How To Euthanize... :(

[SamUK]

so your saying someone beating you slowly to death is the quickest and easiest method?

 

[PeterM]

Anything that stops the brain functioning either quickly or painlessly is a good method of euthanasia. Each to their own, done properly, blunt force trauma to the head and brain is an instant death.

 

[steelhealr]

This is what I choose to do with my fish and my comments are only placed here as opinion. This is a heated topic. I choose based on my knowledge from my training:

Oil of cloves is a topical anethestic and was used in the past to treat toothaches. Lidocaine (like at the dentist's office is a topical anesthetic as well). When we operate on people we really want to achieve 2 things, analgesia and anesthesia, that is, relief of pain and unconsciousness. IMO, when a fish is immersed in oil of cloves, it is essentially 'topically anesthetized', paralyzed, but, I am NOT convinced that the fish is unconscious.....none of us will really know for sure. We don't know if the oil of cloves causes stinging to the mucus membranes, eyes, etc on initial contact nor if the fish is motionless, painless but aware.

Extreme cold is an anesthetic. When applied to skin, you can actually cut the skin and feel no pain. Cold also can cause rapid unconsciousness. In fact, hypothermia is reported to cause a state of euphoria and clouding of consciousness. Fish, at least most of the types that we keep (tropical), are extremely small and rapid immersion in extreme cold water, in my opinion, causes rapid pain relief and rapid unconsciousness. I have never seen any of my fish shows signs of what I consider suffering. They stop moving immediately and appear lifeless. Some have stated that since fish are ectothermic, this doesn't apply....perhaps in cold water fish I would agree.

I choose to euthanize my fish this way, rather than oil of cloves. One must either make an educated decision for themselves, or, choose what is currently accepted by the masses as what is humane.

Added: although I would never use blunt force to euthanize my fish, nor advocate it, one fact is for sure: death is instantaneous

SH

 

[WILDER]

So the cold water causes hypohermia is that what you mean.

 

[Anthony!]

although I've never had to kill a fish of my own (bad timing,... very sad,.......) but, if I had to, I would probably just combine two of these methods. cold water + clove oil seems easy enough,... but I don't want to cause pain to the fish,... and smack it on a wall?!?!?! what the heck??!?! Be humane! to all euthanized fish,..... here's to you

 

[Rediahs]

I've never actually tried this, as I've never had to euthanize a fish, but I had an idea..

If the problem with freezing a fish is that it's slow and painful as the cells crystalize, what if you made an ice "slushy", that is, take some ice and smash it up, or put a cup of water in the freezer and keep skimming it just as ice crystals form, until it's the consistency of a slushie you'd buy in the stores.

Or alternatively just buy an actual slushie from a convenience store, or use one of those frozen juice cans.

Now, stir the slushy so it's as smooth as slushy gets but still very frozen. Take half the slushy out of the cup, and very quickly, lay the fish on top of the slush, then cover him with the rest of it. I would think that this would freeze the fish very fast?

Also, could you buy dry ice, put it in a bowl, then toss the fish on top of the dry ice? This would freeze even faster than the previous method.

WARNING: I am not advocating these methods. I really have no idea. I'm asking if these would be viable, from other peoples' points of view.

 

[steelhealr]

Animal cells don't crystallize that quickly. The cells would have to freeze solid before that happens. Remember, as you chill any liquid, the density increases. It isn't until ice appears that water expands and causes damage. Not directly comparing but humans are unconscious LONG before their body temp reaches 80 degrees.

It is my belief that anesthesia and unconscious occurs LONG before actual cellular damage occurs. The fish is long unconscious and gone before even getting to that stage.

SH

 

[Bloo]

Great to know steelhealr - something I'm sure to try next time, now that I have a better understand of how it works

 

[rEvolution27]

i wouldnt advise any of the aforementioned "prolonged deaths." id make it as quick and painless as possible. dont leave a fish in clove oil or vodka to get stressed out as it slowly dies. catch the fish and bash it on a wall. would you rather be drowned or just shot in the head?

certainly dont freeze your fish this will make its cells swell up. can you imagine the pain?

Well that method may be easy to do on a guppy but what about your old friend oscar or pleco... not very easy i say

 

[timmystood]

You can buy Clove Oil online... just Froogle, Clove Oil... that's what I did.

 

[FBF]

well you have to be brave about it. any fisherman knows how it works. i admit its not nice but theres no nice way to kill a fish. i think the other methods take too long and cause a little too much suffering in the last moments, the clove and freezer method are to make the person feel better, not to stop the fish feeling pain.

 

[LucyHurst]

They dont feel pain with clove oil, its like an anethestic.. imagine if you were given an OD of aneasthetic.. youd just fall asleep and never wake up.
I have only euthanised once, a goldfish, but didnt have clove oil, so i carefully layed the fish on a surface, kept her very wet so she wasnt quite as stressed and quickly squished her head with a garden trowel, it was absolutely horrible, but i had to do it for her. Putting a fish in the freezer is just plain cruel, they are cold blooded so they can get down to very low temps before death, so it takes a long time for them to die.. and it has been proven that the ice crystals start to form before death.

 

[Rediahs]

well you have to be brave about it. any fisherman knows how it works. i admit its not nice but theres no nice way to kill a fish. i think the other methods take too long and cause a little too much suffering in the last moments, the clove and freezer method are to make the person feel better, not to stop the fish feeling pain.

That last bit really made me realize - yes, that's the absolute truth. You opened my eyes.

And what is it about, the fish or you? It's about the fish. We want it to die instantly and as painlessly as possible. There is debate about whether freezing or clove oil cause an instant or painless death, but blunt trauma is as instant as you can get, and the faster it is, the less painful.

Previously I thought that i'd feel too bad to be able to smash the fish against a wall or sever its head, but thinking about it this way, I think it's the only way I'd be able to do it. My worst fear would be to cause the fish more pain... then there is also the gross factor of smashing a fish against a wall or severing its head. But a person can get over the gross factor quickly, but I don't think I'd ever get over the possibility of having made my fish suffer just so I don't have to do something that I feel is disturbing.

I'd probably never have to do this anyway, though, so maybe it's easier for me to say. My dad loves fishing, and he's perfectly fine with slitting a fish's throat. I could always ask him to do it.

 

[Dragonscales]

Personally I use decapitation, it is THE fastest method and most assured method IMO (even when compared to blunt trauma considering that the first blow may not be enough to kill and/or cease brain functions completely).

I know it may not be for everyone but I am not as squeamish as alot of people and the need to provide a quick, painless and absolute end to a pet fish's suffering is enough to overcome what squeamishness I do have.

The only things to keep in mind with this method is to make sure the knife is very sharp (and heavy if the fish is big), ensure the fish is out of water the least amount of time possible and to hold it in a wet cloth upon a wet surface.

As has been said before though, this is a heated topic and everyone does have their own decision to make in regards to methods used. This is just my way of doing things and I am not trying to imply it is the only "right" way of doing it, nor am I implying that anyone who uses a different method is "wrong" or a bad pet owner. If anything, the decision to euthanise a pet who is suffering and beyond treatment is the mark of a responsible and loving owner.

 

[LucyHurst]

out of curisosity, is it legal to euthanise mammals, or do you hAVE to go to the vet?
with these new laws coming in about fish welfare etc. maybe something on euthanisation will come up?