Euthanasia - is it morally sound?

[jeremy.gosnell]

I raise clownfish. I have to cull as many as 50%. So what?

A clownfish cull I believe is very different from euthanasia as discussed in this article. Most marine fish breeders (and animal breeders in general) cull some of their stock to promote positive genetic traits. Believe it or not, even some dog breeders will either euthanize or give away puppies that don't meet certain breed standards. Fish that have been bred haven't been taken from the wild, therefore their fate makes no impact on natural reef ecosystems. My Goldendoodle was bred by an upscale breeder here in MD, but didn't meet the breeder's specifications. If someone hadn't given the puppy a home, it would have been euthanized. The moral ambiguity of this is a discussion for another place, as it doesn't really coincide with euthanasia as in a private aquarist deciding if a fish can be treated or recover and making the decision to end their life, in order to reduce suffering.

I would say the same about feeding live fish as food for larger predators. Certain predatory fish require live food fish, just as they would in their natural environment. Regardless of what we feed our fish, whether it is frozen food, pelleted food, etc - chances are it was something that was once alive. Following the natural food chain in captivity is only, well, natural.

It's also worth noting that euthanasia doesn't stop with marine fish. It extends to corals and other invertebrates. I've known aquarists who simply "throw out" corals that show signs of disease or tissue necrosis. I've gotten colonies from fellow reefers, that they intended to toss due to a minor issue that simply required some fragging and dipping. Again, the moral question here is that many of these animals came from a wild reef and the potential for aquarists to simply discard and replace, rather than treat and save, becomes the moral question, at least in my view.

 

[EMeyer]

With sincere respect :
When raising issues of "ethics" and "morality" in a conversation about animals, it would be wise to begin by recognizing that its a matter of opinion whether these are even relevant concepts for a discussion about animals.

To assume we all think there is an ethical problem with killing animals is like starting a conversation about immigration by assuming we all favor open borders, or starting a conversation about economics by assuming we all favor the theories of Karl Marx.

Yes, I deliberately chose contraversial viewpoints as my examples. Because the idea that killing a fish is ethically wrong (or can be ethically wrong) is also controversial, and these conversations would do well to recognize this up front.

For myself? When I am fishing, I kill the fish humanely because suffering doesnt benefit anyone. If an aquarium fish was suffering bad enough, I suppose I'd do the same. When I have some coral that needs to go, I don't hesitate to simply throw it in the trash. (For cryin out loud, corals don't even have a central nervous system , let alone a brain!)

But in none of these cases do I view it as some ethical dilemma, any more so than I do when I pull weeds from my garden.

 

[Lissa1987]

Euthanasia is absolutely morally/ethically sound when done appropriately. You should try and be a veterinarian It's no fun, but part of the stewardship responsibility we have for any living thing that is within our care.

CVT here... have held many pets with or without their owners, including mine. Would do the same thing every time even though it breaks your heart...especially when it is one of those days at the clinic where you have to do it way too many times...I have never seen/been with a pet where I didn’t think it was the best option.

 

[Lissa1987]

My problem is that I don't think I could ever bring myself to personally euthanize a fish, even if it was suffering and there was no hope of recovery. I have a lot of trouble even agreeing to delegate the task of euthanize a dog or cat to a vet. Even though I know, logically, that it's best for the animal, emotionally, I can't handle it.[/QUOT
And that is why, in veterinary medicine, we do it for you if ou know it is the best option and the right thing to do...we step up.

 

[Lissa1987]

Overall, I think euthanasia is a morally sound concept, for both pets and human beings. It's taboo in America, largely due to laws surrounding standard of care and options for ending life before it does naturally. However, I think a person has the right of choice, when deciding how much longer they will endure suffering. For pets, euthanasia is sometimes the only viable options. I've had to euthanize pets from dogs on down to fish.

Where we enter a morally shaky area in aquaria, is when aquarists euthanize fish, simply because they don't want to take the time and incur the costs associated with saving them. It's hard to believe this happens, but I've known several aquarists who routinely euthanized fish in order to prevent infections from spreading and to dodge the process involved in bringing a fish to recovery. One aquarist I knew years ago, routinely euthanized fish if they came down with any illness that he felt threatened other species. What's ironic is that this aquarist did not employ quarantine or hospitalization. He simply killed a fish if it got sick.

This is why in the article, I state that among advanced aquarists euthanasia is likely done under the right guidelines. Those of us whom have been in the hobby for a while now, are often able to know when a fish simply isn't going to recover. There might be instances where we get it wrong, but overall I think an advanced aquarist is capable of making that call.

It's a tough debate, because in reality, veterinarians and animal shelters euthanize pets even when they don't have a terminal or incurable illness. I've known people who took their dogs to the vets, only to have it diagnosed with a treatable illness, but the human owner didn't want to incur the cost of treatment. In these cases, the dog was euthanized. Shelters do this routinely to reduce animal populations and accept new animals.

It's very easy to say, "People shouldn't get pets if they can't afford, or don't want to commit to taking care of them." However, I imagine every day someone purchases a pet they can either not afford to, or won't commit to, taking care of. Looking at the bigger picture, euthanasia is part of a larger conversation about how we treat companion pets, fish included.

I do however think when properly administered by an advanced aquarist, euthanasia remains a humane, morally sound proposal. One thing that provides some comfort is the thought that a fish (or any animal) kept by someone unable to afford treatment, or unwilling to provide it - may be better euthanizei ad then stuck under the care of that individual.

Although I agree with you on most points, I have NEVER worked with a veterinarian (I’m a certified vet tech) that was willing to euthanize a healthy animal. Yes, if the prognosis was not good or even iffy- if the animal was suffering, that would be a humane end. If the problem/disease was easily treated, the vets I worked with would not euthanize. (We had a daughter of a client who came in with two older but very healthy dogs and wanted them euthanized so they could be buried with her mother. They said no) I have seen some cases where the animal was in bad shape...likely could have saved them with the appropriate resources, but the people could not afford it. When you know the animal will be sent home, in the same condition and will likely die slowly, or be shot by the owners so they can end their suffering, yes i have had my vets do that. It is all in what the other options are, but i have never known a vet who would eauthanize for convenience.

 

[Lissa1987]

A clownfish cull I believe is very different from euthanasia as discussed in this article. Most marine fish breeders (and animal breeders in general) cull some of their stock to promote positive genetic traits. Believe it or not, even some dog breeders will either euthanize or give away puppies that don't meet certain breed standards. Fish that have been bred haven't been taken from the wild, therefore their fate makes no impact on natural reef ecosystems. My Goldendoodle was bred by an upscale breeder here in MD, but didn't meet the breeder's specifications. If someone hadn't given the puppy a home, it would have been euthanized. The moral ambiguity of this is a discussion for another place, as it doesn't really coincide with euthanasia as in a private aquarist deciding if a fish can be treated or recover and making the decision to end their life, in order to reduce suffering.

I would say the same about feeding live fish as food for larger predators. Certain predatory fish require live food fish, just as they would in their natural environment. Regardless of what we feed our fish, whether it is frozen food, pelleted food, etc - chances are it was something that was once alive. Following the natural food chain in captivity is only, well, natural.

It's also worth noting that euthanasia doesn't stop with marine fish. It extends to corals and other invertebrates. I've known aquarists who simply "throw out" corals that show signs of disease or tissue necrosis. I've gotten colonies from fellow reefers, that they intended to toss due to a minor issue that simply required some fragging and dipping. Again, the moral question here is that many of these animals came from a wild reef and the potential for aquarists to simply discard and replace, rather than treat and save, becomes the moral question, at least in my view.

Wow, i dont know where you live, but i have never heard of a breeder euthanizing a puppy unless there was a debilitating congenital defect. Rehoming for free, sure...making sure the animal was sterilized(so they could not be bred) before rehoming or selling for a VERY reduced fee, sure. Even handing the puppy over to a breed specific rescue. I am also not sure how this would happen....Breeders normally dont have access to the medications used for euthanasia and atleast, thankfully, in my experience- i have never met a vet that would partake in that.... Very scary thought if that actually goes on in some places...