Help! our axies are deformed!!!!!!!

J

jennifer

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please help in any way!our axie's spines look like they are turning 'L' shaped so they cant sit on their bellies ... what does it mean? we are axy noobs and our axies are only 2-3 months old... we are twin sisters who have decided to bring up 35, 6cm long axies. They seemed healthy till a few days ago. This is urgent! Oh pleasse help! please contact us }if you can and please be quick before they die. Sincerely, incredibly worried first time axolotl keepers lisa and jenn Tate, 12 years old New Zealand
 
i cant tell whats wrong or which way the axies spines are turning. is it possible that you could get a photo. i currently have 10 4cm baby axies and about 500 little baby axies at the moment so i know how you feel not wanting them to die.
 
the water level is 6 cms deep, the axies eat ox liver and sometimes blood worms about once or twice a day and the temp is 51 (blush) farenheit. we cant attach a picture yet as we need to take one but we will try.
 
I think they are just eating too much ,how often do you fed them? And the water temp. is fine,but it could be more deep, I don´t know about ox liver I think the ox heart is best.
 
They aren't eating too much!they can't be we only feed them tiny bits a little bigger than a pin-head once a day. Our petshop suggests calcium defficency and the zoo thinks its genetic. Do you think either of theses are possible?
 
How many axolotls does everyone here have? Do you have adults or babies? I'm interested to know how many an average axolotl owner keeps.
 
Well, I don't know much about curved spines, sorry.
I have 5 adult axies, and I'm trying to get them to breed, which is turning out to be rather unsuccessful at the moment...
 
Well i think some of the axolotls are dying baecause of their bent spines, they look really sick and just lay there. Good luck with your breeding, anyway. What colours are your 5 axolotls?
 
Jennifer and Lisa Tate - This is from
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http://www.indiana.edu/~axolotl/axolotls/faq.html#deformity
Q. We house axolotls for research purposes. Several of these have developed scoliosis. Some cases occur in the thoracic and lumbar regions but most appear in the base of the tail and cause severe deviation of the tail. Have you encountered this? Is this possibly a nutritional problem or could it be a genetic or developmental occurrence?


A. We have seen this, though not recently. A few might acquire the deformity while confined in their jelly coats before hatching, and there could be a genetic abnormality, but I think what you're seeing is probably nutritional, especially the thoracic and lumbar problems. It may indicate a calcium deficiency.

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I would advise to stop feeding the ox liver and introduce non-mammal foods; Frozen Blood worms, daphnia, earth worms, frozen brine shrimp, fish fillet slivers, soft salmon or trout pellets.

You need to vary their diet for good nutrition.

You should also read http://www.axolotl.org
lots of info there are rearing larvae and care of adults.

(Message edited by cynorita on September 25, 2005)
 
Hi cynthia,
Thanks for the advice. Do you think that the damage to their spines can be undone? Also what type of fish filet? I've heard that fish fillets are harmful because they are so processed and bleached... is this true? (I hope not) why do you advise against mammal foods? Is there something in it which could kill our axys? By the way, what happens if our axys won't eat blood worms and the daphnia in their container disappear within minutes? they seem to love liver and beef really much... are axolotl pellets ok? Jenn & Lis
 
Jenn & Lisa Tate - Axolotls have a hard time digesting mammal meat. They may not be able to get the nutrients they need from it.

Axolotl pellets should be fine, but remember axolotls need variety in their diet. They will accept other foods, you wont know which ones until you try them. Young axolotls usually love bloodworms and frozen brineshrimp.

The fish fillet slivers I was talking about would be fresh fish not processed.
 
i feed mine chicken breast and beef and they get along fine... some times i feed them snapper fillets.
 
Stipe, you also should not feed your Axolotls mammal meat. Since Axolotls don't hunt cows and chickens in the wild, they shouldn't be fed these sorts of meat. All of the things that Cynthia suggested for food are all the best. I feed my Axolotls Earthworms, Indiana Axolotl Colony pellets and blood worms. I also feed them one cricket each once a week for a treat, not as a stable. My baby Axolotls since they are both under 4 cm's get blood worms and colony pellets. I strongly suggest you change their diet, or it may or will promote healthy problems.
 
ye but they love them so much. ok i will start feeding them fish filter stripes, worm and blood worms, but they absalutly hate pellets, wouldnt touch it with a ten foot polthanks for the advice.
happy.gif
 
we have some photos so you guys know what we are talking about.

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44104.jpg


(Message edited by jennewt on October 30, 2005)
 
they dont look too bent to me... they just look like theyre sitting funny. i am also in nz if you would like to email me about any questions you have you can on sharn_s@hotmail.com i have four axolotls (three adults and one juvie-two leucistic, wildtype, and im a proud owner of a golden- to all you people in other countries, people over here pay aup to 150 for a juvie goldie, and i only know of one breeder in nz). some axies are just born deformed/grow up to be deformed.some live, some dont, with 35 of the little gems i wouldnt be too worried if you lose a few, the leucys and wildtypes are hard to rehome because theyre so common :D
 
well we killed most of our axies. they were so sick. Some died or have stopped eating there backs are so messed up. Now we have a few that are ok. We are going to sell them axies are so much trouble. They all have slightly bent backs from the problem which they will probably keep for life.
 
Just out of curiosity where did you get them originally? It's too bad you decided to give up the hobby, but glad to hear you are trying to find new homes for them
happy.gif
 
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