|
Otis
Dec 22, 2014 14:59:46 GMT -5
Post by siobhan on Dec 22, 2014 14:59:46 GMT -5
I lost my betta Hal recently to dropsy, but thankfully he was only sick a couple of days. Then another betta, Otis, began acting sick and while I don't think that's what was wrong with him, some of the symptoms were the same. He wouldn't eat, couldn't swim and gasped for every breath. I did everything I could think of but nothing helped and he was clearly suffering. I consulted a fish-keeping friend and followed her advice of using toothache medicine to humanely euthanize him. It worked very fast and now he's not in pain anymore. I've never had to euthanize a creature with my own hands before and it was awful, but I couldn't let him suffer, either.
So now the "aquatics," as I refer to them to the birds, are reduced to my betta Opie and his snails in one tank, and Arthur and Betsy the platies and their snails in another tank. I've about decided I've lost enough bettas in the last few months and Opie will be the last one. I'll stick to hardier fish after this. My friend suggested mollies, and they are very pretty, so I may take her advice.
|
|
|
Otis
Dec 22, 2014 16:02:18 GMT -5
Post by biteybird on Dec 22, 2014 16:02:18 GMT -5
Sorry about Otis, Siobhan. It's horrible when you see a beloved pet suffer. At least Otis didn't suffer for too long.
|
|
|
Otis
Dec 22, 2014 16:42:03 GMT -5
Post by easttex on Dec 22, 2014 16:42:03 GMT -5
Very brave of you, to take matters into your own hands. That's hard.
Have you ever read The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating? I'm thinking about getting it and thought you might have come upon it.
|
|
|
Otis
Dec 22, 2014 17:40:46 GMT -5
Post by siobhan on Dec 22, 2014 17:40:46 GMT -5
I've never heard of that. I'll keep an eye out for it.
Otis has been acting oddly for a couple of weeks and a week ago I moved him into a smaller, separate tank so I could medicate the water in the hope that he'd improve. All week, he's been lying on the bottom or struggling to the surface for a breath (bettas breathe air). Hal was only visibly ill for about two days, maybe two and a half. Otis was obviously sick for more like two weeks, the worst this last week. I shouldn't have let him go so long. If I had more grit, I'd have done this days ago. I just kept hoping he'd get better. I won't wait so long again if another fish falls ill in the future, now that I know what to do and how fast it works. I envisioned it taking a long time and me having to stand there and watch him die slowly and feel like a medieval torturer. It took only seconds and thankfully, Clyde distracted me even during those few seconds (he was on my shoulder, of course).
|
|
|
Otis
Dec 22, 2014 18:16:43 GMT -5
Post by Jan and Shah on Dec 22, 2014 18:16:43 GMT -5
Hi Siobhan, good for you for easing Otis' suffering. I have been euthanasing small creatures for years. I say a little prayer over them and they are with someone who cares - not left in the street to be taken by a predator or left to die in pain and agony. I hate to see animals suffer. If I think there is a chance of survival they are taken to the vet. No more bettas for the both of us!
|
|
|
Otis
Dec 23, 2014 16:10:43 GMT -5
Post by siobhan on Dec 23, 2014 16:10:43 GMT -5
I hate to see the bettas in those little cups in the store and I may or may not be able to resist, but I'm going to try, and if my tanks are otherwise occupied with fish that won't get along with bettas, I'll have to resist.
|
|