At least that’s all I can think of that happened, I woke today to him with a big scratch on his side, pineconing, and swelling around his gills. All I have on hand for anything is dried daphnia for bloating. I’ve had him for over a year now and I got him for my daughter when she was a baby because every kid should have a tank 🥹help me help him 😩
https://i.redd.it/rpcs1nqw4l7g1.jpeg
Posted by Soggy-Shoe8846
1 Comment
So, I wouldn’t immediately blame the cat unless you saw other evidence of the cat being involved. Bettas can get injured lots of ways.
However, the important thing now is treatment. The treatment for dropsy is going to be similar no matter what caused it, but an antibiotic medicine needs to be one of the first things you get in this case because if it was the cat a bacterial infection is probably one of your main issues and likely what is causing the dropsy. I’ll let someone else post the typical treatment for dropsy.
Cats have lots of bacteria on their mouths and claws, moreso than other animals. It is extremely deadly to small animals (and can also cause major issues in humans, cat scratch fever is a real thing).
As for going forward, make sure the tank has a good lid. That’s the best way to prevent cats getting to fish. If your cat has a tendency to try and remove the lid you may need to secure it in place somehow.