Comet with large growth- Dying?!

[Sue]

I have a 10 mnth old comet who, about six months ago,was diagnosed with dropsy- I started treatment,but to no avail.Although the lumps continued to grow, he ate,swam and survived.
In the last month or so,he got worse-the lumps grew and covered both sides of his body,twisting his spine and making it difficult for him to swim.I put him in a hospital tank and treated him with various dropsy treatments,however,he continued to get worse.
In the last week i got a professional fish breeder to look at my fish.He diagnosed pot belly and that there was nothing I could do. I
n recent days, he has stopped feeding, swimming, and the lumps have grown. I can now see veins etc. in the growth through his skin. He has lost an amazing amount of condition and is so thin now. The lump feels soft to touch.
Is he on the verge of death? Should I euthanise him? Or is there something I can give him to ease the symptoms?Any advice greatly appreciated.

[Geezer From The Freezer]

Sue wrote:
>
> I have a 10 mnth old comet who, about six months ago,was diagnosed with
> dropsy- I started treatment,but to no avail.Although the lumps
> continued to grow, he ate,swam and survived.
> In the last month or so,he got worse-the lumps grew and covered both
> sides of his body,twisting his spine and making it difficult for him to
> swim.I put him in a hospital tank and treated him with various dropsy
> treatments,however,he continued to get worse.
> In the last week i got a professional fish breeder to look at my
> fish.He diagnosed pot belly and that there was nothing I could do. I
> n recent days, he has stopped feeding, swimming, and the lumps have
> grown. I can now see veins etc. in the growth through his skin. He has
> lost an amazing amount of condition and is so thin now. The lump feels
> soft to touch.
> Is he on the verge of death? Should I euthanise him? Or is there
> something I can give him to ease the symptoms?Any advice greatly
> appreciated.
>
> --
> Sue

Sue, what size tank is he in, how many other fish, what are the ammonia, nitrite
and nitrate levels and how often do you do water changes?

[Elaine T]

Geezer From The Freezer wrote:
>
> Sue wrote:
>
>>I have a 10 mnth old comet who, about six months ago,was diagnosed with
>>dropsy- I started treatment,but to no avail.Although the lumps
>>continued to grow, he ate,swam and survived.
>>In the last month or so,he got worse-the lumps grew and covered both
>>sides of his body,twisting his spine and making it difficult for him to
>>swim.I put him in a hospital tank and treated him with various dropsy
>>treatments,however,he continued to get worse.
>>In the last week i got a professional fish breeder to look at my
>>fish.He diagnosed pot belly and that there was nothing I could do. I
>>n recent days, he has stopped feeding, swimming, and the lumps have
>>grown. I can now see veins etc. in the growth through his skin. He has
>>lost an amazing amount of condition and is so thin now. The lump feels
>>soft to touch.
>>Is he on the verge of death? Should I euthanise him? Or is there
>>something I can give him to ease the symptoms?Any advice greatly
>>appreciated.
>>
>>--
>>Sue
>
>
> Sue, what size tank is he in, how many other fish, what are the ammonia, nitrite
> and nitrate levels and how often do you do water changes?

I believe your fish has cancer. One of the classic signs of neoplasm is
that veins grow in it to supply blood to the fast-growing tumor.
Dropsy/pot belly doesn't generally twist the spine or cause distinct,
growing lumps. Sorry to say it, but I would euthanize this fish.

--
__ Elaine T __
><__'> http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><

[Squeek]

I agree with Elaine...There is no way "lumps" = dropsy....dropsy is when the
body fills up with fluid, swells up and the scales stick out, though not all
the time..

I have heard of successes where the fish has been operated on to remove the
tumor and recovered fine.....no onder why your fish hasn't recovered from
"dropsy"....it didn't have it in the first place....

Sorry about your fish
"Elaine T" > wrote in message
om...
> Geezer From The Freezer wrote:
>>
>> Sue wrote:
>>
>>>I have a 10 mnth old comet who, about six months ago,was diagnosed with
>>>dropsy- I started treatment,but to no avail.Although the lumps
>>>continued to grow, he ate,swam and survived.
>>>In the last month or so,he got worse-the lumps grew and covered both
>>>sides of his body,twisting his spine and making it difficult for him to
>>>swim.I put him in a hospital tank and treated him with various dropsy
>>>treatments,however,he continued to get worse.
>>>In the last week i got a professional fish breeder to look at my
>>>fish.He diagnosed pot belly and that there was nothing I could do. I
>>>n recent days, he has stopped feeding, swimming, and the lumps have
>>>grown. I can now see veins etc. in the growth through his skin. He has
>>>lost an amazing amount of condition and is so thin now. The lump feels
>>>soft to touch.
>>>Is he on the verge of death? Should I euthanise him? Or is there
>>>something I can give him to ease the symptoms?Any advice greatly
>>>appreciated.
>>>
>>>--
>>>Sue
>>
>>
>> Sue, what size tank is he in, how many other fish, what are the ammonia,
>> nitrite
>> and nitrate levels and how often do you do water changes?
>
> I believe your fish has cancer. One of the classic signs of neoplasm is
> that veins grow in it to supply blood to the fast-growing tumor.
> Dropsy/pot belly doesn't generally twist the spine or cause distinct,
> growing lumps. Sorry to say it, but I would euthanize this fish.
>
> --
> __ Elaine T __
> ><__'> http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><

[Squeek]

I do think the best thing is to euthanise the fish.....its suffereing a
great deal...poor thing....its not good at all that something as scary as
this exists in living things... :-(
"Sue" > wrote in message
...
>
> I have a 10 mnth old comet who, about six months ago,was diagnosed with
> dropsy- I started treatment,but to no avail.Although the lumps
> continued to grow, he ate,swam and survived.
> In the last month or so,he got worse-the lumps grew and covered both
> sides of his body,twisting his spine and making it difficult for him to
> swim.I put him in a hospital tank and treated him with various dropsy
> treatments,however,he continued to get worse.
> In the last week i got a professional fish breeder to look at my
> fish.He diagnosed pot belly and that there was nothing I could do. I
> n recent days, he has stopped feeding, swimming, and the lumps have
> grown. I can now see veins etc. in the growth through his skin. He has
> lost an amazing amount of condition and is so thin now. The lump feels
> soft to touch.
> Is he on the verge of death? Should I euthanise him? Or is there
> something I can give him to ease the symptoms?Any advice greatly
> appreciated.
>
>
> --
> Sue

[Sue]

Thank you all so much for your help and advice. At this stage I pretty much knew it couldnt be dropsy, but didnt know the lump could be cancerous. It sounds about right though....seeing as he is in pain I think ill euthanise him and put him out of his misery. Is vodka a quick and painless method to use?? I cant decapitate him (however efficient this may be) because im too attached to him =( Thanks again for all your help.
I do think the best thing is to euthanise the fish.....its suffereing a
great deal...poor thing....its not good at all that something as scary as
this exists in living things... :-(
"Sue" wrote in message
...

I have a 10 mnth old comet who, about six months ago,was diagnosed with
dropsy- I started treatment,but to no avail.Although the lumps
continued to grow, he ate,swam and survived.
In the last month or so,he got worse-the lumps grew and covered both
sides of his body,twisting his spine and making it difficult for him to
swim.I put him in a hospital tank and treated him with various dropsy
treatments,however,he continued to get worse.
In the last week i got a professional fish breeder to look at my
fish.He diagnosed pot belly and that there was nothing I could do. I
n recent days, he has stopped feeding, swimming, and the lumps have
grown. I can now see veins etc. in the growth through his skin. He has
lost an amazing amount of condition and is so thin now. The lump feels
soft to touch.
Is he on the verge of death? Should I euthanise him? Or is there
something I can give him to ease the symptoms?Any advice greatly
appreciated.


--
Sue

[Squeek]

I have heard that clove oil dispersed in vodka added to a bit of water is a
very good methed
excerpt from

"Clove oil is used to anaesthetize fish and is fatal to fish at doses
greater than ¼ ml per litre of water. Clove oil is used in beer brewing and
can be purchased through home-brewing outlets. It is also an aromatherapy
oil, so try specialty outlets where oils are sold. Keep in mind that clove
oil is classified as hazardous and can be irritating to the skin and eyes,
and can be harmful if swallowed.

Since fish are cold-blooded, the brain can continue to function for a long
time even after the heart and lungs have ceased functioning. Therefore it is
possible for fish to recover from deep anaesthesia even if they are
apparently dead because they are not breathing and have no heart beat. It
can be very difficult to determine if a fish is dead, therefore, once the
fish is deeply anaesthetized by leaving it in the solution for a couple of
hours, it is recommended to freeze the fish, decapitate it or administer a
sharp blow to the head to ensure it does not recover from anaesthesia.




"Sue" > wrote in message
...
>
> Thank you all so much for your help and advice. At this stage I pretty
> much knew it couldnt be dropsy, but didnt know the lump could be
> cancerous. It sounds about right though....seeing as he is in pain I
> think ill euthanise him and put him out of his misery. Is vodka a quick
> and painless method to use?? I cant decapitate him (however efficient
> this may be) because im too attached to him =( Thanks again for all
> your help.
> Squeek Wrote:
>> I do think the best thing is to euthanise the fish.....its suffereing a
>> great deal...poor thing....its not good at all that something as scary
>> as
>> this exists in living things... :-(
>> "Sue" wrote in message
>> ...-
>>
>> I have a 10 mnth old comet who, about six months ago,was diagnosed
>> with
>> dropsy- I started treatment,but to no avail.Although the lumps
>> continued to grow, he ate,swam and survived.
>> In the last month or so,he got worse-the lumps grew and covered both
>> sides of his body,twisting his spine and making it difficult for him
>> to
>> swim.I put him in a hospital tank and treated him with various dropsy
>> treatments,however,he continued to get worse.
>> In the last week i got a professional fish breeder to look at my
>> fish.He diagnosed pot belly and that there was nothing I could do. I
>> n recent days, he has stopped feeding, swimming, and the lumps have
>> grown. I can now see veins etc. in the growth through his skin. He
>> has
>> lost an amazing amount of condition and is so thin now. The lump
>> feels
>> soft to touch.
>> Is he on the verge of death? Should I euthanise him? Or is there
>> something I can give him to ease the symptoms?Any advice greatly
>> appreciated.
>>
>>
>> --
>> Sue-
>
>
> --
> Sue

[Squeek]

Oh yeah.....put the clove oil in a few drops of vodka to help it mix in with
the water......
"Sue" > wrote in message
...
>
> Thank you all so much for your help and advice. At this stage I pretty
> much knew it couldnt be dropsy, but didnt know the lump could be
> cancerous. It sounds about right though....seeing as he is in pain I
> think ill euthanise him and put him out of his misery. Is vodka a quick
> and painless method to use?? I cant decapitate him (however efficient
> this may be) because im too attached to him =( Thanks again for all
> your help.
> Squeek Wrote:
>> I do think the best thing is to euthanise the fish.....its suffereing a
>> great deal...poor thing....its not good at all that something as scary
>> as
>> this exists in living things... :-(
>> "Sue" wrote in message
>> ...-
>>
>> I have a 10 mnth old comet who, about six months ago,was diagnosed
>> with
>> dropsy- I started treatment,but to no avail.Although the lumps
>> continued to grow, he ate,swam and survived.
>> In the last month or so,he got worse-the lumps grew and covered both
>> sides of his body,twisting his spine and making it difficult for him
>> to
>> swim.I put him in a hospital tank and treated him with various dropsy
>> treatments,however,he continued to get worse.
>> In the last week i got a professional fish breeder to look at my
>> fish.He diagnosed pot belly and that there was nothing I could do. I
>> n recent days, he has stopped feeding, swimming, and the lumps have
>> grown. I can now see veins etc. in the growth through his skin. He
>> has
>> lost an amazing amount of condition and is so thin now. The lump
>> feels
>> soft to touch.
>> Is he on the verge of death? Should I euthanise him? Or is there
>> something I can give him to ease the symptoms?Any advice greatly
>> appreciated.
>>
>>
>> --
>> Sue-
>
>
> --
> Sue

[Squeek]

http://groups.msn.com/FishHealth/euthanasia.msnw

Hope this helps aswell!
"Sue" > wrote in message
...
>
> Thank you all so much for your help and advice. At this stage I pretty
> much knew it couldnt be dropsy, but didnt know the lump could be
> cancerous. It sounds about right though....seeing as he is in pain I
> think ill euthanise him and put him out of his misery. Is vodka a quick
> and painless method to use?? I cant decapitate him (however efficient
> this may be) because im too attached to him =( Thanks again for all
> your help.
> Squeek Wrote:
>> I do think the best thing is to euthanise the fish.....its suffereing a
>> great deal...poor thing....its not good at all that something as scary
>> as
>> this exists in living things... :-(
>> "Sue" wrote in message
>> ...-
>>
>> I have a 10 mnth old comet who, about six months ago,was diagnosed
>> with
>> dropsy- I started treatment,but to no avail.Although the lumps
>> continued to grow, he ate,swam and survived.
>> In the last month or so,he got worse-the lumps grew and covered both
>> sides of his body,twisting his spine and making it difficult for him
>> to
>> swim.I put him in a hospital tank and treated him with various dropsy
>> treatments,however,he continued to get worse.
>> In the last week i got a professional fish breeder to look at my
>> fish.He diagnosed pot belly and that there was nothing I could do. I
>> n recent days, he has stopped feeding, swimming, and the lumps have
>> grown. I can now see veins etc. in the growth through his skin. He
>> has
>> lost an amazing amount of condition and is so thin now. The lump
>> feels
>> soft to touch.
>> Is he on the verge of death? Should I euthanise him? Or is there
>> something I can give him to ease the symptoms?Any advice greatly
>> appreciated.
>>
>>
>> --
>> Sue-
>
>
> --
> Sue

[Sue]

Thanks a million for all the help and advice. Link was very helpful- planning on using vodka/clove oil method. Have to buy the clove oil first, but will probably do it tommorrow. Will keep you posted. Thanks again =)

[Squeek]

Good luck!
"Sue" > wrote in message
...
>
> Thanks a million for all the help and advice. Link was very helpful-
> planning on using vodka/clove oil method. Have to buy the clove oil
> first, but will probably do it tommorrow. Will keep you posted. Thanks
> again =)
>
>
> --
> Sue

[Geezer From The Freezer]

Squeek wrote:
>
> Good luck!
> "Sue" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > Thanks a million for all the help and advice. Link was very helpful-
> > planning on using vodka/clove oil method. Have to buy the clove oil
> > first, but will probably do it tommorrow. Will keep you posted. Thanks
> > again =)
> >
> >
> > --
> > Sue

I wouldn't use vodka, it burns, I'd just use clove oil til they are
asleep then freeze

[Squeek]

I only meant like a few drops of vodka to break down the oil, making it more
easier to disperse....
Something like this
Add a few drops of vodka to clove oil, put the water to be used for
euthanisation in a large pickiling jar....add clove oil mix and SHAKE like
crazy....
"Geezer From The Freezer" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> Squeek wrote:
>>
>> Good luck!
>> "Sue" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> >
>> > Thanks a million for all the help and advice. Link was very helpful-
>> > planning on using vodka/clove oil method. Have to buy the clove oil
>> > first, but will probably do it tommorrow. Will keep you posted. Thanks
>> > again =)
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > Sue
>
> I wouldn't use vodka, it burns, I'd just use clove oil til they are
> asleep then freeze