Nothing Is Working...Why?

Hi everyone. This is my second thread. My first was about my Charlie having a mouth disease.

Diagnosis:
It's still there. Everytime it seems to be getting better it suddenly is getting worse. Her mouth has lost all the skin down to the bone, up past the nostrils on the top jaw and just starting on the lip of the bottom jaw. What could it be? Not only that Charlie has lost two of her right gills to fungus and the third is badly affected. The fungus is hanging off it like its that plant Old Man's Beard. She' snot looking good. And hasn't eaten since I've had her which was just before Christmas.

Treatments:
I've been salt bathing her twice a day. She was also living in the fridge for a week straight. I've since moved her to her tank again to give her freedom. I have also been using PimaFix.

What am I doing wrong. Her nitrate levels are fine and her temp sits at about 13-14C with the help of water bottles. Please help me anyone who can. I don't want to lose her.

I'm not sure what Pimafix is.

This could be what is prolonging her illness. Did someone here advise for you to use it? If not, I would stop using it, or look in the section on what is safe and not safe to use as chemicals, or contact one of the Moderators.

Move her back to the fridge. Keep her their until she is well. Also, it could be that her tank may still have some bad bacteria in it that is further causing her illness. You may need to do a complete water change and wash all the decorations, but hopefully someone can better advise you on that part. I have never had a problem with fungus on axolotls, but I have delt with other illnesses.

When you keep her in the fridge, put a dark cover over her with breathing holes in it. The fridge light can startle her. I would advise to keep her in the fridge until she improves greatly.

I hope this helps.

Also, continue the salt baths every day until you see improvement.

Please keep us posted on how she is doing. Good Luck

Try melafix (Think thats how to spell it) its safe for axolotls.

Not sure about primafix, it says it contains pimenta racemosa, which is an oil so im not sure. If you are using it,( i highly dont recomend until a moderator or mabey Joan or Rheann as they are good with this stuff.

MAke sure it does not contain malachite green or it will be harmfull.

My suggestion is that at this point is to go to a vet and get an anti-biotic injection.

I will agree with Stipe, try Melafix.

It is safe to use this product. Do you have a vet in your area that knows about axolotls? If all else fails, try your local vet. They should be able to help in some way, even if they know little about axolotls, but I don't think it will have to come down to that.

to the bone? is she in a lot of discomfort?definately the fridge and i'm just wondering what's causing this break down in her tissue? it's weird, and sounds painful....

frequent water changes and treatments and the fridge sounds like a good idea to reduce stress.

i think seeing a vet about this loss of skin and stuff around it's mouth would be a good idea. got some weird skin disease that's spreading.

Hi everyone thanks for the advise. I was going to try MelaFix except I was told go PimaFix which is a safer more natural version of MelaFix. But I'll pick up some MelaFix today. I have rung up all the vets in my local area and non of them deal with axololts. But i'll keep trying.

I'll put Charlie back in the fridge and I'll work from there. Though I think she has trouble breathing in the small container with sore gills.

I still can't tell whether her mouth is on the mend or not. So she's under close observation.

I have to go back to work soon. And was wondering how in our heat I can keep her cool. As i won't be able to keep changing the frozen water bottles. Is it just safer to leave her in the fridge during the day and tank at night?

Rheann...can't wait to see your site up and running! Good luck with it!

i think so, keeping her cool apparently reduces stress and help them get on the mend, and food intake is really low when they're in the fridge so if she does eat it will be more occasional.

Someone was having a skin/flesh eating problem like this a while ago.

It turned out to be a paracitic problem with costia, trichonia AND flukes.

I recommend you read this old thread. Maybe send a private message to Amy and see how she fixed it.
http://www.caudata.org/forum/messages/793/46262.html

I hope this helps.

it's weird, it does sound like a flesh eating problem.

leaving her in the fridge during the day and moving her into the tank at night will stress her far too much. just leave her in the fridge.

andrew, i never thought of that one! try doing a skin scraping and having it tested like Amy did- might find your culprit

I agree, leave her in the fridge, as a big temperature change every day isn't good. Continue the salt baths, and maybe consider an antibiotic too. I have no confidence in Melafix. Sounds like the infection has already progressed rather far.

Thank you so much every one. Andew thanks for that link. I've just sent an email to Amy so I'm hoping she can help. In the mean time what is costia, trichonia and flukes? I have no idea. And Skin scraping can anyone give me an idea of what it is and how it's done?

Charlie's going to be living in the fridge from now on until every thing thats wrong with her is all fixed. i don't like taking away her freedom though. I might be able to get some pics to show you what her mouth is like.

Thanks again all. More advise is welcome!

Hi I dont know if anyone can Help me but I am only fairly new to axy's I have 5 about 3 weeks ago our First axy started to float on the top of the water & seemed very lathargic, she seemed to come right again a few days later Then did the same thing all over again, about 1.5 weeks ago she started developing what looked like mould growing over her gills, we started salt baths which seemed to clear it up heaps but with in an hour of being put back in the community tank the mould seemed to grow back worst, I went to the pet shop & was reccommened Myxazin and because two more of our axy's have just started developing the same signs we treated all 5 on the first dose the 2 that have slight signs seem to be better except that they seem drunk wobbly walking and just a bit weird my 1st axy is now very sick looking as at time I think she has died all her gills are covered as is the innerside of them, I have just placed her in the fridge in an ice cream container to see if this may help, But I am very concerned as to what else to do & how to stop it in the community tank, we even went to the full measures yesterday of stripping the tank ( which i know is a BIG no no ) but I thought maybe it was something in the tank, the only new thing we added prior to this problem starting was some live plants which i purchased from my axy supplier?
Can anyone help me further or have i done everything that is recommmened?

Thanks Mel

pictures would help. im not sure about myxazin, have a look on the safe medications page on www.axolotl.org. you were reccomended it by the pet shop so it very well could have been bad advice.

floating is generally air bubbles theyve gulped but it is associated with stress.

since its a skin/gill problem treat the affected ones with salt baths as your doing and keep them in the fridge until its cleared up completely- make sure you keep up the consistancy, salt baths 3 times a day!

Melissa it would be a good idea to post your problem as a new thread in the sick axie section.

That way everyone will see your call for help and not just those who have a read of this thread.

Sounds like you have over temperature problems causing fungus to grow. I will help you more when you post your own thread.

Jodi, I'm not quite sure on exactly what costia, trichonia and flukes are other than that they are paracitic organisms too small for us to see. I'm hoping someone with a bit more experience with paracites can help you.

I think skin scrapings are exactly that. Performed with a sharp scalpel blade held perpendicular to the affected area and scraped to remove a very small section of skin. Don't quote me on this though. It's probably best to ask your vet about that one.

Please let us all know what Amy has to say.
I hope Charlie can hang in there till you sort his problem out.

THanks heaps Andrew. I need the help and support. Haven't heard from Amy yet. So I'm hoping she'll come through!

Sorry guys Im only new to here I will post new thread Thanks Mel