Euthanasia..a Concise Humane Method With Oil Of Cloves

[Cheffi]

Ok I haven't actuallygot any fish yet but the thought of having to euthanise a sick one by some of the methods suggested really turns me green. Call me a big girl's blouse but I don't fancy the idea of whacking it against a hard surface or freezing.

I read this article on Penn Woodings website which was written by a veterinary nurse and it was so simply written I thought even I could execute the instructions. I am posting it with the permission of Penn, and let's hope I don't have to use it in the near future.

Fish Euthanasia​

Follow this procedure to the hilt. If you don't follow the instructions properly, you could cause unnecessary stress to your fish​

Firstly, move the fish into a smaller tank, a baby bath or bucket - something that can be thrown away or easily cleaned. If you do this procedure in a large tank I wouldn't know how much clove oil to use and also you will end up with a very potent smelling, greasy poisonous tank (the smell takes a while to go) Clove Oil, or "Oil of Cloves" is an essential oil used in foods to flavour and used as a "natural" anaesthetic - sometimes people use a drop for toothache as it numbs the area. You can buy it for around £2.00 for a small 10ml bottle - I got mine from Boots pharmacy. Put 3 drops with a half pint of water and shake very well, so the oil and water make a fusion - otherwise the oil will just float on top of the water and for the euthanasia to work the fish has to get the oil into its system. Add the mixture to the water that the fish is in (I used about 1 gallon of water) and stir it around slowly with your hand. The fish should become lethargic and sleepy. Add another mixture of 2 to 3 drops of oil in water. When the fish goes "belly up" it is asleep - not dead. I then added 3 more solutions of the above until his gills stopped (the heart stops because it is an overdose of anaesthetic) and then just to be sure I put some more solution in and left him for half an hour (I was scared that he'd wake up again - but that's just me being daft!) The whole procedure should take about half an hour - you will see the fish becoming sleepy a few minutes after the first dose. The fish feels nothing; it is very peaceful and humane. It seems mad that a few drops of something can have such an effect, but is very strong. Don't make the mistake of thinking that if you initially put more in it will act quicker - it will only freak the fish out - it has to be done gradually so the fish doesn't notice the change in the water.

 

[WILDER]

Clove oil fine, but now if a have a really sick fish i get a small container of very cold water, add ice cubes, then add the fish is dosnt take long.

 

[Cheffi]

Clove oil fine, but now if a have a really sick fish i get a small container of very cold water, add ice cubes, then add the fish is dosnt take long.

I've read about the freezing method. It doesn't appeal to be honest. How do you know at what point the fish is dead? When I go I'd like to go in my sleep while I'm still warm in bed not die out in the middle of winter when there's snow and ice. Brrrrr.

 

[WILDER]

I will get you a link from the forum, its not freezing method, this article is written by a mod on this site stealhearl, and he's a surgeon.

steelhealr Mar 3 2006, 11:45 PM Post #18


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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