can this fish be helped or is it time for euthanasia

[lake_tuna]

I would not kill a fish because it has a blemish on it. As long as it's not obviously suffering, I would advise your friend to keep the fish.

 

[mikeb210]

Maybe put the fish to sleep (do a search on ac to see how) and examine the lump to see what kind of growth it is (ie. bone, fatty tissue, boil) Maybe knowing this would clarify treatment options. If its just a boil, I'd pop it and disinfect it and keep a close eye on the fish for a few days to judge his recovery. (I know its not your fish, but your friend must care at least a little bit about the fish right?) If its a bone growth or fatty tumor, you might have a bigger problem. By the way, I'm not a vet or qualified in any way to do medical procedures on fish, I'm just telling you what I'd try if it were my fish.

 

[Soupysteve]

The growth got bigger and bigger - and fish itself was beginning to struggle to keep steady and surface. We noticed that the betta's sides were even starting to swell.
We made the decision yesterday to euthanize the fish.
I plan do do an amateur necropsy on the fish to see if the severe swelling on the sides were the same sort of growth that was on the poor guy's face.

 

[Juice]

So the growth on this poor betta's face is getting bigger. It looks like the growth originates in the betta's nostril.
Based on my years of fish-keeping, my over-active imagination, and need to form an explanation that I can be satisfied with, I say that it's cancer or something similar. My buddy (the betta's keeper, edward2020) single-handedly keeps cigarette prices high through supply and demand While edward2020 and I were looking at the betta, I suggested that that its exposure to second hand smoke throughout its life had something to do with the growth - especially since the growth is located where the betta makes contact with the water's surface - and the air of the room. I have NO data to back up my impromptu hypothesis - but it sounded good to me.
The fish still ACTS fine. The growth isn't trying to cover the eye of the betta - which I guess is a relief. To look at the fish, you'd think you could pull it out of the water and "pop off" the growth with little or no force - except the fish would lose 1/2 of its snout.
The extra water changes don't seem to affect the fish at all - but the plants sure seem to have benefited from them. I looked at various treatments at some of the LFS - it's a real bummer that the cost of the CHEAPEST one I found would cover the cost of 2 bettas.

Hi! I noticed you mentioned you think it might be due to second hand smoke. I'm taking a Vet Tech course and this very subject was brought up. I asked my teacher (who's been a vet for many years (small-large and exotic animals) if animals are susceptible to dieing from second hand smoke related issues. His answer was that they ARE but because most of our domestic animals such as cats, dogs, and fish don't have a extremely long lifespan, he has yet to come in contact with a case where the animal has died from it. That leads me to believe that for species that have a longer life span such as some birds and other animals could very well succumb to second hand smoke related issues but not likely that a fish with a lifespan of ( 2-8 years, is that correct for bettas?) would live long enough for that to be the cause of death. I'm not a vet and there is no way for me to know if that is true other then repeat what a teacher had told me. I've read otherwise, and there are a lot of opinions on the matter so I myself have yet to lean towards one side of the issue or another. My teacher mentioned that the most common problem he encounters with pets that are owned by smokers, is in cats that develop asthma because of the second hand. I'm going to ask some other vets in this area to see what their opinion is because I am more than positive I will be receiving a couple different answers. Either way I'm really sorry about your friends fish. It's sad to see any animal suffer Condolences.