Illness/Sickness: URGENT! Came home to find axy out of water! HELPPPP

[totallyrad]

I was swapping him into a new tank so I had him in a holding tank and I came home and somehow he had got out of the water and was laying helpless on the towel next to it. :-(
I'm so sad right now I don't know what I'll do if I lose him, he's so close to me..

I will do anything I can to help save him! I just need someone's help.
I don't know how long he was out of the water but I wasn't gone for more than 45 minutes.

When I put him back in the water he swam around at first and seemed extremely disoriented and now he is at the bottom flicking his gills a lot and his skin mucus membrane is peeling off and he's shedding. He actually coughed up some sort of mucus looking stuff also. I'm so worried.... :'-( he's been the greatest pet and now I feel like a jerk for not putting a lid on the tank. I didn't think he'd get out though!

Any help will be so appreciated. Very urgent.

Thanks.

[pent565]

I've heard of this happening to other Axolotls, and of them surviving it. They can breath with lungs, so its not so bad as if it were a fish. The dead skin does sluff off, but they have incredible regenerative abilities. Fridging might be a good plan, to prevent any infection, and give the damaged areas time to heal. The Axolotl may loose some toes, as well, but as the time out wasn't terribly long, there is a good chance of survival.

[Leanne]

I would keep him in the tank but make sure the tank is clean and cool. Keep an eye out for signs of fungus. A tea bath might help soothe the peeling skin.

[totallyrad]

I put some Melafix in there which is extracted from tea trees and hopefully that helps. I just don't know how long he was out of the water. I'm so sad right now :-(

I've never fridged before, what should I do? I'm concerned my fridge might get too cold and wouldn't this be bad too? The tank is at 70 right now and I'm trying to cool it rapidly but I've already used the two frozen bottles I had and don't know what else to do.

More suggestions/advice would be great! And tips on fridging would be appreciated.

[nina89]

I thought you'd like to know that I read on here around a year ago about an axolotl jumped out and sat there for a hole day almost and still survived. I dont remember if they ended up fridging, but if you do just turn your fridge down it will be fine, axolotls survive in lakes where the top freezes over in winter, they can put up with the cold pretty good and fridges never get that cold. I dnt know anything about axolotl sickness but I would only fridge if your not seeing any improvement in your axie. I have never had to fridge before but my axies in there now due to heat stress, (thanks to those that helped me) and she's back to normal now.

[totallyrad]

well I don't know... I think he's passed... :-( I can't tell. He just looks lifeless. I'm going to put him in the fridge if he's still alive. He may just be in a comatose state. we'll see.... thanks for all the help. I'll let you guys know if he improves or if he's gone.

[totallyrad]

good news for now, he's still kicking but he sure did look dead there for a second. I stuck him in the fridge in a pyrex glass container with the lid on it. Will he get enough oxygen? I'm kind of weary about the fridge but if it will save him I'll try anything. I wonder how long I should keep him in there.

[totallyrad]

well i put a temperature thing from my aquarium in the fridge and it says it's like 25-30 degrees! what in the world. I didn't think it got that cold in my fridge, should I still continue putting him in the fridge? this seems a little too cold

[pent565]

shouldn't be too cold; they can live under ice in the winter time. Put it on a higher shelf in you're fridge, it'll be a little warmer. I'd put holes in the lid, or leave it loose.

[Kaysie]

Melafix is actually fairly toxic to amphibians. You should get your axolotl into some fresh water and into the fridge as soon as possible!

[meerkat]

I have fridged my axies before and I used a teatowel over the top, there will be enough air and it also stops the light stressing the axie every time the door is opened and the light goes on. All the very best.

[totallyrad]

Well it's official he didn't make it :-( I just got done burying him.. Gonna make him a tombstone tonight out of a rock.

It seems a fungus or infection took over his belly and chin sometime today, I hope he didn't suffer.
It could have just been that the skin peeled off from everywhere except his underneath which
could have hindered him from healing underneath. I'm gonna miss him :-(

Cherish your axys! And don't make the same mistake I did and always make sure your tank
or holding tank is escape proof even if you take it out for a few minutes!

Thanks for all of the help, I really appreciate it and I love this forum.

[meerkat]

I am so sorry to hear that your axie passed. Hopefully out of this very sad experience this post can prevent this happening to another axie.

[Chris]

sorry about your loss.

I've had a axie jump out of a tank before too, but I was in the room when it happened and promptly put him back in the tank. he fell and landed on the table next to the tank, but he survived well.

[totallyrad]

well i'm glad you were in the room when he jumped out, I wish I would have been. I still feel terrible and miss him. He had so much personality already and wasn't even a year old yet. I got another one a couple days ago but I am fridging this one because the pet shop had them in terrible conditions.

It's about 2.5 inches long (a little wild type baby ^^) and cute as a button but the downside is that it looked like it had a lot of heat stress, (tip of tail looked strange and it seemed to be shedding it's skin around it's toes but I didn't want to take a chance that it could be infection/fungus.) sooo it's been in the fridge for 2 days now.

The skin seems to be clearing up but now it's gills look different. Before they were more fluffy and now they have shriveled a little. I'm wondering if this is normal when fridging.

[apples08]

I was just reading through a bunch of threads in this forum so just in case something ever happened to mine, I would have some sort of idea of what to do.

I cried a little when I read that yours didn't make it. I don't know what I would do if I lost my guys. They're only about 9 months old, but I love them to death. I'm so sorry for your loss and I hope you never have to go through something like that again.

I realize this post is kind of pointless and doesn't help at all, but I just had to say.

[Rachel]

I'm so sorry to hear he didn't make it

I have saved my axolotl from this with tea baths before. I poped him in the water and noticed his skin peeling, so i poped him in a weak tea solution and kept him in there untill his skin came back, with tea/water changes of course. It tookabout a week, the tanins in the tea are soothing to their skin and are anti fungal and anti bacterial.

rip sweet axolotl

[shells]

Im sorry to hear of your loss.

I was reading your questions on friding ealier in the post and thought I would share a link that may help if you still have questions:

Axolotl Sanctuary

All the best with your new addition

[totallyrad]

thanks for all of the kind words. I still miss him :-( and yeah i cried a bunch Apples08. like a baby lol..

the new axy is doing well though, after a week in the fridge it seems to be healthy now.
it has quite an appetite which is good :]