Food bloat.. A fizzy worm

4 days ago I gave our 7yr old (Goldie, our latest addition) Golden albino worms for the first time. The previous owners told us it's what she eats. The first one she devoured with no hesitation. The second one, a lot bigger, took her a while to consume but after she had, she went frantic. Swimming around in a frenzy with air bubbles streaming out of her mouth like the aerator. I put her in the fridge straight away and came on line. I couldn't find any thread remotely similar to my problem so I went abroad...

I found this article:

" Axolotl Health Problems - Buy-Axolotls.com
Bloat:
Sand and Gravel is the number one killer of Water Dragons (Axolotls) because they will eat it and they will die from eating it.
If you have Sand or Gravel at the bottom of your aquarium this Food Bloat Cure will not work. There is no medicine that can dissolve Sand or Gravel and keep your Water Dragon alive. It is a very painful way to die. If you have Sand or Gravel in your aquarium Take It Out Now.
If your Water Dragon struggle to get to the bottom of the tank then you need to treat for Food Bloat. Bloat is a medical condition in which the stomach becomes overstretched by excessive gas content.
The first sign of ‘bloat’ is loss of appetite which is then followed by swelling of the abdomen. Do not feed Water Dragon for one week because the food will only make the problem worst.
Put your Water Dragon in a plastic shoe box that you can buy at the Dollar Store. Then put the water level just over its head so you Water Dragon does not struggle to breath and reach the bottom for food when you start feeding your Water Dragon again. Use cold water to do your water changes and do them every day and add new medicine every day.
You can use tap water for your water changes but let the water run so that it gets as cold as possible. Do not use any filters or any activated charcoal filters during these treatments.
You can use laxative for humans. You can buy ClearLax at Sam’s Club and Walmart. Do Not Buy Flavor Laxative. The Canadian version is Restoralax or Laxaday. If the laxative is a solid you will need to liquefy the laxative.
For a Water Dragons under 6 inches long use 1 teaspoon and put the water 1 inch above the Water Dragon head in a 2 1/2 gallon sick tank.
For a Water Dragons over 6 inches long use 2 teaspoons and put the water 1 inch above the Water Dragon head in a in a 2 1/2 gallon sick tank.
Change 100% of the water every day and add new laxative every day until you Water Dragon is cured. If after 1 week your Water Dragon is not getting better add an additional laxative. You should see improvement after one week.
When your Water Dragon is at the bottom of the aquarium then you can put him/her back into your aquarium.
It is better to under feed than over feed."

I followed this to a T and it worked... It took 3 days for her to get well, the 4th day was to make sure... She's in the iso tank happily eating and pooping.. I am a happy chappy....

That is good you had results and someone can correct me if I am wrong but I was under the impression that buy-axolotls.com was a dodgy website/breeder who has some very dubious advice. I would be very hesitant to advise anyone to give human medications to an animal as well without first seeking veterinary attention. I would encourage others to be cautious about using such products.

Ignore everything you have read on buy-axolotls, it's the absolute worst site for information. Laxatives won't work.

Your axie shouldn't be in the fridge - you should regard the fridge as ICU not a first aid kit.

Do you know what kind of worms you are feeding? Chances are your axie is just reacting to the change of food, and unless your axie is showing signs of bloating in the chest/neck or the legs there isn't much to worry about.

Wow!..I just got slapped in the face by 2 of the most prominent and knowledgeable members of the site..ouch..haha..
I gotta thank you's for the enlightenment of this companies reputation.. Regardless, the treatment did work but in saying that, you had to be here to see Goldie and what was happening to her at that time and a few hours later...
I'm the type of person that when all the vets and specialists have given up, I'll go to the moon and back to find a cure or treatment to give the animal, at least, a fighting chance.
I am a firm believer in refrigerating a Lotl at any sign of illness until a cure can be found. Not because many specialists and experts say so, but because of personal experience... I have 9 Lotl's, 4 of them we received in pretty bad condition. Refrigerating helped immensely. 2 of them recovered at their own accord.... However, I don't always fridge them if I know what is wrong, I generally put them in an iso tank at temp' about 10-12c deg's...

I'm just glad Goldie is well she was one of the very sick one's we received last month.

I've gotta really thank both of you for your inputs... I had no idea of their reputation... But not only that, both of you and few others have the knowledge and expertise that is priceless, sharing all that knowledge with us is even more so.

I very very much appreciate your help and advise and I know I don't stand alone on this... Thank you again

The funny thing is, I emailed that organization and felt they were really helpful... I'm so glad you put me right..