My beta fish is bloated looking. Advice?

Little Mis

I have a male beta. I have had him for 3 years now. About a month ago, he got all fat around the middle, like crazy bloated. He seems fine otherwise. He is always at the top of his bowl. He still eats, is not titlting sideways or anything. I use filtered water (non chlorinated), always change out his water every 10 days, make sure it's room temperature before putting him in.

So honestly I keep thinking he's going to die, but each day he's not dead. I feel bad for him, he looks miserable.
It's better than the cup he came in! I tried one in a tank once and it died really quick. They always do better in bowls for me. I've had several live 3 years each in bowls.

Oh and this doesn't look like dropsy because his quills aren't sticking out.
According to Squiddo, it could be constipation. Though he is shitting, his water right now is full of shit. I need to change it.

Answer
Noseless, Katie & Book Shelf are right. Yes, the bowl is better than the cup he came in, but that's not really a true comparison as it's not meant to be his home, just for sale & transport. So tho it is def better, it's still not meeting his needs, & is kinda like saying a dog living in a crate 24/7 is ok cuz it's better than the cage he was in @ the shelter. Nothing >2.5-3 gallons (& some say nothing >5 gallons) is ok for one betta. You can cycle a larger tank (5+ gallons) which is less work, water & $ for you & less stress for your bettas over time. You can keep an uncycled tank, but it's more work. As for your other one that died quickly he was likely already ill or wasn't acclimated before he was added to the tank.

As to why he's fat, the bloating could be a # of things:
1) Constipation-His stomach is only the size of her eye, so feed 2-3 pieces/day, 6 days/wk., fast 1 day/wk. If he's getting more it's likely constipation. Fast him for a day & feed 1/4 of the insides of a de-shelled, cooked pea on the end of a toothpick-this will help clean her out, so to speak. Make sure the peas don't contain salt, since it causes water retention.

2) Food-Flakes, pellets & freeze dried food have lots of filler that bettas can't digest, can cause bloating problems in sensitive and old bettas & are the least nutritious. PetSmart/Petco sell frozen foods: brine shrimp, bloodworms, glassworms, etc. for $4-5/bubble pack of food, which are easier for them to digest, much more nutritious, more palable & don't normally present the same digestive issues unless the fish is severely overfed. If you do feed pellets, soak them for a few minutes before feeding; otherwise they'll expand in her stomach which can also cause bloating & digestion issues.

3) Swim bladder (SB) issues can also mean that the betta can't swim down w/o difficulty or gets pulled to the top when he tries. SB issues are brought on by cold or poor water quality & can normally be corrected by fixing those underlyig issues.

Despite the cause of his bloating there are a few other things that need to be altered:
1) Bettas are tropical fish & need water @ a steady 78 degrees. Cooler temps. cause color loss, clamped fins, lethargy, digestive issues, loss of appetite, stress, illness &/or death. 1-gallon (7.5 or 10 watt heater @ PetSmart and PetCo), 2.5-3 gallons: 25 watt heater (@ most pet stores), 5 gallons: 50 watt heater (@ most pet stores).

2) Water changes remove ammonia, which is toxic & forms in water from uneaten food, waste, his breathing. It's colorless & odorless so you can't tell if the water's ok by seeing if it "looks clean." For uncycled 100% water change tanks: 1 gallon: change 100% of the water (& rinse off plants, gravel, take the fish out, etc.) every other day; 2.5-3 gallons 2-3 times/week; 5 gallons 1-2 x's/week. In that size tank, w/2 fish you need to be taking them out, rinsing off the gravel, decor & plants & changing all the water every other day. Do NOT do this w/the filter tho if the tank's cycled; if it's not the filter serves no biological purpose & way as well be left out. Many people say not to change all the water but w/uncycled tanks you MUST; otherwise the ammonia levels, which are toxic, continually rise since you're leaving some in w/every water change. Because of the this, the % of ammonia in the water also rises each time. Any ammonia is enough to stress, sicken or kill fish, so none is the only ok amount. In a cycled tank, you'd change 10-25% of the water & vacuum 1/3 of the gravel 1x/wk.

3) Water conditioner that removes chlorine, chloramine & heavy metals needs to be added @ every water change. AquaClear (Walmart, PetSmart) or Novaquel & Prime used together (PetSmart) are both good brands.

Check Craigslist, freecycle,com, Ebay, backpage.com or online fish forums for the above items as people usually sell tanks &/or equipment cheaply or give them away.

Is there anything I can do about being pestered at Petsmart?

Q. Every time I have gone to Petsmart now somebody there has tried to sell me their training classes. I'm so annoyed because I'll go in looking for one thing, they ask me what I'm looking for, and then start going on and on about their training classes. This is getting irritating because I can't even ask where something is without them telling me I need to take my dog to training classes. One time I was looking for agility equipment, another time I was looking for a specific type of collar, and then another time I was looking for a specific kind of crate. I have said I'm not interested in their classes, but it's really getting annoying that I can't even ask where something is without somebody trying to put in a plug for their classes. I almost snapped on the guy tonight as he assumed by dog wasn't trained because I wanted agility equipment.
I think I will try to get in touch with the gm then and just let them know it is irritating. I'm sure I'm not the only person annoyed by it. I have never had this problem at a Petsmart before.
Glenn- Really? I didn't know they did all of that and I have never been to a mall or a department store. Yeah..obviously I'm that dense...

Answer
why not go and ask to speak to a manager about it.. let them know that you are annoyed that the employees are soliciting the training classes.. perhaps when you are looking for a particular item, they should try to show you products that are more related to the item you want.

I could see if they had AGILITY classes to offer when you asked for agility equipment.. but not their basic obedience classes.


ADDED
Yes, sometimes employees are told to push a particular item. I work at walmart, and when we run registers, we are suppossed to push the credit card applications. I know that people find that annoying tho, and I dont push it on every single customer.. simply because I KNOW that's annoying! I leave the information where it can easily be seen, and may suggest it if I feel a customer seems interested.

In my department, I will suggest related items if I see a customer looking at something particular. I see no reason to push the sale of an unrelated item, when they are obviously not looking for such a thing.

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How much does it cost to take care of a dog?

Valerie

My brothers friend's dad found a dog that was left at his work and they cannot find the owner, so my mom said we could maybe keep it. she just wants to know how much the crate will cost and all of the accessories, plus the trips to the vet. please tell me the prices of the things listed below if you know! thx in advance!
Food?
Crate?
Vet trips?
Toys?
Clothes?

Answer
Food: I double checked this on the walmart website and a medium size 8kg bag of of regular food (Dog Chow, Beneful) costs around $20.00. Dogs really only need fed twice a day and if you avoid overfeeding (follow directions from the bag or ask your vet) you shouldn't be over spending on food. Shop around, different stores can have different prices or sales. My large dog probably goes through a large bag at least once a month but she is a puppy (technically doesn't look like it though) so she gets fed more/ Our medium sized dog (cocker spaniel) takes around a month to work through a medium bag if that helps.

Crate: Dog crates can be upwards from $50 (again wal-mart) but its not a necessary thing right away so you can take your time trying to find used ones for cheaper. My dogs don't have crates, instead they each have an old comforter (the spaniel destroyed his last bed when he got mad at us so no more expensiive bedding in our house) and they both like to lay in their corner or wherever the blanket is at that moment. A dog should have something soft (and their's, not your mom's favorite rug) to lie on available most of the time, especially if you don't want them on the couch.

Vet bills: I don't know where you live but I can give you the prices from my clinic, however keep in mind that this one is rural are government subsidized so a city price can be several times as much depending on where you go.

Because its a stray, vaccinations should be started from scratch as you don not know for sure if the dog has ever been vaccinated. The dog will need it's first distemper shot (approx $38) and in a month it will need a booster for this, same price as before. This is necessary or the first shot will be useless, this shot protects against several life threatening illnesses. The next shot is the rabies shot(approx$26) which for obvious reasons is necessary to be given to your dog. Both of these vaccinations will need to be boosted again in a year and then you can move to having them done every other year. At my clinic an examination is included with each vaccination so most people eventually switch to a program wherethey altenate shots every year, that way they don't pay as much in a single shot and their dog gets the health check each year.

In addition to shots you can deworm the dog, which I recommend just in case it has eaten something like a bird or a muskrat. Deworming can cost $10-15 I think, it really depends on the size of your dog. You can also do a topical flea treatment that also deworms so you basically hit two birds with one stone. (similar in pricing as dewormer)

These are just the basic components to keeping up with your dogs health care, I really recommend taking the dog to the vet and asking for "the works" basically. You want to start out right with your dog and getting him healthy with go a long way to making him/her a great pet. While there they can help you with any questions you may have. They can also check to see if the dog has been spayed/neutered, if it hasn't then please please please do, I know its an added cost but it makes for a much nicer pet and reduces their risk of developing cancer (mammary/prostate). I know the initial cost of everything seems like quite a lot but after the first visit its not as bad.

Toys: Most dogs like to be busy so toys can be fun. Its really up to you to find out what your dog likes to play with and go from there but I'll tell you what my dogs like: Lucy(large dog) loves to chew, I got her a kong, which I totally recommend as an awesome toy. Kongs come in different shapes and types of toys but they are virtually indestructible ($5-15) on average it depends what you are getting. Rawhides can be expensive when you think about it, som type sell for like $7 for two but you can get a bag of them for around 10.
Charlie(medium) loves balls, especially the rubber ones with bells inside, they cost about four dollars at superstore. Both dogs love milkbones (they get one at bedtime) again its a choice to spend the money and different stores have different prices, in my experience petvalu sells them at a decent price. the dogs also love empty milk jugs, which cost the price of...milk, they love runing around with them and pushing them across the snow same goes for 2L pop bottles (wouldn't let them chew them though)

Clothes: I would say not necessary unless its a short haired dog like a doberman or a chihuahua and is in contact with cold weather, then its nice to get them a winter coat if they`re spending an extanded amount of time outside. Don`t know the price though...

Extras: licensing, some areas ask for your dog to be licensed. (price will vary too for depending on area I`m sure)Also you will need a collar, and leash for sure. My clinic sells collars and leashes 10-15 dollars each, rogz is a great brand with fun styles and sturdy designs!

Hope this helps!

Where is the best place to buy a dog crate?

shakeyour@

I've been looking for a dog crate for my beagle/ basset hound but everywhere is so expensive! I bought a mesh one from walmart but she ripped that right up. Even Walmart for a cheap one is min 50 dollars for crappy quality! I keep looking on ebay but they are all too expensive too. If anyone knows of any place to buy a good quality dog crate for less money please let me know. Thanks!

Answer
You could try posting it as a need on freecycle.org...you could post a "want to buy" on craigslist.com, or you could try local rummage sales. Do any of your local radio stations have a program to buy/sell/trade items?

A crate is going to cost in the $50-$100 range for that size. I bought a nice one at Sportsman's Warehouse for my toy dog that was reasonably priced. Tractor Supply used to have the best prices on crates. Check out farm stores/hunting supply stores in your area for crates...they often have lower prices on pet supplies (and they are often much higher quality, as well).

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I MIGHT be getting my first dog soon, need some help?

dog crates for sale walmart image

Stark

We are TALKING about getting a dog. So i need your help with figuring out costs for a medium/large breed dog. I live in an apartment that requires a $400 pet deposit and $15 a month for your pets rent. Adoption fee should be around $100-150. I work at a vet clinic, so i get a 50% discount on Everything plus free exams. I figure $50 for vaccines and around $100 for neuter if niether are already done. $60 for year round heartgard. These are based on prices at my clinic with my discount. A dog license is $7. Things that i don't know prices for are food bowls, collar and leash, toys, and crate. Also, cost for obedience training. And food cost per month. Is there any other costs i am missing? Is there any other good advice you can give me about owning a dog? I have done a lot of research, and i work with dogs everyday. But i want to make sure i do what is best for my dog. We are not posotive yet if we are getting one, I just want to be prepared. We plan to adopt an adult dog.
i do plan to adopt from my local humane society where i used to volunteer. I don't have an overly busy schedule, my boyfriend and i both work, but we have weekends off, and we work different hours, so the dog would not be home for long periods of time. I just prefer adult dogs to puppies. Though we live in an apartment, i do want a medium/large sized dog, we will be taking him for walks at LEAST once daily, but probably also in the evening. And there will be plenty of play time inside. thank you for any help.

Answer
I like the convenience of one-stop shopping. If you like that, I'd recommend PetSmart because they are a large store with better prices overall and a large inventory of supplies to choose from, varying in price. Also, depending on your dogs needs, the type of collar, leash or "Easy Walk" you might get can vary.
PetSmart has an excellent food that is a bit cheaper than other premium foods (and better than many of the premium foods)- I'd recommend their Authority Harvest Baked. That would cost you about 30 dollars a month. I feed my dogs Nature's Recipe because one has a sensitive stomach. I add Pet Botanics Lamb Log and Beef Log sliced and cubed- and mix it in their food.
Treats are something that I spend about 20 dollars a month for three dogs.
Toys: Big stores have big sales. Some essentials are objects for chewing like a Kong, large Nylabones, hard biscuits. Your initial expense will of course be quite a bit more if you get everything at once.
Dogs are often destructive with dog beds or they tear easily or wear out soon. What I do for my dogs is fold a king sized comforter two times and it makes a comfortable bed they can arrange as they like and it is easily washable. I get them from a store like Family Dollar or WalMart on sale and for less than 25 dollars you can have a great bed.
PetSmart offers beginner obedience classes for a reasonable price. Basically your dog will get to socialize and learn the basics like sit, down, stay, come, etc. If you get an adult dog he or she will likely know a lot of that already but the socialization would be good. Daily walks outside of their yard or house is important.
Many places have great dog parks now that are free. My city has at least four that I know of, funded by the city.
For food and water bowls I like the stainless steel ones and you can get a stand which holds two bowls and is adjustable to height. I can't remember how much that was, but it was well worth the purchase. Another thing I have is an air tight container to store their food in to eliminate the bug factor and smell.

Good discount pet store?

Megan Stof

Looking for dog items. Crates, carriers, clothes, dog beds, leashes, collars. Lower priced than petsmart, ect.

No online stores.

Thanks,
Megan
I live in Pittsburgh, PA, if that helps

Answer
Walmart has a limited selection in their stores but you can order online from them and have them ship to the store. It is called site to store. This works well for larger items such as crates and carriers that would cost a lot to ship. Site to Store shipping at Walmart is free and they usually can have the item there in a few days. You can also return it to your local Walmart if you are not satisfied. We use Petedge for our online orders and they are less expensive and have quality products. You other options are to look for sale prices at Petsmart and Petco.

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