Fire Bellied Newt Sickness question

[Ivystripe]

I'm sorry if this question has been asked many times before, but I can't find exactly what I need.

I got a Fire Bellied Newt from Jack's Aquarium and Pets a few weeks ago. She had two toes from each front toe missing, and now some form of limb rot is ravaging her poor body. She also has an open wound near one of her legs that are being eaten away. In the water, it looks fuzzy and almost crystalline, but out of the water, it looks like tissue. I've tried using an ich treatment with malachite green, and when I was gone, my dad used a stress coat: slime treatment that he used for the fish, and that and the water treatment seemed to make the fuzzyness go away, but it didn't seem that she was healing and repairing her limbs. When I used the malachite green, I used very little and diluted it, and did a spot treatment on her limbs and side. She is also lethargic and not eating, I tried giving her different foods. I know she will eat shrimp because she ate it before she got really sick. When she is touched, however, she will move, so she still has some life in her.

So, I have two questions. Does she have limb rot? And are we doing the right thing or do we need to do something else for her? I'm so scared she's dying painfully and I want to help her.

[Chris Michaels]

I'm afraid the chance of survival is slim, as the ulcers sound like they are quite advanced. Get hold of some neosporin cream (it is essential that you use the one WITHOUT painkiller, which will kill the newt) and apply it to the wounds once or twice a day.

Move the newt to damp kitchen towels and keep it between 10 and 15C, towards the cooler side of that if possible. This will slow bacterial growth and hopefully allow the newt to get on top of the infection. Provide a simple hide and keep the tank somewhere quiet and shady. Make sure that it is well ventillated so the air does not become stagnant.

Good luck

Chris

[Ivystripe]

Man, I didn't think it was that bad Oh well, I'll try saving her with what you've suggested. But I should stop the malachite green and stress coat treatments altogether then?

[Helena]

I have purchased fire bellied newts from many places in Canada and they have been sick somehow. I think it's the way they ship them from china and other places that stresses the newt out, and the small shipment packaging they use, which doesn't give enough space for newts when they are being shipped, and sometimes can result in neomnia burns, from the urine in the water, which eats away at the skin of the newt. And notmally the sign of lost limbs is from this. I have been to pet stores were there are some newts in a tank, some dead floating at the surface, some with not legs or feet, and some with white patched of burns on their skin. I couldn't beleive how badly these poor beautiful newts were being treated. I have had about 4 newts before and I have tried to make it work out, but they always end up dieing and i just gave up and got some frogs instead.

These are very touchy creatures, and I wish you good luck in trying the save the little guy. :-)

I hope he will be a survivor.

-Helena

[Ivystripe]

Nevermind. My dad just called and told me that she died. I'm going to call and complain about the store's appalling lack of care for their pets. We've gotten several pets from there and very few are living now.

[Angie]

Sorry to hear about the little lady. Definitely make a complaint to the shop, if they fail to take any notice, report them to an animal welfare authority.

[Dana]

Best to find captive bred animals for a number of reasons, this being one of them. So sorry for the loss.
Dana

[Ivystripe]

Yeah, I'm never buying newts from them again. I might look into a reputable breeder in Ohio so I can find a healthy animal.

[Angie]

Check the classifieds on this forum, a lot of members on this site advertise their captiive-bred stock on here

[Chris Michaels]

Sorry she didn't make it. Unfortunately this is all too common in petshop newts.

If you look for CB stock (and I suggest that you do give it a go as with healthy newts, keeping themis very rewarding), I would suggest looking for easier species, as Chinese fire bellies are quite difficult as babies and even as adults require cool conditions.

If you can get them, Japanese and Blue-tail firebellies (Cynops pyrrhogaster and C. cyanurus), Swordtail newts (C. ensicauda) or Tylototriton verucosus (not T. shanjing, though, as a beginner) would be good to get. They are easy to rear and keep, very personable, readily available, at least as eggs, and tolerate/enjoy temperatures around room temperature, so you don't have to worry about cooling so much in the summer.

Good luck, and stick with the hobby!

C