Axolotl won't eat and has lump under mouth!

Hi everyone,

I think my axolotl Chuck is sick and I have run out of ideas on what to do, i will try and give as much information as possible, sorry if some of it is irrelivent. This is my first axolotl and I love him to bits and just want him to get better!

Ok so first of all, Chuck stopped eating about 3 weeks ago, he's never been a big eater, when I got him about 3-4 months ago he wouldn't touch the pellets, I got him some frozen shrimp brine which he really seemed to enjoy, even so I would always have to shove it in his face rather than just leave it in a bowl like I notice a lot of axolotl owners say they do! But at least he was eating! So I ran out of shrimp brine 3 weeks ago and I went to the same pet supplies store and asked for more, they said they had only one pack left so I got it. Chuck wouldn't eat it at all, he would like sniff at it and follow it a bit and maybe nibble once but thats it. I gave it a while, thinking that maybe he just wasn't hungry because I have read that they can go some time without eating. Then i thought maybe the shrimp brine may have something wrong with it, it could be too old if it was the last one left in the shop? So I went out a week ago and bought frozed blood worms, he hasnt eaten them either, he will again sniff at it and follow it for a bit but then lose interest. I'm getting concerned because he is starting to get quite skinny.

So that is my first problem: that he wont eat. The second problem is that today I noticed he has what appears to be a lump under his mouth, I dont know what is wrong with him?!

I will post some pictures:

These two are him before he stopped eating, he does look chubbier:

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c67/razorblade_raindrops/050920102351.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c67/razorblade_raindrops/030920102342.jpg

These are him now:
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c67/razorblade_raindrops/2010-11-27124216.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c67/razorblade_raindrops/010.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c67/razorblade_raindrops/008.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c67/razorblade_raindrops/007.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c67/razorblade_raindrops/004.jpg

(sorry about the amount of pictures i just wanted to try and make the lump visible!)

My Ph is 7.2, ammonia is 0, and my tank is about 60cm in length, 30cm tall and 30cm wide

this is the filter i use:

2010-11-27134707.jpg picture by razorblade_raindrops - Photobucket

I put the aerator on it also, he's never seemed to be bothered by it though.

I change about half the water every 2 weeks also.

I think thats all the info i can give you... please help!

Hey. I don't know how much help I'll be but I wanted to try.

Do you know how old he is? I received an axolotl from a friend about a year ago. She was an old lady axolotl (they told me she was about ten years old). We only had her a couple months before she passed from old age, I'm imagining it was old age. I don't want to scare you, but her jaw did look something like that in her last few weeks, although it was more swollen throughout her whole face; he looks like it's more just the underside of his jaw. I know it is a condition with axolotls with age, so I wondered if it was older or not.

Also, does it looks like the swelling is coming from any obstructions? Is there maybe something in his tank he tried to ingest that is now stuck?

Other options for food you may try could be shrimp, frozen krill or Massivore Delight by Hikari. My guys love the Massivore pellets, it's an expensive food, but maybe you can get a sample from your local pet store.

~Emily~
musilvr4eva

Hi, thanks for trying to help! any words of wisdom are welcome.

I actually have no idea how old he is, i always assumed young though? I bought him from a pet shop and they didnt tell me how old he is.

There is nothing in his tank he could have swallowed so it cant be an obstruction.

Do you think he's just not eating because he doesn't like the food? He used to love shrimp brine i dont see why he would just stop eating it suddenly

Thanks for your help

There are infections that will cause the mouth/throat to swell, and at that point the animal cannot eat. This looks like a possibility. Unfortunately there is no "home remedy" that is going to help much, you'd probably need some powerful antibiotics from a vet.

Thanks everyone for your input,

here is an update:

I took Chuck to the vet yesterday and apparently the "lump" isn't a lump at all but the axie is just pushing out his jaw that way on purpose, the vet isn't sure why he would be doing this as its kind of a sign of a defense mechanism or something she said, but after describing my tank parameters and all being fine, she couldn't determine the cause, she also couldn't determine the cause of him not eating.

She got me to hold chuck out of water as she syringe fed him some special food and also gave me some to take home, i have to feed him 4 times with the syringe, once every 2 days, and if by then he still doesnt start eating his food normally again, I have to take Chuck back for x rays.

He is sitting in his tank with his mouth open now, doesn't look too well but hopefully after more feedings the vet believes he will begin to have more energy and then start acting normal again

I hope things take a turn for the better.