Fish Pain Management in Veterinary Practice

Fish pain management is an emerging area of veterinary practice as evidence for fish nociception has grown and fish as companion animals has increased.

Key Facts

Lidocaine and MS-222 are commonly used analgesics and anesthetics in fish veterinary practice
Companion fish including koi and goldfish are increasingly receiving veterinary surgery with appropriate pain management
Fish show behavioral responses to analgesics consistent with pain relief including reduced fin flicking and improved recovery
The evidence for fish nociception is now sufficient that most veterinary professional organizations recommend pain management for invasive procedures
Opioid receptors have been identified in multiple fish species, indicating potential for opioid-based analgesia

Welfare Considerations

Fish pain management in veterinary practice represents a frontier where scientific understanding and clinical practice are rapidly converging. As evidence for fish nociception has accumulated, the veterinary profession has begun developing protocols for pain management during surgical and invasive procedures in fish. This is particularly relevant for koi and ornamental fish whose owners invest significantly in their care. The development of fish-specific analgesic protocols, delivery methods, and welfare monitoring tools is advancing rapidly and will increasingly inform aquaculture welfare practice as well.

What You Can Do

Seek veterinary practices with fish medicine expertise for surgical procedures on companion fish
Support the development of fish pain management protocols in veterinary education
Advocate for pain management requirements in aquaculture certification standards
Learn about fish nociception and the evidence for fish pain experience
Support research into effective and practical fish analgesic approaches