Question: Rescue Job.. (WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGE)

Hi All,

I've just rescued the saddest, sickest Axie I've ever seen from a pet shop that's closing down (apparently the care-factor is going out the door faster than the leftover stock).

He's so skinny that I'm amazed he's even still alive - we're talking skeletal here - and his feathers are all shrivelled up, the water he was in at the pet shop had absolutely no KH in it and a PH that was off the charts. He's making gulping motions in the water, somewhat akin to what a frog looks like but he's surprisingly active considering his circumstances. I've put him in a tank with the right conditions - the same conditions as my two very healthy, thriving Axies (not the same tank though, of course).
I've given him a mild dose of broad-spectum medication and he's looking a lot happier than when he came home yesterday but I can't get him to eat!

Things I've tried:
1. Freeze-dried blood worms dangled in front of his mouth.
2. Axolotl Pellets.
3. Freeze-dried Tubifex worms dangled in front of his mouth.
4. Liquid food for fry dropped on/around his head.

If anyone has got any ideas that might work I'd really appreciate it! It'll break my heart if the poor little guy dies despite being rescued.

Grrr... makes me really mad that people could treat pets so badly.

Re: Rescue Job..

Hi Madfrankie,

Such horror from petshops are so atrocious yet so common. Personally i would give them a piece of my mind and not support them if they remain adamant.

Would it be possible to post some photos here? That would give us a clearer picture and help with diagnosis and treatments.

It is fantastic you are ensuring good water quality and practising quarantine. I am concerned about two areas. Firstly the 'gulping' actions of an axie, which i assume looks like a yawn, could be indicative of something much worse. If an axie shows repetitive, frequent yawning motion over very short intervals, it could indicate neurologcial damage and even impending death.

The second area i was concerned about was how did you medicate your axolotl? Did you bring it to a vet already? What types of antibiotics did you administer, in what dosage and via which route? It is not recommended to self treat your axie with over-the-counter medications or chemicals. Some of these chemicals are meant for fish or other aquatic mammals and are actually toxic to axolotls. If you add the chemicals directly to the tank water, it may not be effective in treating the illness but can actually throw your tank cycling process out the window by killing off the beneficial bacteria. Also, incorrect dosage of antibiotics can lead to either toxicity (overdose) or bacteria resistance (too little). The only way to accurately give an axolotl antibiotics is by a vet via careful measurement of the required dosage through an injectable route. Axolotls unlike many other animals react to antibiotics differently. There are antibiotics that are highly irritating to the skin or via perivascular routes such as tetracyclines. Some antibiotics are highly cytotoxic and nephrotoxic and can cause tissue necrosis or renal damage if used wrongly such as enrofloxacin. Medications that contain local anaelgesia/anaesthetics like benzocaine is downright lethal. Therefore, you have to be very careful about this whole process.

To encourage your axolotl to feed, have you considered offering live food such as earthworms, blackworms and bloodworms? The wriggliness actually stimulate their feeding drive. Continue to offer a variety of food types. You can also try blending a mixture of earthworms, bloodworms, moistened axie pellets, shrimp, fish, beef heart etc. in a food processor. You then roll the resultant mash into pez-sized portions to offer your axie.

In emergencies, you can use calcium gluconate to provide some calcium and glucose supplementation and give supportive fluid therapy such as amphibian ringers solution. However these procedures should only be done at the vets. I urge you to bring your axie to a vet.

Sometimes when an axolotl is subjected to prolonged periods of starvation/emaciation, it has reached a terminal starvation point. This is when the body system has received such insult that despite how much food you offer, the body condition will continue to deteriorate. I definitely hope this is not the case for your axie.

Cheers.

Re: Rescue Job..

Hi Ray,
Thanks for your prompt and highly useful answer!
I'll put up some photos of the little guy when I get home this afternoon, perhaps that'll shed a bit more light on the matter. As for the medication, it was a very mild oil-extract medication (not Melafix, a different one, can't remember exactly which oil but will update that when I get home too.), I'm not game to try any actual antibiotics but please let me know if you're aware of any potential harm that might come of the treatment I've given him.

On your advice I've called a local vet who has an amphibian expert and they advised me to try with the live food - brine shimp or small feeder fish - and if that fails then bring him in and they'll do what they can. I'll go with that and take him to them tomorrow if I can't get him to eat something tonight.

I hope that the gulping doesn't mean I'm too late to save him, but I'll post the pictures and the results of this desperate little rescue effort whichever way it turns out.

Thanks again for your help, greatly appreciated!

[edit] I'm seriously considering a call to the RSPCA, the store's closing down anyway but this sort of thing shouldn't be allowed to go unreported.

Re: Rescue Job..

Hi Madfrankie,

I can definitely see you have kind intentions and you are doing what you can to save the axie.

Live food is definitely useful in stimulating appetite. Actually if you axie is really skinny, any food entering its system is better than none. Although live feeder fish and brine shrimp are only suitable as treats and not long term staples, if your axie still accepts them, it is still worth a try. I would still recommend earthworms, blackworms and bloodworms first over fish and shrimp.

You would need to quarantine your feeder fish for 30 days beforehand. Suitable types include guppies, platys and minnows.

Mild-oil extracts of any sorts are not suitable as axolotl medication. Firstly oil is isn't even miscible in water. Any direct application of medicated oil to the skin will definitely cause trauma. Please stop this medication.

Regards.

Re: Rescue Job..

Thanks again, Ray.
Will discontinue the treatment - should be ok though as there was only a tiny amount added to the water when he went in and I haven't done any repeat treatments.
I have live earthworms that are the staple for my other Axies, the only reason I haven't tried feeding them to this guy is that his stomach is so shrunken I suspect even a small one would be too much for him at this stage, perhaps the brine shrimp as a temporary thing just to get him started? Being small and wriggly they'll attract his attention but not be too big?

Re: Rescue Job..

Hi Madfrankie,

Yes, you can use brine shrimps for now. As long as your axie starts feeding, regardless of whether its staple or treats, it would help with the prognosis.

Why not try bloodworms and blackworms? They are small enough yet wriggly enough. You can also try chopping up the earthworms into segments. Sometimes the earthworm segments can still.. erm twitch.

Cheers

Re: Rescue Job..

You are a true saint. Will post photos and ongoing progress of the effort.

Re: Rescue Job..

Just to throw in my two cents, I think - as Ray has already suggested - giving chopped earthworms a shot is definitely worth your while, especially considering you already have them at hand.. I think the sooner this guy gets some food into his system the better! It sounds like you're doing a great job at trying to save this little guy and I wish you the best of luck, I'll be crossing my fingers for the poor bugger and if you have any further queries the chat area is a great place to get some 'expert opinions' if you will, providing there are some users online!

Sitting behind the screen with fingers crossed,

Zach.

Re: Rescue Job..

Hi MadFrankie,

Shame on that petstore for their callous neglect.

If I may, I would suggest keeping the axolotl in a plastic tub of fresh dechlorinated water. While in the tub, you will be given a clear indication of what exactly is going in and coming out of the axie. The water will need to be changed every day.

I would cover the tub with a teatowel to keep it cool, secure and dark.

Tub water is also very still, which is an advantage and will help relax the axolotl.

Being relaxed, kept cool and feeling secure - will help encourage the axolotl to hopefully eat.

While in a tank environment the 'ins and outs' can be hard to monitor as the food and poop will sift under the substrate, be hidden by obstructions such as ornaments and plants, and sucked into the filter before you see it.

I can't think of anything to else to add to Ray's excellent advice and support, other than my very best wishes for you and your axolotl.

Re: Rescue Job..

Thankyou all again for your excellent advice. Sadly, it won't be needed just now as the poor little guy didn't make it through the day. He'd passed away when I got home from work so I guess it was just plain too late to save him.
Here's a photo of what he looked like when he died; believe it or not, he actually looks a little better in this picture than he did when I brought him home!



I've put a call in to the RSPCA, this sort of abuse makes me sick! They're all a bit tied up with the bushfires here in Victoria at the moment, but hopefully something will come of it when things settle a bit there.

Oh Madfrankie, I'm so sorry for your loss.

The poor little love, I think he was beyond saving :sad:.

You did all you could for him and reporting this to the RSPCA was a good call. When the bushfire crisis is over and the RSPCA are available, to help the RSPCA (as they may not know much about salamanders or what they should look like) I would send them a picture of this poor little one, and also a picture of a healthy plump axolotl for comparison.

On a lighter note, welcome to the forum! We'd love to see some pictures of your other two beauties *hint hint* :happy:.

Thanks for the welcome Jacq
The RSPCA asked me to put him on ice, so he's wrapped up in the freezer. When the inspector comes to pick him up they can see for themselves what a happy axie looks like.
I think it's a teriffic idea you had to lighten the mood a little, below are 'Fanta' and 'Fungus':

Re: Rescue Job..

Though it's a noble act to try to save these kinds of animals, an argument against buying such animals can be made. In the end the pet store makes a profit off of the animal and is therefore rewarded for poorly caring for an animal. I don't know anything about whether or not you paid for the animal in this case. Some people successfully argue to get such animals for free. I see that the store is closing (we can only imagine why). I have no doubt that you've got a good heart. However, I think the view should be raised in these kinds of threads. When a good-natured person unsuccessfully invests time and money in a ghost of an animal while the store benefits, then there's a real tragedy.

Re: Rescue Job..

Fair and very valid point, Pete. I totally agree, and for the record didn't give the store any money for him.

Re: Rescue Job..

pete said:

When a good-natured person unsuccessfully invests time and money in a ghost of an animal while the store benefits, then there's a real tragedy.

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This is true, however I believe that the biggest tragedy is to do nothing at all. I am very guilty of 'resucing' sick axies for pet stores. Sometimes I have to pay for them and other times I don't because they are so sick. Mostly they survive, although I have also lost a few as well. When I know that the axolotl is 100% again, I give them away to other 'compentent' axie owners. I have recently become involved with one of my local pet stores in the hope that I can teach them enough that none of their axies become sick like that again - so far so good.

However, this has been a very sad thread. I hope that the RSPCA are able to do something!

madFrankie said:

I think it's a teriffic idea you had to lighten the mood a little, below are 'Fanta' and 'Fungus':

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Awwww they're beautiful! What a lovely set up too

Havelock said:

Awwww they're beautiful! What a lovely set up too

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Cheers! :happy:

Dear Madfrankie,

I know you tried your hardest. Thats all that matters. That axie was so emaciated that it really was thetering on the brink. Axolotls with body conditions like that tend to have already reached their terminal starvation point, so they would continue to deteriorate and remain anorexic. The repetitive 'yawns' you observed before were also rather indicative of its plight.

Your other axies are happy and healthy. You obviously have given them a lot of care and love. Your tank is beautiful as well. Is it hard maintaining the tank with all the smooth rocks as substrate? Visually its actually quite beautiful.

Cheers

I've only been to about 2 out of 6/7 pet stores that seemed to properly care for their axies and they were Vebas and Aquotix. Both provided the right water temperatures and sufficient hides. A lot of pet stores seem to have about 7 or so axies crammed into a 45*45*45 tank with water temperatures around 28 in Perth.

For your effort mate, a lot of respect is due. That poor little guy. I really hope the RSPCA do something about that because that is just plain bloody animal cruilty. Disgusting.

Thankyou all for your kind thoughts :happy:

May all petshop-owning animal-abusers have their dunny doors kicked in by angry Emus!

...or something horrible like that...

Darkmaverick said:

Is it hard maintaining the tank with all the smooth rocks as substrate? Visually its actually quite beautiful.

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The smooth stones do make it a bit harder to keep the substrate clean, however a decent gravel vacuum is pretty effective for sucking out settled crud from the small gravel underneath.
I've found that it's a good compromise, my plants love the small stuff but it's a potential hazard for the Axies so the large stones over top serve the safety purpose as well as looking fantastic.

I'd have to say that it's worth the extra effort.

FYI for all the Australians, a 10kg bag of those stones is about $20 from Bunnings if you're interested in giving it a go. Everyone else, I'm sure your local garden supplies or hardware store would have something similar.