Best way to euthanize a fish

[Obelisk]

This sounds like the best idea so far:

+1; the AVMA and most other reputable vet orgs agree that freezing is not humane. If you can't find finquel, buy clove oil for DENTAL PAIN, not the aromatic oil for incense, available at most health food stores. Put it in a small container with water from the tank, shake vigorously until you have a cloudy colloid, then scoop the fish into it. While it isn't an official method of euthanasia, research on it suggests it is humane & fast, producing anesthetic and analgesic effects.

Also, you said that his face exploded. Just out of curiosity, what happened exactly? Did the nasal cavities burst?

 

[arachnochicken]

butter , garlic ,a little lemon and a frying pan ...... works every time .


But all kidding aside , as bad as this is going to sound it does work and it works very quickly , boil water as hot as you can get it and drop him in , it will kill it within a second or two . I've been keeping fresh and saltwater fish for over 30 years and sadly I know it works .
Smacking it with something heavy ( a hammer or shoe ) will also work , and its a lot less cruel then letting something suffer untill it dies .

 

[deathwing]

Does regular analgesic works to fishes? Maybe you can add that to water then hopefully you can do something "not so painful" after that.

I'm just thinking an option though, if you can't find AVMA.

 

[sean-820]

clove oil, vodka method, freezer or decapitation are among the most humane

 

[inkl]

Wow, this thread is still going...

Ned died a while ago, on his own.

And I wasn't about to put him in a toilet! That's clearly what almost happened to him before!

 

[ErinKelley]

Poor NED!! R.I.P.


I hate when my fish die! I read somewhere once that yea the most humane way for a fish is to use a sharp blade right down through their brain.

I used it once on a mediumish black paradise fish (like the size of a BIG betta) and on a ~10in. Jack Dempsey. They were both suffering of course. Netted them right onto a wet washcloth and it was instant. I do not like how it's such an "intimate" death though . I'm not much into killing things

 

[bugmankeith]

How did his face explode, was it a tumor that burst?

 

[inkl]

It looked like a blister or a wart but not bumpy that popped up on his face. It got bigger, then sort of started to fall apart and come off. Then he was left with a scar of non-blue flesh between his nostril and his eye.

I felt bad for him because if I put his food on his left side he wouldn't see it and I'd have to push it over to his non-blind side.

 

[Venom]

Definitely pour him with some water into a blender.

 

[inkl]

Hey, remember the time I said Ned died?

 

[RoachGirlRen]

*tsk tsk* Venom, if you're going to deliberately be a jerk to someone, at least read their posts first so you don't look silly.

 

[cacoseraph]

ned est morte. vive ned.




why is it that ppl who seem to be most concerned about being "humane" never want the scientifically best answer?

rearrange their brain. preferably in less than 1/100th of a second. boom, guarantee that is better than any drug or goofy hippy method. but it is all, you know, yucky and stuff... so no one wants to do it.

when i need to kill verts i rearrange their brain. some flop around... but that is nothing do with pain. you can't think (coherently or for more than second or two) when your brain tissue is spread across a rock or bullet... sheesh

 

[RoachGirlRen]

Euthanizing something with an AVMA approved anesthetic isn't mere hippie nonsense. It is a researched, humane method; the science is already in on that, so it's not just a sentimental notion. Clove oil is also not a goofy hippie method; while it hasn't been AVMA approved, there have been several research studies on its effectiveness as an anesthetic and analgesic. It is effective as both and actually has a faster induction time than a comparable dose of Finquel.

That being said I agree with destruction of the brain as a humane method, which is why I mentioned it when someone brought up decapitation. However, a lot of pet owners don't particularly enjoy smashing their pet's skull in if they have an emotional attachment to it. Anesthesia is equally humane and less distressing to the owner - which is why we euthanize dogs and cats with a hypodermic needle instead of a shotgun in the veterinary field.

With fish, there is the added issue that destroying the brain involves taking the fish out of water, which is a wee bit traumatic for the animal - certainly moreso than scooping it into a cup of anesthetic. I've put down a number of fish using anesthetic, and at a significant overdose, the death is very quick (2s +/-1) and very placid, certainly less stressful than pinning the fish down on a surface long enough to smash its head. I'm not saying destruction of the brain is inhumane, but I definitely see the appeal of a death that involves less fear for the animal and less trauma for the owner.