Mitshu Is Dying

[Little_Orca]

For a few posts now I have talked about my oranda Mitshu and how he floats up-side-down. When I got him he did not do this initially, but it has become the normal because I thought he had a swim bladder problem. I attempted to cure this, but I found out that it was a tumor that was causing him to do this. He has lived fine for the last year and a half in my company, but now the tumor is starting to break the skin. It looks like a round bloody spot and it has grown in the last 24-48 hours. Currently it is now the size of half of a pea. He is still acting like a normal fish, but I can feel that he is going to pass on sometime soon.

What do I do? Fish uthenasia, at least the ones I have read about, seem to be crueler than letting the fish live, but looking at this wound I am considering it. I don't know what to do with him, and being he was the first oranda I got (well, him and Shinju) I am having a hard time going through this. I do not want to be greedy and keep him alive for my benifit, but I don't want to put him down if it is going to be a hard (for him) process.

Please help.

 

[RandomWiktor]

If you think it would be kindest to euthanize him, I have a suggestion for a very peaceful way out. I used it when my Goldfish, Bronwin, needed to be put down. He had a jaw deformity and was starving because he couldn't open his mouth. Developed dropsy, and was in a lot of pain.

I don't know what size tank your fellow is on, or if other fish are in with him, so I'll just suggest this:
- Gently scoop your fish up into a fairly small container filled half way with water from the tank.
- Get a bottle of clove oil - the kind for analgesia/dental numbing, not the scented oil. I've heard varying bits of info on the dosage, but the bottle is usually small, so I've always used the whole thing to make sure the animal is truly dead.
- Scoop up enough tank water in a separate container to fill the rest of the one your goldfish is in. Place the clove oil into this container and shake very thoroughly so that the oil is thoroughly dispersed throughout the water.
- Pour the water with added clove oil into the container your fish is in. You should see an almost-immediate cessationo of movement, and not long after, the gills should stop.
- Leave the fish in this container until you are sure it is dead. Most people will freeze the fish once it is unconcious, but I've found that if you leave them in, you'll be able to tell in a few hours that they are definately dead; the eyes will go pale and glazed, the color will leave, and the slime coat will shed. If you've seen a dead fish, you'll know what to look for.
- If you'd like to be doubly sure, freeze or destroy the brain after the fish has been in the clove oil for several hours. It shouldn't be necesarry, but some people like to do it on the off chance that the animal was only very convincingly anesthatized. But as I said above, if you just look for the signs of death, it shouldn't be needed.

Clove oil has natural anesthetic and analgesic effects on fish; they use chemicals from it when performing fish surgeries. It is not a painful death, and if you use enough and shake thoroughly before pouring it in, you won't need to use the vodka method, which sounds painful to me. It is probably the kindest way to say goodbye to your little fishie.

Sorry to hear he is nearing his end. The spreading red dot almost sounds like a hemmorage. Maybe the tumor as burst?

At any rate, look for signs of suffering, and chose what is best for you.

 

[Little_Orca]

Here is Mitshu's injury. It looks pale in the lighting we took it in, but believe me, this is blood red.

 

[black angel]

That is so sad, im really sorry as my own oranda passed with a tumour.
RandomWiktors method with clove oil is the best as far as im concerned.

 

[Little_Orca]

I had Mitshu sectioned off in a little part of the tank so the other fish would not bother him until I could get some clove oil to put him to sleep with. When I went over to check on him, his red lump had decreased in size and the coloring was normal. I blinked and figures some of the hemmoraged fluids have just leaked out (which is the big reason I am cleaning their tank out completely after my Physics Recitation... and considering the cleaning lady is in the restoom right now).

I gave him a little fish food and he went for it quicker than I had ever seen him. I released him from the little holding pen to see what the other fish and him would do. Shinju, his long time tank mate, swam up to him and circled once before she saw some yummies in the gravel and went to eat them. Sakura showed no real interest in Mitshu, but she followed Shinju to the food. Mitshu is acting normal again... for him.

I just may hold off on that clove oil for a little longer if he continues acting like this.

 

[black angel]

If he does have a tumour then its only going to be time before something else happens. Good luck with him, but be prepared

 

[Little_Orca]

If he does have a tumour then its only going to be time before something else happens. Good luck with him, but be prepared

I know that his time is comming to an end, and I will probably pick up some of the oil when I am out with my friends to have on hand, but it was just a surpise and it made me feel a bit better. As long as he is not in any visable pain, then I will allow him to live. Once it is definatly going downhill it will be his time.

 

[SRC]

Maybe it wasn't a tumor, maybe it was some sort of abcess and it worked it's way to the surface and ruptured..letting out the poison inside it? Maybe treat him with soime antibiotic (like tetracyclene).