Need help deciding on whether to euthanize

Hi all
Okay so first things first, Ive had my betta boy Mordecai since November. When I got him, he had a lump on his butt which has since turned into a massive tumor. He still eats voraciously, but struggles to swim normally.
This morning he began pineconing, which I took as a sure sign of dropsy.
Its still very early, and still very slight, but with how his tumor has only continued to get worse, and quickly, I'm left deciding if I want to make the attempt to cure him if he DOES have dropsy, or if I'd be putting him out of his misery to euthanize him.
It seems like such an obvious choice but if anyone has any ideas or alternatives that don't require euthanization I would really love to hear them.
Thank you.

 

Dropsy is a symptom rather than a disease. As such it's very hard to treat, and rarely successful. I don't want to sound cold but your chances of curing him sound slim. But at the end of the day, only you can make that decision on when it's the right choice.

 

Dropsy is a symptom rather than a disease. As such it's very hard to treat, and rarely successful. I don't want to sound cold but your chances of curing him sound slim. But at the end of the day, only you can make that decision on when it's the right choice.

Thank you for the honest response.

 

Dropsy is a symptom rather than a disease. As such it's very hard to treat, and rarely successful. I don't want to sound cold but your chances of curing him sound slim. But at the end of the day, only you can make that decision on when it's the right choice.

This is a hurried response is it not? We don't even know the full details, water chemistry or have pictures.

 

This is a hurried response is it not? We don't even know the full details, water chemistry or have pictures.

Dropsy is a symptom of internal organ failure which can be caused by myriad diseases. Many of these we can't identify as hobbyists.

I truly wish I could paint a more rosy picture but most often dropsy proves fatal. Curing it doesn't happen often at all. Pair that with a massive tumor and it further decreases chances.

It brings me no joy, but I stand by my response.

 

Dropsy is a symptom of internal organ failure which can be caused by myriad diseases. Many of these we can't identify as hobbyists.

I truly wish I could paint a more rosy picture but most often dropsy proves fatal. Curing it doesn't happen often at all. Pair that with a massive tumor and it further decreases chances.

It brings me no joy, but I stand by my response.

Objectively we cannot confirm if it is dropsy from just a simple text post. It would be irresponsible to recommend or imply euthanasia is the best route until there is a full understanding of what has been going on. If it is dropsy, it doesn't appear out of no where. I'm well aware of the condition and it's causes. I was simply asking for water parameters, background info and most importantly pictures to confirm it.

 

Objectively we cannot confirm if it is dropsy from just a simple text post. It would be irresponsible to recommend or imply euthanasia is the best route until there is a full understanding of what has been going on. If it is dropsy, it doesn't appear out of no where. I'm well aware of the condition and it's causes. I was simply asking for water parameters, background info and most importantly pictures to confirm it.

My approach to this forum is generally to just answer what is being asked. The OP didn't ask "does my fish have dropsy?". They made that assessment, and for all I know they have 10x the experience that I do. They asked about the moral dilemma, so that's what I addressed.

 

I haven’t regretted euthanising a sick fish with clove oil, and I’ve really regretted not doing it for some nasty deaths

 

My approach to this forum is generally to just answer what is being asked. The OP didn't ask "does my fish have dropsy?". They made that assessment, and for all I know they have 10x the experience that I do. They asked about the moral dilemma, so that's what I addressed.

Fair enough, but I personally cannot answer what was asked without additional information. What if they aren't as experienced? I didn't want to jump to conclusions.

I haven’t regretted euthanising a sick fish with clove oil, and I’ve really regretted not doing it for some nasty deaths

what we are trying to discern is the sickness of the fish. There's not a lot of solid info to go off of.

 

I was gone for two weeks, and left my four bettas and ten neon tetras in the care of my roommate. Not the most experienced person, but I came back every few days to do a water change and make sure they were doing okay. They had vacation feeders. Mordecai, the betta who was displaying symptoms, had already began to struggle with swimming a few weeks ago, as the tumor was affecting his tail function and was very close to his swim bladder. The day I came home, I noticed his scales were just slightly raised, and I had a gut feeling. I'd never seen pineconing in my fish before, but I knew about "dropsy" and did some research. He was still eating and swimming, so I second guessed my gut. I moved him to a hospital tank, did epsom salt baths to relieve the swelling, daily water changes, treated the tank with medication (artemiss was the only thing I could get my hands on in time) and fed him hikari food if he would eat. And he did, up until two days ago.
He'd been lethargic, truly lethargic, for a day, and was just floating mouth-up at the top of the water. I went to work, came home, and he was on his back at the bottom of the tank breathing softly.
I made the decision to euthanize him knowing that his quality of life would never be the same whether he recovered or not. And as he continued to bloat, recovery seemed increasingly unlikely.
I used close oil and an air stone, and it only took him about ten minutes for his gills to stop moving. I gave him an extra half hour to assure he was dead, and then cremated him.
Thank you to those of you that gave me a little more peace of mind I was doing what's best for him. I've never had to euthanize a fish, but I knew one day I would have to. I'm still very upset, but I think having the experience will be valuable going forward.