Benzoak Vet

• Sedation and anaesthetization of salmon and trout
• Withdrawal time: 7 degree days
• Easy to use – already in solution, no buffer

Benzoak vet is formulated as a stock solution in 1L bottles with an incorporated dozer. Prepare the bath to the appropriate concentration by slowly adding stock solution to the water while thoroughly stirring the water before adding the fish. Make sure the water is well oxygenated.

General considerations for fish anaesthetization:

Anaesthetics are prescribed by the veterinarian. For the successful use of anaesthetics, it is important to make the following considerations:

• The type of procedure to be performed. Different procedures require different levels of anaesthesia.
• The desired induction time.
• The water temperature (increasing water temperatures decrease the induction time).
• The fish size (increasing fish size increases the induction time) and the fish species (different dosages and tolerance for different anaesthetic products).
• Risk factors related to the recovery period.
• The choice of dosage – always use the lowest effective concentration.
• Remember that dosage and exposure time will act cumulatively to determine the level of anaesthesia reached.

Good management of immersion anaesthesia depend upon controlling the water quality during the anaesthetization. This is particularly important when many fish are treated at once. During anesthesia, the fish must be closely monitored. It is recommended to test a few fish before general application.

Oxygenate the bath. The water temperature and the water source should be the same in the anaesthetic tank as in the stock tank. For most procedures, the fish should maintain spontaneous ventilation throughout the procedure. When the adequate anesthetic level is achieved, fish must be flushed with fresh water to reverse anaesthesia.

After lice counting, an appropriate bucket can be used with continually flowing seawater to flush the fish before releasing it back into the sea cage. This provides a faster and more controlled recovery.

During vaccination procedures, where a large number of fish are immersed into an anaesthetic bath, fish must be flushed with fresh water when coming out of the bath to rinse away the anaesthetics from the gills and skin, thus preventing further absorption of the drug and deeper unnecessary anaesthesia. A water hose of appropriate diameter and water flow may function as a recovery bath. Ensure an oxygen saturation of 70-100% in the water hose. The fish should regain equilibrium before going back into the stock tank. If the fish does not regain equilibrium, consider:

• increasing the length of the water hose
• reducing the water flow in the water hose
• reevalutating the concentration in the anaesthetic bath as well as exposure time

Complete information on the use of Benzoak vet can be found in the Product information available in English on this web page.

For further questions regarding the product or fish anaesthesia, please contact Karl Ove Reinsnes. Email karl.ove.reinsnes@stim.no or phone +47 416 77 778.

Recommended literature for vets interested in fish anaesthesia: Anaesthetic and Sedative Techniques for Aquatic Animals, Third Edition. Ross and Ross.