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There are various diseases that can affect your betta.  Most betta fish diseases are caused by poor water quality, so you can prevent many by keeping the water clean.  Some of the most common illnesses include fin rot, velvet, and popeye.  This article will discuss some of these illnesses.

Fin Rot

Fin rot is one of the most common diseases.  If you keep a betta long enough, you will probably have to deal with it at least once.  This condition is characterized by the tail or fins rotting away.  It can quickly become a problem if you allow the water to stay unclean too long.  Although the tail or fins will grow back once treatment begins, it will take some time. 

Popeye

Popeye is also one of the most common betta fish diseases.  Like fin rot, it’s caused by unclean water which leads to a bacterial infection.  This condition is quite easy to spot as your fish’s eyes will literally bulge out of his head.  It can be disgusting the first time you see it.  Popeye needs to be treated with antibiotics and frequent water changes.

Velvet

Unlike the two aforementioned diseases, velvet is caused by a parasite.  It is highly contagious and can quickly spread to other fish in the tank.  Affected fish will attempt to get rid of the parasite by rubbing themselves against hard objects.  Other signs of velvet include rapid gill movement, weight loss, loss of appetite, and lethargy.

This illness presents a problem because it’s usually diagnosed in an advanced stage.  Therefore, you would need to start treatment as quickly as possible.  TO treat this condition, you will need to dim the lights, add copper sulphate to the water, and raise the temperature to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.  Your fish may also have a hard time breathing.  Aquarium salt will help remedy this.

Dropsy

Dropsy is one of the most serious betta fish diseases.  It is usually fatal.  This illness results from kidney failure which causes fluid to build-up inside your fish.  You can easily spot his swollen belly.  If he also has raised scales, it’s a pretty safe bet that he has dropsy.  Unfortunately, there is no cure and most bettas die within a couple of weeks.

The mouth of an adult cat comprises of 15 teeth. Majority of them are tiny. Compared to the other teeth, the canines are the biggest in terms of size, edge and length. Cats catch and grasp their food with these fangs. They use canines to shred their prey into pieces.

Cats possess extremely specialized teeth used for shredding of meat. The first premolar and molar comprise the carnassials pair, present on both the sides of the cat’s mouth. This pair functions effectively to tear meat and thus acts as scissor. Canids also possess them, but they are highly evolved in felines. In addition, papillae or razor sharp spines are present on its tongue. These spines are beneficial for retaining and tearing the flesh of a prey. The tiny keratin having backward facing hooks also help in the grooming of a cat.

A cat uses different types of phonations for communication, because of its oral mouth structure.

Ears:

A cat can direct its hearing since it possesses single muscles in both the ears. The movements of both the ears are independent of each other. Most cats possess straight ears directed upwards. Some cats also have folded ears called Scottish Folds. Other cats have curled ears that resemble the Highlanders. Such ears are due to genetic mutation.

Cats use ears as a source of expression when they are scared or angry. They lay their ears back accompanied by hissing or growling voices. This is regarded as a caution from the cat. At times, when cats are playing, they turn their ears back to hear something behind them. One can effectively interpret a cat’s mood by observing its ears.

Legs:

Cats walk on their toes directly and hence are digitigrades. Each hind paw of a cat is placed almost accurately in the mark of the comparable forepaw, thus reducing sound and visible tracks. This method of walking is termed as register. Cats are less likely to lose their feet even on bumpy terrain.

Many animals move their legs alternately while walking. Cats on the other hand move both their legs in one direction and vice versa while walking. This manner of walking is similar to camels, giraffes, pacer horses and so on. There are not many reasons available to explain this.

All members belonging to the cat family possess retractable claws. In relaxed state, the retractable claws are covered with skin and fur. In a wild cat, this keeps its claws razor sharp despite continual contact with ground. Sheathing of the claws also enables a cat to follow its prey. The forefoot claws are considerably sharper than the hind feet claws. Cats draw out their claws in self-defense, to eat something, and so on. Sometimes, a cat will willingly extend its claw for nail clipping, thus co-operating with a human.

Many felines possess five claws and five or four claws on their front and rear paw respectively. At times, there is a protrusion called a sixth finger. This is called the carpal pad. It functions as an anti-skidding feature.

Blood in cat urine can be caused by many different things. Veterinarians will tell you that cat urine with blood in it can either be “gross”, meaning you can see it with the naked eye, or it may be microscopic, meaning you cannot see it except under a microscope. The medical name for the presence of blood in cat urine is hematuria. Causes of Blood in Cat Urine As mentioned above, there can be many reasons for hematuria in your pet. Some of them include: * Various types of urinary tract infections * Bladder infections * Vaginitis in females * Some forms of urinary cancer * Urinary tract stones * Poisoning (especially from rat poison products) * Accidents or injury As you can see, cat urine with blood in it can be caused by some very serious conditions, all of which need to be treated by a professionally qualified veterinarian. In some cases, blood in cat urine can indicate a life-threatening condition, and getting your pet to the vet quickly can save its life. Other Symptoms Associated with Blood in Cat Urine In addition to seeing cat urine with blood discharges, you may also notice some other signs and symptoms. For instance, you may notice your pet is experiencing pain when urinating. You may also notice that your pet has become weak or is unable to move. There may be pain in the abdominal area, and you may also notice that your pet urinates more often than usual. All of these, along with cat urine with blood in it, are signs of a problem. Treatment of Blood in Cat urine Treatment for cat urine with blood depends on the cause. Your vet may need to do several tests to rule out possible causes. This might include anything from urine test to X-rays. Once the underlying cause has been identified, treatment can begin such as making sure your cat is properly hydrated (drinking enough) or if urinary or bladder stones are blocking the path of the urine. In many cases the reason for blood in cat urine can be treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics will take care of most bacterial infections that lead to cat urine with blood in it. In some cases, you may need to change your pet’s diet to help reduce the presence of cat bladder stones. More often than not, blood in cat urine will require increased levels of hydration. And if poisoning is suspected, additional levels of Vitamin K may be required. The key to remember is that blood in cat urine is not normal and should be reported to your vet as soon as possible. Once the underlying reason for the cat urine with blood is known, treatments can begin and recovery can start. Preventing Cat Urine and Feline Urinary Tract Problems Your cat’s urinary tract leads to the outside of the body so that your cat can urinate. While this allows urine to exit the body, it also provides a path for bacteria to enter. The body uses the chemical makeup of urine (high concentrations of urea) to cleanse the tract and kill organisms such as bacteria to prevent infection. The key to health then is frequent urination which has the effect of “cleansing all the organs in the urinary pathway including the ureters, bladder and kidneys and preventing other problems such as cat bladder infections which leads to problems such as cat urine with blood. You should also make sure your cat’s liter box is clean so bacteria that resides on feces isn’t entering the body. Cat’s by nature may not drink enough water as they tend to get the moisture they need through their food. Dietary change from dry kibble to canned food may be something to try if your cat is subject to feline urinary tract infections or has minor cases of blood in cat urine. You might also try natural remedies which help the urine and urinary tract maintain the PH necessary for the urine to properly cleanse the system. Ingredients such as Arctostaphylos uva ursi, Berberis vulgaris, Cantharis and Staphysagris are known to safely help maintain and possibly have a positive impact on the bladder and urinary tract. Discuss this option with your veterinarian if blood in cat urine is a continuing concern.

Look out for the following symptoms of dog cystitis with bladder stones (crystals):

1. The dog may go to the toilet a lot more than it does usually.
2. It may struggle to produce any urine
3. There may be a small amount of blood in the urine that is produced.

Small crystals forming on blood cells and bladder lining cells are what cause bladder stones or urolith in your dog’s bladder. Bladder stones can be caused by either a too high acidic level or a very low one and in some cases they even form irrespective of the pH levels in the dog’s urine. There are six different types of bladder stones that can be formed.

A dog’s urine contains several normal chemicals which form these crystals but these crystals will only form at certain pH levels and they will require something to attach to and grow on.

The lining of the dog’s bladder constantly gets rid of old cells and forms new one this gives the crystals something to attach to and grow on. The crystals can attach to one of these dead cells and continue to grow from being microscopic to the size of a golf ball in cases where they are left untreated.

These crystals, when formed, will have sharp edges causing inflammation and burning of the bladder due to these sharp edges constantly scratching and aggravating the bladder lining.

The bladder contracts due to the aggravation and burning and it makes the dog feel like it needs to urinate but the bladder contains little or no urine. Furthermore, there may be a small amount of blood in the urine due to the ruptured blood vessels caused by the inflamed muscles.

If your dog is a male there are chances that the bladder stones can travel from the bladder down into the urethra. The risk of this is that these stones may become wedged into a cylindrical bone that the urethra travels through and cause severe pain to the dog as it obstructs its urine. If this happens the bladder stones will be too be removed urgently before the bladder bursts or the toxins in the urine kills the dog.

The vet will normally ask for a urine sample when the dog is suspected to have this condition. This urine sample will be tested for blood, acidic levels and glucose.

These samples will help the vet in determining whether inflammation is the problem if blood cells are found in the urine or whether the dog is diabetic has a relatively high level of glucose in its urine making it vulnerable to cystitis since glucose helps the bacteria grow and requires a separate type of treatment. The urine sample will also help the vet determine whether the acidity levels in the urine are enough to fight the bacteria.

After the presence of inflammation and cystitis have been confirmed due to the initial testing the dog can be treated by either the appropriate antibiotics or further tests can be conducted to check for bladder stones. These further tests include ultrasound, x-rays and using a small camera which will be passed through the bladder of the dog.

The vet may be able to determine the type of bladder stones present in the dog by the amount of pH levels in its urine. Another method of checking for the type of bladder stones present in the dog is to remove the larger ones and send them for further testing.

If the bladder stones have moved down to the urethra of the male dog the vet may need to push a need through the abdominal wall and into the dog’s bladder to remove some of the urine and ease the dog’s pain and discomfort. After this, the vet will try to slide the bladder stones back into the bladder by using a catheter and flushing the urethra with water and then later operating on the bladder.

If this procedure fails then the vet may have to resort to a more risky surgery on the urethra itself in order to remove the blockage caused by the bladder stones.

After the surgery has been performed and the dog has been given the appropriate medicine the vet will probably put the dog on a special type of food in order to correct the amount of pH levels in its urine. Furthermore, in accordance with previous test results the vet may also prescribe antibiotics.

A puppy frequently urinating small amounts is nothing new to most owners. We’ve all gone through the training phase where “accidents” seem to occur with alarming frequency. What most pet owners don’t realize is that what may seem like an ordinary rite of passage for growing puppies can sometimes be a sign of a serious medical condition – urinary tract infection.

As they grow into their bodies, puppies will experience changes in hormone levels and their bodies may struggle to adjust to them. Because puppies grow at a much faster rate then human children, those hormone shifts tend to happen much more rapidly and their little bodies can’t always keep up. As a result, a puppy frequently urinating small amount is not unusual.

The trouble comes in when that frequent urination is accompanied by other symptoms. If you notice your puppy exhibiting lethargy, lack of appetite and pain and tenderness in the abdomen, chances are good that it may be experiencing a urinary tract infection. Since UTI’s can become severe and recurrent, you should never take a puppy frequently urinating small amounts lightly.

At the first sign of any of the common symptoms of UTI, you should take your puppy to the vet for a complete exam. UTI can itself be a symptom of more serious conditions like kidney or bladder blockage or cancer and only your vet can tell for sure. With a thorough exam, your vet will be able to discover if your puppy frequently urinating small amount is cause for concern.

If your vet diagnoses a routine UTI, he will likely prescribe a course of antibiotics. While antibiotics can help a puppy frequently urinating small amounts, they can also be harmful, especially to growing puppies whose immune systems are not fully developed. Taken over a prolonged amount of time, antibiotics can actually weaken the immune system, affecting your dog’s overall health.

In order to treat the symptoms of UTI while also promoting good overall health, many homeopathic vets recommend natural remedies made from plant based ingredients. Using herbs such as Arctostaphylos uva ursi, Berberis vulgaris, and Cantharis, these remedies can not only help to stop a puppy frequently urinating small amount but also balance out bacteria levels in the body and strengthen the immune system.

By incorporating natural remedies into a regular health routine, you can ensure that your puppy is getting everything it needs to grow and develop normally. A balanced diet rich in protein, plenty of clean water and a regular urination schedule can all help to ease the distress of a puppy frequently urinating small amounts.

Accidents will happen, especially while puppies are still growing, but you should never assume that your puppy’s “accidents” are all normal. Be aware of the symptoms of urinary tract problems and don’t hesitate to consider using natural remedies to help maintain your puppy’s good health. With a little nudge from nature, your puppy’s accidents can become a thing of the past!