Bloat Flaky Shedding?

hi, my firebelly newt (I was sold a "rough skin" firebelly a couple of months ago and I just found out that she is a "warty newt" she is the same as the third picture down on this page http://www.caudata.org/people/JM/phk.html) has had a series of problems first she excaped, her water got way too warm, her leg was very damaged shedding (this was treated a while ago with neosporn), and now her skin is comming off in flakes (I thought this was normal but I just read that it can be sign of a problem) and she appears to be bloated. She eats small (three week old, live) crickets (3-4 a day). She has been moved to a treatment tank that is normally ranges in tempurature from 68-70 degrees (I add ice every twelve hours bringing the tempurature down to about 60 degrees for a short while). When she swallows the crickets she gulps alot of water and she gulps air capturing them (maybe that causes bloat?). I had been keeping her in fish water but I was worried that the fish water might carry bacteria so I swiched her too filtered water (from a Brita filter) with reptisafe added too it, should she go back to fish water? When my fish have bloat I give them salt baths, can warty newts be salt bathed or is it dangerous? Does the fact that she have flaky shedding too indicate a health problem. She also has always sat pretty still when I have held her/trasfered her, she moves a bit but nothing like the wiggly smooth skinned firebellys is this because something is wrong with her or because she is just tamer. Only her stomach is enlarged not her tail. Sorry for all the trouble.



(Message edited by hamster on May 20, 2005)

First, it's better to have a consistant temperature than wildly fluctuating ones. 70 is fine. Second, don't keep them with fish!

Here are some articles to read that will probably help you out a lot! http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/bloatEDK.shtml

http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/tempEDK.shtml

http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/Mixing_disasters.shtml

Thanks, I don't keep my newt with fish (that would be like trusting a wolf with sheep). I used to keep them in fish water because the petstore said that they need biologically "sound" water (I don't believe anything the petstore says anymore they said newts need heaters).

A good biological filter is okay, but using fish to cycle water is usually not so nice. If you have established tanks, using that water to start new tanks is generally the accepted method (that's what I do). Not believing pet stores puts you on a good path!

If her stomachs all bloated (I read your other post that you feed her crickets), you should not feed her for a day or two. I'd also suggest switching to something more easily digested, like earthworms. Earthworms make a great staple food.

So the bloat will go away if she does not eat for a couple days? I will have to buy some earthworms I think the fish store sells small ones for goldfish food. Thanks for the help, I have no idea what I ould have done about this problem otherwise.

It should. As far as earthworms go, most of us use either our own farm-raised ones, or get them from the bait shop.

Today she (my newt) looks less bloated and is starting to pass little bits of cricket wing but she acts lethargic and has an odd odor, is this normal for a net with a gastric problem or is it a complication? When should she be able to pass all of the crickets, and when should I feed her some of the earthworms?