Pain Management in Goldfish
Fish · Carassius auratus · typical adult weight 0.01–3.00 kg
2 cited drugs treat Pain Management in goldfish: 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 goldfish — 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.44.Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure. |
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.210. — 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. |
| 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.210.Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure. |
Other conditions in Goldfish
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.