My Axolotl seems to have a double chin

Hi Crew!

My axolotl is now 11 months old. In the last few months I noticed he started developing a double chin. He's really not all that fat. I do run an aeriation system in the 28 gallon tank. Although I only use about less than 10 gallons of water in the tank. Over time he seemed to completely lose the ability to swim up to the surface. Sometimes he tries but he ends up falling back down. The water is only about 6 inches high.

I have this guess that perhaps it's because he can't swim up to the surface he can't get the air out of his system. So it keeps it rolling around his mouth. His double chin is pretty big especially when he is eating.

I looked at photos of other axolotls and they don't seem to have this massive chin. Unfortunately the photo taken don't seem to truly reflect the size of his chin. I hope to hear from some of you if you ever came across this problem. Thank you very much to those who read and those who respond.

Hi Hitman,

To me it just looks like a "well rounded" individual but very healthy looking. The inability to swim to the surface could be conditioned 6 " is not much room to swim in perhaps you could increase the depth of your tank and it will swim more. Or it might be too much of an effort to swim, might need some subway.

That axolotl is *really* cute :happy: I agree with Ian, he looks fine and healthy. You are doing a good job! More water also means less fluctuation in water quality, so that is something to consider.

I hope I'm wrong, but is there any chance that your axie has swallowed one of those glass beads in the tank? I have seen pictures of axolotls with this swollen look after they have swallowed something they shouldn't. Have you checked in his mouth? I know you say he has looked like this for a few months, but perhaps you can try to look in his mouth? I've read before that the best way to do this is with two people, one gently but firmly holding the axolotl, the other gently trying to open the axies mouth, I think I remember the post before mentioning using the handle of a teaspoon.
If I'm completely out of order here I apologise.

Heya!

Thanks for your input. I'm pretty sure he didn't swallow a glass bead, those are massive beads bigger than the size of his head. Plus the double chin area is a little see through so I can tell there's nothing in there. I've looked in his mouth before just a glance especially when he yawns but it's just his flesh color there so I take it it's not food or something stuck in his mouth.

hi
lovely axie. i have to agree that i've seen pictures of axolotls with a double chin after they've swallowed a stone or something.

Well that's good news then! I guess the others are right then and I'm just a little paranoid. Glad about that never the less!

He looks good and health to me.

Hi Hitmansougo,

Im afraid, unlike the others, im a little concerned about the puffy chin. Obese or gravid animals tend to restrict their tubbiness around their bellies (midsection) and would very rarely involve the chin. Although technically, i suppose grossly obese animals may acquire that double chin look.

I normally perform what i call the F.B.I approach to investigating this. We want to rule out a condition called submandibular oedema (swollen puffy chin) that can be an early warning sign of illness.

F - Foreign body - Check that there is nothing lodged in the mouth. Sometimes, certain food types like mealworms, can get partially stuck and cause irritation to the oral mucosa/lining in the mouth. If you feed feeder fish or shrimp, you have to be extra careful. Sometimes fins/spikes/shrimp rostrum can get stuck in the mouth.

B - Bloat. An early onset sign of bloat could simply involve the chin area. Normally animals with bloat tend to be rather ill so there will be other accompanying signs of illnesss or stress. Bloat can gradually involve the entire body, including limbs. Bloat itself is not an illness but rather a sign. Renal, hepatic, cardiac, lymphatics problems, scepticaemia can all cause this. Cardiac and lymphatic problems in particular tend to manifest first in the chin area. If you have not noticed any other signs of illness and stress, i would put this lower in terms of likelihood.

I- Infectious stomatitis or mouth rot. Some bacteria such as aeromonas, pseudomonas etc., can cause an infection in the mouth. The signs include a swollen chin area, difficulty in feeding and sometimes a permanently slightly open mouth. This condition is transmissible/contagious and requires quarantine of affected animals. It would also require antibiotics. Is your axie able to eat normally?

If you have ruled out FBI. Perhaps its time to place your axie on a diet. Gradually taper down the frequency or amount of food per feeding. An obese axie is not a healthy one. Obesity can put a strain on the internal organs.

Cheers.

Thanks Rayson,

Guess for now I'll probably keep a close eye. I paid attention to the way he eats, looks normal, quite easy to feed him, he opens his mouth in a pretty normal way. He's always had a slightly opened mouth, there's a opening about less then the width of a finger nail's thickness so I assume it's normal. The chin area doesn't look discolored or moldy and so there's none of that.

I usually feed him strips of raw beef, raw shrimp, raw scallop and an occasional lower fat fish.
He has a habit of what you call 'savoring the flavor' of what he eats. If something is very fresh or good such as beef, he loves rolling his chin around even after eating for several times as to soak up the flavor of the food. I'm not sure if his constant habit increases his chin size. I'm not sure if other axolotls do this.

Hi Hitmansougo,

Thank you for updating us. It is reassuring to hear that your axie is well and fine. With the additional history of nutrition, now i am inclined to think maybe your axie needs to go on a little diet

Raw beef, raw shrimp, raw scallop and an occasional lower fat fish are all fine as occasional treats but not as a staple. It is almost like having macdonalds every meal. Perhaps you might like to try switching to worms such as earthworms and blackworms and bloodworms as main food type? They are nutritious yet not overly fatty.

Cheers.

Darkmaverick said:

Hi Hitmansougo,

Thank you for updating us. It is reassuring to hear that your axie is well and fine. With the additional history of nutrition, now i am inclined to think maybe your axie needs to go on a little diet

Raw beef, raw shrimp, raw scallop and an occasional lower fat fish are all fine as occasional treats but not as a staple. It is almost like having macdonalds every meal. Perhaps you might like to try switching to worms such as earthworms and blackworms and bloodworms as main food type? They are nutritious yet not overly fatty.

Cheers.

Click to expand...

And If you can, try some pellets, specific axolotl ones, or try salmon pellets (also high in protien)

i like shrimp, and scallops, maybe me and your axie could have lunch