Euthinasia

[Angelika]

Well, last night my boyfriend and I decided to go to the pet store in town to see if they had any methelane blue (sp?) and the first place had nothing, but then we found another pet store!!!!! so we decided to give it a try, i have to say, their tanks were spotless, not one sick looking fish!! even their betta cups were so perfectly clean, i commented on them and the lady said they change their water about 2 or 3 times a day.
annnnd, they have something called "fringe tail" betta, which i think looks like crown tails, are they the same thing?

well, i fell in love with a white/purple marble fringe tail, and i think my boyfriend will be buying him today for me for my birthday, keep my fingers crossed, if not, i will go get him myself!!

But we asked the girl if she knew anything about fish, she knew lots, and she told us that if it is an external problem, you can treat it, but if it is internal it is very difficult to even know what it is, you can treat the water for the external things, like fin rot etc, but a fish is designed not to let water in, thus the internal things wrong with a fish can't get medicated if you treat the water, only if you have medicated food. I think my poor sick fishy might not get better. he is even worse than before.

My boyfriend asked the girl about euthenasia, it's so hard to watch him slowly starve himself to death, and she said the most humane and nonpainful way of euthenasia is alka seltzer. apparently you put a tablet in the bowl and it fizzes. the fish, she said, would be euthenized in 20 or 30 seconds with no pain. but i still don't know if i can do that.

has anyone ever had to do this to their fish before? if so, how did you?

 

[JoLtNbolt]

what is wrong with your fish? Most likely fringetail is same as crowntail.

 

[black angel]

I think using an alka seltzer would take the oxygen out the water so suffocating the fish, might be wrong of course but it doesnt sound that good.
Clove oil works best and you add around 12 to 15 drops in some tank water and mix by shaking, then you put the fish in and it will die from the overdose.

Before you do anything though tell us how long you have had him and what set up he is in. Has he never fed at all and what temperature is his water at?

 

[thelastbetta]

I think using an alka seltzer would take the oxygen out the water so suffocating the fish, might be wrong of course but it doesnt sound that good.
Clove oil works best and you add around 12 to 15 drops in some tank water and mix by shaking, then you put the fish in and it will die from the overdose.

Before you do anything though tell us how long you have had him and what set up he is in. Has he never fed at all and what temperature is his water at?

I heard that was really painful on the fish. The last way I did it was put the fish in a small roll of toliet paper real quick and use a hammer.. and yeah, best not to look afterwards but it's quick, painless and does the job.

 

[Angelika]

here is the link to the thread i opened about him http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...110159&hl=wrong

he has since gotten very very worse. Where do you buy clove oil? i feel so bad about thinking he needs to be euthinized, but i think he is very suffering right now. he is currently in a little glass dish about 3 inches or so deep so i could easier get food to him and that he could go up for air (both of which he will not do)

to keep it warm i have a heating pad around it, making the water 74 degrees. I'm really worried abou thim. I bought him from the pet store about a month ago. he seemed fine at first, he was skinny when i got him and his fins were not so good, but i wanted to give him a chance, and he has just deteriorated. now he takes laboured breaths.

Any help is very appreciated

 

[red-devil0602]

with thanks to British Veterinary Zoological Society




Guidelines for Acceptable Methods of Euthanasia for Zoo, Exotic Pet and Wildlife species

___________________________________________________________

British Veterinary Zoological Society [BVZS], 7 Mansfield Street, London W1M 0AT, UK. http/www.bvzs.org



No. 2: Ornamental Fish

Introduction:
There are many situations where euthanasia (humane destruction; 'putting to sleep') of an animal is necessary. It is essential to the animal's welfare, and a legal requirement, that the method chosen does not cause unnecessary suffering. This document gives Veterinary surgeons and others suggestions on current acceptable methods of euthanasia. The guidelines are for informational use only. They are not exhaustive. Other methods may occasionally be applicable.

Overview:
Euthanasia of fish is a difficult task to those not accustomed to treating these species. Problems arise mainly because of unfamiliarity of the anatomy (which limits access to sites for injection) and physiology (different response to anaesthetic drugs). It is difficult to ascertain with certainty that a fish is dead rather than heavily anaesthetised (complicated by the possibility of slow metabolism of anaesthetic drugs).

Suggested methods of choice:
The following methods are rapidly effective and straightforward to perform.
· Overdose of a soluble anaesthetic agent added to the water (MS222, Benzocaine [in acetone /alcohol], Eugenol [clove oil])
· Intravenous overdose of anaesthetic agent, primarily pentobarbitone.
· Trauma sufficient to induce complete and instantaneous loss of brainstem activity (e.g. shooting, captive bolt, massive blunt trauma, cervical dislocation or fracture)
· Dropping into liquid nitrogen to provide near instantaneous complete freezing (individuals less than 1cm max diameter only)

Methods acceptable if methods of choice not possible:
These methods are effective, but involve a prolonged (hours) delay before the animal can be pronounced dead.
· Intracoelomic overdose of pentobarbitone
· Some methods used in commercial fisheries

Methods considered unacceptable:
The following methods have been suggested for ornamental fish euthanasia in the past but should now be considered ineffective or unacceptable:
· 'Asphyxiation' (simple removal from water preventing respiratory exchange)
· Freezing (excepting method suggested above)
· Use of other anaesthetic agents added to the water (Pentobarbitone, Isofluorane, Halothane)
· Trauma (other than cranial & cervical trauma as described above)
· Carbon dioxide by non-commercial methods (Alka-seltzer® tablets, soda-stream® carbonation)

Confirming death:
Death (loss of brainstem activity) is difficult to confirm in fish.
Suggested criteria to evaluate include:
· Lack of external reflexes (Movement, response to external stimuli)
· Lack of detectable respiratory activity (no spontaneous opercular movements)
· Lack of detectable cardiovascular activity (Doppler ultrasound, ultrasound, ECG)

Fish which are heavily anaesthetised will have few, if any, outward signs of activity and appear dead by the criteria above yet may regain consciousness (after, e.g. metabolising or excreting anaesthetic drugs).

Methods of ensuring a fish does not regain consciousness include:
· Do not return a fish anaesthetised by in-water methods to fresh water. Leave it in the euthanasia solution or wrap it in towelling soaked in euthanasia solution to maintain anaesthesia until death occurs.
· Inject a massive overdose of intracoelomic pentobarbitone once unconsciousness has occurred.
· Once the animal is unconscious and insensitive to external stimuli, perform pithing (physical destruction of the brain tissue) or freeze the carcass.

 

[black angel]

Is he still eating? What are you feeding him? Only you know if you should end his suffering, but clove oil is available from chemists. Add quite a few drops to a jar of water and shake vigorously then let it sit for a minute then put him in.

 

[Dragonscales]

Personally, I am not really sold on the clove oil method, especially when the fish is put into pure clove oil (I know you didn't say to put the fish into pure clove oil, I'm just saying in general ). I personally think decapitation is the fastest, surest and therefore the most humane way to put down a fish. That is not to say clove oil isn't humane or shouldn't be used, I just personally don't think it is the best way for the fish.

 

[Angelika]

thank you so much, red-devil, i'm so glad i didn't do that!!!!!!!

I have to get clove oil from a chemist? i don't know anyone who is a chemist.

and sorry, but i can't hit my fish with a hammer, nor can i cut off his head. i can't do those things but thank you

 

[black angel]

Pharmacist, drug store. We call them chemists over here, such as Boots or any other high street shop.

 

[Angelika]

okay, i will get some today on my way home from the pet store.

i am going to be Dr. Angelika today.

 

[red-devil0602]

here i did a full topic on the subject
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=111811