# Euthanize?



## Drift (Jul 26, 2010)

Not sure if anyone has been following what I've been saying on here as I've gotten almost no feedback, but Bubba's been sick.
I went on another website and we concluded it's most likely Columnaris. 
I can't tell if he's getting worse or better. I put the light over his aquarium today and he look worse. Most of his body looks like it's wasting away. The top area is very spiny, his eyes became cloudy, and he's loosing a lot of his color. 
Today he started kind of almost floating sideways like he's getting swimmer's bladder. He's been less active, but is eating like a pig. 
I have one type of medication left to use that I bought today but I'm honestly wondering if this is old age. I've had him for 2.5 years so he's gotta be almost 3 years old. 
Don't give me ways to euthanize, I just want an opinion on whether I should or not. I'll take him to work and have him put down humanely and cremated.


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## creamcookie (May 2, 2010)

Use the meds first, if all else fails, it could be that he is too sick or old. I'm sorry about his sickness!


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## noenyu (Jul 31, 2010)

I'm kind of new to bettas, I took my younger sisters betta (Taco) because she stopped caring for it and he got sick with something (I think it was bacteria infection) do to a lack of cleaning (1 gallon tank, no filter and she would leave it a week+ without cleaning). I'm not sure this will help, and I know there's some questions on if it does more harm then help but I used melafix with pimafix (very low dose - I have measuring spoons that measure dash, pinch, smidgen and nip and used a smidgen each of melafix and pimafix) every day and some aquarium salt (I used a pinch with every water change) with I think maybe a 80-90% water change (I would put him into a little container with some old tank water and put him into his clean tank with the water that was in the container with him) every other day. He had stopped eating, stayed at the very bottom of the tank or in his plant and would flop over to the side at times. After 7 days of all that he's better now. I hope that can help and I hope Bubba gets better.


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## wallywestisthebest333 (Nov 30, 2009)

I'm so sorry. I'd try the next treatment.

I don't think you should honestly. I'd let him live out his last days in a warm, loving environment rather than euthanize him but that's just my opinion. =[

If you do euthanize him I think cremating him is a nice gesture. You could scatter his ashes in the substrate of your next tank or over a near-by stream. <=]


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## Drift (Jul 26, 2010)

I had texted my vet and had it set up for when I was done work tomorrow. However my boyfriend and I decided to go for the last treatment. If he holds out until two weeks it's the Keystone Veterinary conference and their are some fish experts that I'm going to try to consult with. I'm going to keep researching too. 
All of my Betta's will be cremated. They're all very special to me. 
Thanks everyone. I was really upset earlier and didn't feel it was the right choice but I thought it might have been selfish of me.


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## noenyu (Jul 31, 2010)

Not sure if anyone's mentioned this but when my fish was sick I read that charcoal filter will remove the medicine so you have to remove the charcoal portion of the filter while giving the medicine.


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## Drift (Jul 26, 2010)

My hospital tank is unfiltered (it's easier to keep cleaner without any substrate and it is heated), and I've been using a little more effective medications. Colmunaris usually kills fish in 72 hours but he's been hanging in there since the beginning of July.
I think the swimming side ways is related to constipation.
I got all the basics covered. I just don't know what to do next.


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

With colmunaris you have two strains, a fast acting one that usually kills the fish within 24 hours and a slower mover type that the fish can recover from.
For colmunaris-you want to lower the water temp to 75-76F, add an air stone-add aquarium salt 1tsp/gal-up to 3tsp/gal, daily 100% water changes.
However, if he has any swelling issues I would not use aquarium salt-this will only make it worse.

IMO-the symptoms you post sound more like internal parasites-lethargy, wasting, weight loss but still eating, failure to thrive, color fade can all be signs of internal parasites.


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## Adastra (Jun 18, 2010)

If the fish is still eating, he's telling you he wants to live. I wouldn't euth a fish that was still eating, personally. Once they stop eating and can't get up to the surface to breathe, their quality of life is very low, and they should be put down. 

My first impression is not internal parasites, though it is a possibility, I suppose--all the fish I have seen with internal parasites have a loss of appetite. It's possible that the fish had a systemic infection, probably not columnaris, since that usually is found around the face/mouth and tends to actually show up on the scales of the betta as well, often in the characteristic "saddleback" pattern. If was internal columnaris, I'm fairly certain the fish would be very dead right now.

Have you researched Malawi bloat at all? This is a condition that's become a lot more prevalent in bettas--I have had a female that had it, a friend of mine ordered a beautiful male from a breeder a year ago who recently passed away from it too. The symptoms involve bloating that progressively becomes worse even though the fish is pooping regularly and shows no loss of appetite. You might want to research this possibility and see if it's consistent with your betta's symptoms. The unfortunate thing about MB is that it's not as treatable as other conditions...

What meds have you tried so far?


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## Drift (Jul 26, 2010)

The bloating was due to constipation, my boyfriend hadn't soaked his pellets in water when he fed him. He had a good couple poo's in his tank and he seems to be swimming better.
He does have a slimy white string coming off his back that I noticed 3 days ago. The white almost pimple like sore on the side of his face was almost identical to when he had columnaris when I first got him 2.5 years ago.
I treated him with
-Lifeguard by Tetra
-Tetracycline by API with Jungle Anti-Bacterial Pills
-Jungle Fungle Tabs
-Maracyn One
-and 1 dose so far of Kanaplex by Sea Chem He'll get another tomorrow as it's every 2 days until symptoms clear. =/ Kanamycin is the most recommended treatment for Columnaris. 
How long should I do the Kanamycin before i call it quits and try something else?


I just don't want to cause organ failure from all these medications. He just seemed so miserable yesterday and was really upset and started to feel like he was suffering.
I'll do 100% daily water changes, I use salt with them already since he is sick.


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## Adastra (Jun 18, 2010)

I would do a full treatment according to the instructions--then I would give him a break and see how he does with clean water for awhile. I think you should do what you can to make him more comfortable--lower the water level and add some plants/cover near the top for him to rest on. You should also add an airstone if you haven't already--just make sure the airflow is controlled by a gang valve, or that you tie enough knots in the tubing so that only a few bubbles can escape at a time.

Good luck, I hope he perks up.


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## Drift (Jul 26, 2010)

He is in a 2.5 gallon so the water is no where's near as high when he was in his 10 gallon. I bought him some new silky plants today and will be placing in tomorrow. I need to find an air pump and stone. I know I have one, but I think it's at the bottom of my closet. I gave him a break between everything listed for a week before the Maracyn. 
I was debating on if I should put a strand or two of my hornwort in there though.


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## JamieTron (May 16, 2009)

I think you are doing the best you can  Hopefully he pulls through for you!!!

random nerdy question...do you use tricaine methanesulfonate (MS22) for fish euthanization at your work?? It what we had to use at school for the sick fish we raised.


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## bloo97 (Mar 6, 2010)

How would you euthanize a fish anyways?


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## Drift (Jul 26, 2010)

Haha, it's ok to ask and fyi i'm only a tech. We don't have that on hand as I work at a small animal clinic. I was going to sedate with clove oil, and Pentobarb intracoelomic. I just want it to be quick. 
My boyfriend thinks he's getting better so hopefully won't have to result in this.


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## JosShavaughn (Jul 23, 2010)

try the meds first. I mean, if after a couple days he's still in the same condition, then don't let him suffer any longer. I know it must be tough. I don't know if I could do that to Zombie if he ever got sick, but I also don't believe in letting an animal, who can't communicate what they're feeling, suffer like that.


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## Drift (Jul 26, 2010)

If he stops eating, I'll put him down as others suggested. Right now he's still eating.
Today he got 2 of 3 treatments of the Kanaplex. I did a 100% water change and scrubbed everything in his tank down with a stiff bristle brush in case anything was hanging onto it. Gave him a new plant to keep things interesting and added an airstone.
I can't keep doing 100% water changes he gets to stressed being dumped into a net. it'll be more like a 95% water changes daily and keep scooping him into his glass jar. I used to feed him in it so he likes it more. I think too much stress might push him over the edge. I'll do 100% changes with a hot water scrubbing weekly.


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## JamieTron (May 16, 2009)

Drift said:


> Haha, it's ok to ask and fyi i'm only a tech. We don't have that on hand as I work at a small animal clinic. I was going to sedate with clove oil, and Pentobarb intracoelomic. I just want it to be quick.
> My boyfriend thinks he's getting better so hopefully won't have to result in this.


Ohhhh okay I figured if it wasn't MS22 it might be clove oil. We also had to learn how to use that as well. Thanks for answering my question by the way! I only worked with fish that are farmed in terms of ever having to euthanize. Some of the Arctic char (poor things) were always getting sick. But the MS22 was given to us by a vet, so I was curious if vet clinics would use that for smaller species as well. ;-)

Glad to hear he is doing a bit better too! That would be wonderful if he had a full recovery :-D


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## FuulieQ (Jan 10, 2010)

Poor thing. :c I hope he pulls through...


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

Good luck. The decision whether to euthazize should be made when you've tried everything you can think of and he's still not getting better. You have to guage whether you think the fish is suffering and put it out of it's misery at that point in time. I just had to put one down two weeks ago after trying the lowest/less invasive meds all the way through to tetracycline with no good results. 

It's never easy. Sending good fishy wishes your way!


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## Drift (Jul 26, 2010)

JamieTron - I've never used it or come across it in the vet field, but I haven't ever worked with any vets that do aquatics and that seems to be its main use now a days. Clove oil is the cheapest and easiest way to do it. I just couldn't do it myself. 

Thanks for the best wishes everyone. As long as he can hang out one more week I can get an opinion from "fish" veterinarian so to say. Which would be very interesting.


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## Drift (Jul 26, 2010)

I took this picture yesterday, the 4th I believe. 
You can see where the top of him meets the water is the fuzzy area and you can see a little further back he has the fuzzy string coming off his back close to his top fin. Easily seen is the large white "pimple" like sore and the gray colored scales across his body. Hard to tell but around the top his body along his spine you can see the muscle wasting. It looks indented.
On the side note, his fins healed wonderfully from the fin rot he had at the beginning of June from the AQ salt and stress coat. XD
(I've never had a problem with that plastic plant, however, he got a bushier silk plant today to switch it up in case he's bored.)


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