clove Oil to do it? I've heard other suggestions throughout the forum about freezing and the like, and I've used clove oil before on my much beloved fish; it goes VERY fast. In fact, if you want an extremely rapid euthanasia, I would scoop each female into a cup half filled with their tank water, then take a good sized portion of the remaining water into a pitcher, add the clove oil (more means a faster euth. and less chance of reawakening), shake vigorously, then fill each cup the rest of the way. I did this with a goldfish who had a deformed jaw and could not eat, and was thus slowly starving. He was dead literally within three seconds of dosage. I waited until his eyes glazed, he grew pale, and his slimecoat shed loose to make sure he was more than likely dead, then froze him, and burried him the next morning. From my experience, it is the most humane and certain method, and the easiest on the owner; obivously destroying the brain is 100% effective 100% of the time, but it probably hurts if not gone quickly, and is tough on someone like you who clearly loves the fish.

Sorry it has come to this, and good luck making your decision.

If I am remembering right, the girls are in a species only tank. If you feel the meds aren't working, but that they are happy and active even in their condition I would not euthanize. If I was in your position I would probably finish out the round of meds I was using at the time and then just keep their water as clean as possible and try to make them comfortable. I will only euthanize a fish if I am sure they are suffering and they aren't going to make it.

I am so sorry you are going through this. I understand you not wanting to spend any more money on medications. I hope things work out for you.

It must be awful to even have to consider euthanizing. Noone knows unless they are there what kind of shape your girls are in, so that must be completely up to you. I could/would not euthanize until they were on their last hope, and didn't seem to be getting any better. I wouldn't be able to do it period, I would have to have my dad do it for me or something, as I can't even kill an insect. Whatever you decide to do, you know everyone will be behind you. As for the money on meds, I completely understand, but as another said, you have everything needed now, so the buying meds is over with. I would keep medicating. "You never know" when they may just start looking better one day. But truely the decision is yours.Goodluck with it.

my sisters betta once came down with popeye. -i know this is probably not what killed him- not only that but the fact taht she did't take very good care ofhim. so i started doing his water changes n stuff. he was basically on his death bed. laying at the bottom but breathing. i just felt so bad for him but couldn't bring myself to euthanize. the next morning he was swimming and he came up to greet me when i went to check on him.i was so shocked. he still had popeye but it wasn't as bad. i finished medicating him and he made a full recovery.

Am "VERY SORRY" to hear of your Fish being so Sick, and that you are having to Consider putting them to Sleep.
I know what your going through, While I believe this Should be a Last Resort, as others have Said the CHOICE is Yours and Yours ALONE.

I recently had to Put down my 2 Albino Oscars because they Both had HITH, and there wasn't Much I could do for them, The Meds I needed were $150.00 -$200.00 to Try to Cure them, HITH is almost imposiable to Cure, although it Has been Done. I didn't have that Kind of Money either to Try on a "MAYBE" Cure. And I'd had them for almost 6 years. And they had become almost like a Dog to me the way they had Interacted with me. "But enough of that Story...

Let me see if I may be able to Help you....

As long as they are Active, Still trying to eat, and Don't seem to be in Pain, I would Continue with the Meds you Have on Hand, as the others have told you.

Now the next thing is Open to Debate, I'll probably get a BUNCH of your Nuts on this, But I have had Very "GREAT" Success with it so I'll tell You...

I learned it when I was Young, I'm kinda from the "OLD SCHOOL" of Fish Keeping.
But No Matter What some of the Older ways Work, So why abandon them Completely, they do Come in handy at times.
Now this Treatment is Up to You, "BUT" it May be WORTH a SHOT...

Have you tried adding Salt to your Water, It works on All of your Problems, and Helps to Bolster your Meds.
Use Non Iodized Table Salt at the Rate of 1 Teaspoon per 5 Gallons of Water, as Said before along with Your other Meds as Well, Continue your 25-30% Water Changes every 2-3 days.
And See if this will Help YOU...

Just "REMEMBER" One Thing: When doing your Water Changes "MAKE SURE" to Only add back the Salt to your Water that You Have Taken Out and Replaced.
If you Change 20 Gallons of a 55 Gallon Tank, Put back 4 Teaspoons of Salt, Not 11 as you Did when you First Started.

"GOOD LUCK" With your Fish.
And "PLEASE" Keep Us "POSTED"...

Elizabeth,

This must be so hard for you! I had two girls whom I saved from certain death of fin rot and neglect. And then I left for vacation about 3 months later. They were perfectly healthy when I left. When I returned, the both of them had dropsy and were growing wierd lumps on their sides. Then they started losing scales and their fins started being eaten away. I tried so many meds for so long. And I am not one to give up quickly, but I can't stand to see something suffer. I watched them for a long time. When they lost their excitement to see me and excitement for food, I knew it was time. When their lust for life is gone and you know their bodies are already gone, and you've done all you can, it is time to let them go. I suggest clove oil. I had to use the 100% effective method mentioned above and I cried and had nightmares. I knew I couldn't let them suffer any more.

Point and case, if your girls still have that lust for life and for food, give them a chance to pull through, or at least to enjoy the last of their life. Finish with the medical treatment and just try to keep them as comfortable as possible. Good clean water with some salt. Believe me, you'll know when they stop being excited to see you or their food, it's time.

It is always so hard to lose something that we have loved and cared for. Whatever the decision is, make sure it is in their best interests and then you should not be sad for their death, but be happy they lived.

Our thoughts are with you.

Thank you all for your advice and for sharing your stories

It's a new day today and I am feeling better. Last night I was feeling so overwhelmed that I felt like giving up right then and there. I turned off their light at around 7pm because I didn't want to see them anymore. Sometimes you just have to take a step back and think about things. I know the time isn't right for me to euthanize them as they are active, eating like little piggies and are basically their normal selves just sick.

Your all right that if they arn't giving up then I shouldn't give up on them. Jollysue you were right when you said in my other thread just one day at a time or sometimes one moment at a time. Sometimes I just get so overwhelmed treating and thinking about them but if I just take it one day at a time or one moment at a time it'll be a lot easier than trying to think about what to do in the next few days or a week

I love them so much and that is why I haven't given up earlier or euthanized them weeks ago. I just keep trying my best.

The meds well I need to buy more ich medication as it says to treat for up to 15 days. I had the water filled to the top of the tank but next treatment I am going to lower it to about 40-50% so I don't have to use so much medication. Something that made me feel better though is I have some store credit at my lfs so I'll be able to get a bottle of the ich medication without paying.

I talked with my boyfriend last night about the costs of buying all these meds and asked what he thought and we both agreed that we owe it to the fish to do whatever we can.

As of now they are all still ok despite their illnesses so I'll just keep plugging along. I would feel so proud of myself if I could cure them and in a month or two they were all healthy!!

daddyfish I never used to keep salt in my fishes tank all the time except for my mollies and other livebearers but I have been using the dosage you said with my female bettas since they got sick. I think I'll continue with the salt ever after (fingers crossed) they get better. I've started to keep salt in some of my other tanks too but at a lower dose.

Again Thank you all for your advice and support I feel a lot stronger

Elisabeth, are you familiar with the 12 step so-called "Serenity Prayer"?

"Lord, give me the strength to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference."

There is a lot of power in grasping the essence of that prayer.

jollysue said:

Elisabeth, are you familiar with the 12 step so-called "Serenity Prayer"?

"Lord, give me the strength to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference."

There is a lot of power in grasping the essence of that prayer.

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Hi Sue Yes I know that prayer. When I first moved to Sweden and was having a tough time my Mom wrote me that little prayer in an email. It is powerful

I always try and tell myself (concerning fish) well I am doing what I can and if they die they die and that's just that. If I have that attitude about it I have an easier time getting through things. Sometimes it's hard to think like that though and you get worn down when things are going wrong and feel like a failure if they dont pull through But all you can do is your best and sometimes you just dont know the answer. Hopefully in 20 years time I will have all of the knowledge and wisdom about fish Although by then a million things will of changed and I will have to learn everything all over

Sometimes all that's needed is a good night's sleep. because it is too much to control, and we just can't see well enough anymore to let it go. You're doing fine; hang in there--or let go and--hmhm--let you know who.

Sounds like your mom has done her job!

I'm so sorry, first and foremost. It sucks to have sick fish. I have been battling for as long as I can remember sick fish. Hang in there. Just stop medicating if you have tried everything. sometimes, a break from meds helps strengthen them, and I've even had fish get better from clean water alone.