Illness/Sickness: Seriously underweight Axolotl :( urgent!

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Jaszhex

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My axolotl is seriously under weight. She is 1.5 years old and used to be healthy and regular size. Over the last month she has seriously lost weight and now looks like a skeleton with skin.. Her gills have shrunk up and shriveled and she has trouble walking about. She is eating and I make sure she can get to the food. I feed her every 1/2 days with half a cube of frozen bloodworm as that is all she can eat. What shall I do?!?!?! please help. :'( she also lives completely submerged in water.

Thank you!!

Jasz x
 
Have you checked water parameters to make sure the water she is in healthy? Is the temperature kept within a manageable range?
 
Also switch it's diet to mostly nightcrawlers. Bloodworms are not good or complete as a staple diet.
 
I agree with Greatwtehunter, try giving chopped up pieces. Try cutting the worm into 4 equal sized pieces and let her eat the head part first. and then the next day, give her the 2nd pieces. 3rd day the 3rd piece, and 4th day, the last piece. and then start out with a new worm after the 4th day.
 
kinkyoto said:
I agree with Greatwtehunter, try giving chopped up pieces. Try cutting the worm into 4 equal sized pieces and let her eat the head part first. and then the next day, give her the 2nd pieces. 3rd day the 3rd piece, and 4th day, the last piece. and then start out with a new worm after the 4th day.
Click to expand...

If you cut a worm up into four small pieces, will it neccessarily last 4 days (and still be alive and wiggling)? I've never tried, just surprised, as I was under the impression that if you cut up a worm into small bits, it will not keep that well?

But yes, I would try offering small portions of tempting, wiggling, live food - but most importantly, try to establish what is causing your axie's loss of appetite. As mentioned above, a check of ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and PH levels would be good, additionally, check the water's temperature and your filter flow, ie, is it causing stress?

As the problem only seems to have occurred within the past month, is there a new element that has been introduced to the the tank - new hides, plants, sand, filter etc?
Or a change of location, diet, dechlorinator?

Zoe x
 
Thanx guys! i'm going to go get the water checked at my local pet store tomorrow :) She ate a little more today which is good. What are nightcrawlers? x
 
Ah, didn't notice you're British like me...it's what our American counterparts call earthworms. But yeah, they are just standard earthworms, the browny-white ones, not the red ones.

x
 
Ahhhh! makes sense ^_^ can you get them from the garden? or do you have to buy them? x
 
Not knowing what pesticides or chemical have been sprayed in your yard and garden, I think it best to get them from the petstore. In my area, only a couple of stores carry them, but it is worth the drive.
 
It is dependent on whether you use pesticides in your garden - because we own the house we live in, I know that no pesticides are used in the garden, so I just dig them up. So, I'd check with whoever does the gardening at your house before you dig them up.

You can always order some online and then set up a little wormery in a plastic tub, so you'll always have a supply..

x
 
plastic tub sounds like a plan ^_^ where can you order them online? x
 
You can order from here - Livefood UK Ltd.

For a wormery, basically you just need a big plastic tub with a lid. Perforate the lid to allow ventilation, fill with soil (not too dry, but not so damp that there's any risk of worm-drowning) and then add your worms. The soil in mine got a bit too damp recently, so I put some cardboard in there to absorb the moisture.

I feed the worms on raw vegetable scraps and fish flakes.

Zoe x
 
im so sorry to hear this unfortunately i had exactly the same problem!, my axolotl unfortuantly died in january :(, the water was fine has she// he eaten any pebbles do you know i think mine had some thing wrong with her digestive system i hope yours will be ok try feeding him/her beef heart its very fatty good for weight gain also feed him/her every day mine gained not a lot but a little weight
 
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