Pain Management in Goldfishes
Fish · Carassius auratus · typical adult weight 0.01–3.00 kg
2 cited drugs treat Pain Management in goldfishes: Buprenorphine, Morphine.
Multimodal analgesia spanning NSAIDs, opioids, local anaesthetics, NMDA antagonists (ketamine), α2 agonists, and adjuncts. Species safety matters: NSAIDs are unsafe in some reptiles, opioid receptor distributions differ in birds, and rabbits tolerate buprenorphine particularly well.
The overview above describes Pain Management across species; the citations below are the ExoticRx dose rules scoped to goldfishes — a reference list, not new species-specific clinical guidance.
Buprenorphine(Simbadol, Buprenex)
Analgesic| Route | Dose | Frequency | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| i.m. | 0.01–0.1 mg/kg | not stated in the cited source | Analgesia | Moderate | Ramsey I, ed. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed. Part B: Exotic Pets. Gloucester: British Small Animal Veterinary Association; 2023. p.58. — LOCATOR CONVENTION 2026-08-07: the bare 'p.58' in this citation is the PDF index of the held scan, not the printed page. The PRINTED page is p.44; verified by finding the drug named there. If you are holding the book, turn to p.44. — SOURCE EDITION: BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, Part B — Exotic Pets — ISBN 9781910443712, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781910443712 |
Morphine
Analgesic| Route | Dose | Frequency | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| i.m. | 5 mg/kg | not stated in the cited source | Analgesia | Moderate | Ramsey I, ed. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed. Part B: Exotic Pets. Gloucester: British Small Animal Veterinary Association; 2023. p.224. — CORROBORATED 2026-08-06 by independent literature: Use of a shuttle box model to assess the behavioral and analgesic effects of opioid injections in goldfish (Carassius auratus). (American journal of veterinary research, 2024). doi:10.2460/ajvr.24.06.0172. https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.24.06.0172. The paper reports this drug at this dose in this species: ". First, opioid effects were tested in a shuttle box without painful stimulus. Fish were injected 5 […]". This is a second source alongside the book already cited; it corroborates the figure and does not by itself establish that the dose is correct. ROUTE DIFFERS: this rule is I.M. but the sentence quoted describes IM. The dose figure is corroborated; the route is not. — LOCATOR CONVENTION 2026-08-07: the bare 'p.224' in this citation is the PDF index of the held scan, not the printed page. The PRINTED page is p.210; verified by finding the drug named there. If you are holding the book, turn to p.210. — SOURCE EDITION: BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, Part B — Exotic Pets — ISBN 9781910443712, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781910443712 |
| intracoelomic | 40 mg/kg | not stated in the cited source | Analgesia | Moderate | Ramsey I, ed. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed. Part B: Exotic Pets. Gloucester: British Small Animal Veterinary Association; 2023. p.224. — LOCATOR CONVENTION 2026-08-07: the bare 'p.224' in this citation is the PDF index of the held scan, not the printed page. The PRINTED page is p.210; verified by finding the drug named there. If you are holding the book, turn to p.210. — SOURCE EDITION: BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, Part B — Exotic Pets — ISBN 9781910443712, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781910443712 |
Other conditions in Goldfishes
Sourced from published veterinary references; awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer. See our editorial process. Reference only — not veterinary advice. Verify against current literature before clinical use.