Dying Beta

[frankykeno]

Okay this might seem silly to some of you but please bear with me. My old beta fish Ping whose at least 4 years old seems to be dying very slowly. Over the last week or so he's been unable to swim properly and mostly is laying on the rocks on the bottom of his big bowl. When I feed him he tries to come to the surface but is mostly struggling and swimming as if his swim bladder isn't working properly (sort of sideways and almost flipping over on his back poor thing).

Now I know it's "only" a fish but this is my pet and I do really hate to see any animal die inch by inch. Is there anything I can add to his water that would humanely end his life? He's barely able to get to his food so he's likely starving to death and I just don't want that to happen. I can't just remove him from the water and let him die that way...seems too awful to me to do that.

Any idea my fishy friends?

[jglass38]

I have had to euthanize a fish in the past. I used a vodka/water mixture but here is something I found that looks more humane:

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-...ize-a-fish.htm

[frankykeno]

Thank you so much Jamie. I'm going out today so I will pick up the ingredients to euthanize old Ping. Silly to be so upset about a dang fish but he's been a lovely little fellow, very interactive and friendly for a fish and I just can't stand watching him go this way. Even a fish shouldn't have to die inch by inch. Hugs bro, thanks for the link.

[jglass38]

Thank you so much Jamie. I'm going out today so I will pick up the ingredients to euthanize old Ping. Silly to be so upset about a dang fish but he's been a lovely little fellow, very interactive and friendly for a fish and I just can't stand watching him go this way. Even a fish shouldn't have to die inch by inch. Hugs bro, thanks for the link.

Fish are still pets and like all animals deserve to be treated with respect. Best of luck with that method.

[lillyorchid]

I had a old beta a few years ago that almost saw his 4th birthday that was acting like yours. I too was very upset because he was a great little fish and I didn't want to see him in any kind of pain. I used the vodka/water mixture.

[piranhaking]

ive heard cervical dislocation (which i wouldnt think is a very good choice for that small a fish). Check this site http://www.piranha-fury.com/informat...icle.php?id=17. It suggests a mix of clove oil and vodka.

[Uncle Festae]

heres a good article I dug up a couple years ago to post on a fish forum...

Here's the University of Washington's IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee) approved protocols for fish euthanasia.

PLEASE NOTE THAT PRIMARY METHODS CAN BE USED ALONE BUT SECONDARY METHODS STILL REQUIRE ANOTHER METHOD TO ENSURE DEATH

UW Euthanasia of Fish Species - 2002
Approved July 18, 2002

Background: Small fish species (2-6cm in length) typically utilized in laboratory research include zebrafish, medaka, fathead minnow, goldfish, swordtail, and platyfish among others. Large fish species (>6cm in length) typically used include salmon, trout, tilapia, catfish, hybrid-striped bass, bass, bluegill, sturgeon and others.

Policy: Chemical agents such as tricaine methanesulfonate (MS-222 or TMS) or benzocaine hydrochloride (ethyl aminobenzoate), should be used as the method of choice for the euthanasia all fish species. The dosage required for euthanasia with either of these compounds is higher than the anesthetic dose, but varies greatly with species, size, and water temperature. In addition, a longer time of exposure to the chemical agent (relative to anesthesia) is required to ensure that death occurs. Fish should be removed only after ten minutes have passed since their last observed opercular movements (respiration) have occurred.

A. Primary euthanasia methods for fish (methods that can be used alone) include:

1. MS-222/TMS- dosage: 50 to 250 mg/L
[buffered to pH 7.0 with sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3)]
Note: Fish euthanized with MS-222 cannot be used for human consumption.

2. Benzocaine-dosage: 50 to 500 mg/L
Note: Fish euthanized with Benzocaine cannot be used for human consumption.

3. Exposure to a solution saturated with carbon dioxide (CO2):
When possible, carbon dioxide should be used from a compressed gas cylinder source. However, neither the 1993 nor the 2000 Report of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia address the issue of the source/production of carbon dioxide as it relates to aquatic animal species. The use of chemical methods for the production of carbon dioxide, such as a saturated solution of sodium bicarbonate or Alka-Seltzer ®, has been proven quite effective with fish as noted in the literature. When dosed adequately sodium bicarbonate renders rapid loss of consciousness and death (4,6). As a result, the use of carbon dioxide liberated by chemical means will also be acceptable for the euthanasia of fish when compressed carbon dioxide gas cylinders cannot be used. Individuals who have demonstrated competency with this technique to qualified personnel (i.e. aquatic animal veterinarian or his/her designate) should perform the euthanasia of fish by carbon dioxide.

Sodium bicarbonate dosage: (30g/L or 120g/gallon)

Alka-Seltzer ® dosage: (1 tablet/ 20L or 2 tablets/ 10gallons)
Note: Fish euthanized with sodium bicarbonate or Alka-Seltzer® should not be used for human consumption.

Protocol: Fish should be placed into a container with an appropriate volume of water that will provide free movement of fish to be euthanized. Water should then be saturated with carbon dioxide from either a compressed gas cylinder (via the use of an air stone with a moderate flow rate for ~5-10 minutes) or by dissolving enough sodium bicarbonate or Alka-Seltzer® into the water (via the dosages previously provided). Fish should be removed only after ten minutes have passed since their last observed opercular movements (respiration) have occurred.

4. Chilling of Tropical species- The 1993 and 2000 Reports of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia concludes that cooling to 4°C will decrease metabolism and facilitate handling of poikilothermic species. This method by itself should only be used to facilitate handling, and it does not constitute an acceptable method of euthanasia since there is no evidence that it reduces pain or is clinically efficacious. However, the panel does not discuss chilling to 4°C as a method for euthanasia for tropical species. Because tropical fish species, (i.e. zebrafish, medaka, and platyfish), have minimal to no physiologic adaptation mechanism for adjusting to cold (4°C) water, cooling to 4°C should be considered an acceptable method of euthanasia since the rapid decrease in temperature from 26°C (or higher) to 4°C induces rapid loss of consciousness and is lethal to these species. Fish euthanized by this method should not come in direct contact with the ice, because this may cause thermal burns and induce pain, but rather the ice should be added to a lowered amount of water for a contact time of 20 minutes.

Protocol: In a container of an appropriate size for the number and size of fish to be euthanized, place a small volume of water that will still allow the fish to freely move about. To this volume of water add four times the volume of ice such that there is a 1:4 ratio of water to ice. Allow the fish to remain in ice-water bath for 20 minutes prior to removing. Afterwards, transfer the fish to the freezer for storage prior to disposal.


B. Secondary euthanasia methods for fish (methods that cannot be used alone and must be followed by an adjunct method to ensure death):

1. Sharp blow to the head- This method must be followed by exsanguination (via severing the large branchial vessels or large caudal tail vessels) or decapitation (via the use of a sharp blade).

2. Alternating or Direct electrical current- This method must be followed by exsanguination (via severing the large branchial vessels or large caudal tail vessels) or decapitation (via the use of a sharp blade). [Note: the use of electrical current (electrofishing) must follow the protocol/guidelines provided by the Marine Resources Division of the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife.]

3. Chilling of Non-tropical species in salt water - Since non-tropical species have adaptive mechanisms to handle decreased temperature ranges, the use of chilling to 4°C (without direct contact of the fish to the ice) must be followed by decapitation. However, if non-tropical species are exposed to chilled salt water (-10°C) or fresh water at a temperature significantly less than 4°C (i.e. 0°C) decapitation is not necessary 10 minutes after the observed cessation of opercular movements.

Euthanasia Policy References:

1. Canadian Council on Animal Care, Guide Vol. 1 (2nd Ed.). 1993. Chapter XII – Euthanasia.
2. Report of the AVMA Panel of Euthanasia. 2000. Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association 218(5): 670-696.
3. Report of the AVMA Panel of Euthanasia. 1993. Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association 202(2): 230-249.
4. Stoskopf, M.K. 1993. Fish Medicine. W.B. Saunders Co. Philadelphia.
5. The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. 1996. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.
6. Noga, E.J. 1996. Fish Diseases: Diagnosis and Treatment. Mosby-YearBook, Inc, St. Louis.
7. Casebolt, D.B., D.J. Speare, and B.S. Horney. 1998 Care and Use of Fish as Laboratory Animals: Current State of Knowledge. Lab Animal Science 48(2): 124-136.
8. Burns R, McMahan B. Euthanasia methods for ectothermic vertebrates. In: Bonagura JD, ed.
Continuing veterinary therapy XII. Philadelphia: WB Saunders Co. 1995:1379-1381.
9. Guidelines for Use of Fishes in Field Research. In: Fisheries, Vol. 13, No. 2, p. 16-23
10. Electrofishing Boat Operation and Maintenance Policy. 1996. Marine Resources Division of the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife.
11. Electrofishing Guidelines for Stream Typing. 1996. Marine Resources Division of the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife.
12. USFW 241 FW 6, Electrofishing Guidelines. 1992. http://policy.fws.gov/241fw6.html
13. Kolz, A.L., A. Temple, and D. Lam. 1998. Principles and Techniques of Electrofishing. U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service National Conservation Training Session.

[Styx]

Killing him might be really premature. Four years is old for a betta, very old, but he might not be ready to give up yet.

I only kill my fish as a last resort or when I suspect fish TB. If the fish seems to be seriously suffering from ulcers, body rot, ect. or if treatment has gone on an excessive amount of time with no improvement, I use clove oil.

You could try feeding him frozen/thawed peas that have been shelled and frozen food only for a week, see if that doesn't clean out his system and change his water more frequently.

If you haven’t killed him yet, are those his only symptoms? If so, it could be a simple case of constipation and/or SBD – Swim Bladder Disorder, which is quite common is fish.

If he is experiencing other problems, such as swelling and pine coning of the scales, that could be a sign bacteria is attacking him internally or his kidneys have failed. If he is pine-coning, euth him right away, there’s almost NEVER anything you can do at that point and after that he’s just suffering needlessly.

[recycling goddess]

regardless of your decision jo... i know you will make the best one for your fish. i send hugs and love to your all... (((hugs)))

[Ginevive]

I am really sorry about that. My fish are just as high in the rankings as our other pets to me; the people who see fish as minor pets, are the ones who don't know how to keep them alive long enough to get attached, usually.
I am not sure, but those symptoms sound like a swim bladder problem.. though, I am not sure how bettas work internally, as they are labyrinth fish. I had a goldfish for years (she was a huge telescope eye, even bred for me) and she started doing that; I was meaning to euthanize her, but she died by getting stuck between a plant and the tank side; just couldn't get free.