Illness/Sickness: HELP!! Tequila still wont eat!!

Hi all,

my adult axie still wont eat she not interested at all, runs from food and hides in one of the caves, but is obviously taking allot of air when she seams hungry as she starts to float, background: 24th Feb:

I just got home an tequila was floating sideways on top of tank, her face is all swollen!!
Its an unexpectedly very hot day, I checked the water and the ammonia was high, so i moved her immediately to the fridge, with new water (with water conditioner) she seams to be bleeding from behind her gill, and not moving and floating. So i fridged here immediately at 7 degrees Celsius.

The 1st of march i got her to the vet: the hot weather to high too long caused her to stress and resulted in heart failure, and her throat region swelled, its odeama is the accumulation of fluids underneath the skin, it happens with heart failure, the blood thickens in the largest veins, u see it in humans around the legs because that where our largest veins are but in axies the larges veins are under the chin. so i have her on directics to thin the blood and make her "wee" to release the fluids, its a hard build up not good . Her "odeama has seamed to gotten smaller but still there.

Last week i removed her from the fridge an she in her new tank but is refusing food. She just runs to her cave, i have tried everything even now have frozen bloodworm's in a jar in her tank to try to entice her. last night she went crazy after i waved some beef heart in front of her and she just went for her tail in circles, then up for air then hid? what do i do? i tryed force feeding her with a syringe but she wouldn't open mouth and i was scared of hurting her neck if was pushed too far back, and also of hurting her swollen neck????
i tryed the force feeding as per
HitmanSougo13 FYI???

I'm just scared she dying slowly and dont know what to do

How long has it been since she has eaten? It can sometimes be hard to get a axie to feed again once they have stopped eating, but start slowly and with smaller meals.

How skinny is she? If she in thin, you'll need to fatten her up. Beef heart fed very sparingly is a start, but earthworms are by far the best.

Although it's not really recommended, try a small slither of lean red meat, beef topside or gerello is best (I'm a butcher by trade so I know) and this may entice her to eat, so anything remotely suitable is a start I think.

Keep us posted, and some current pics of your axie and her tank would be great too.

Edit: how often does she gulp at the top? That could be a sign of a water quality issue.


This hot perth weather is nearing it's end I hope so you should be fine temperature wise.

Poor little Tequila. I have no advice just wanted to wish you luck.

Poor little girl, she's been through a lot hasn't she! In fact sounds as though you both have!

I'm glad you got her to the vet the first time round, but I'm wondering if she may need another visit.

How long since she last ate? 24th Feb? When both my girls went off their food they had the same reaction to it. Hiding from it, acting like it was a threat and not the usual nommy worms they love! I got them to the vet and they had a stomach infection (at least that's what the antibiotics were for) after a week on those they were soon back to normal. It might be worth calling the vet to see what they think.

This is of course is just a suggestion to what could be wrong if everything else is up to check in the tank: water tests, temp, etc.

Other than that it may be from the stress of it all! How is she in general?

thanks guys, tequila looks so much better, she ate for the 1st time since 24th feb last night, i tried everything and she ate a lil bit of liver, ok i know its not good for them but i tried everything! tonight she ate a half a worm and some beef heart so im happy the lump on her throut has decreased and she overall seams happy.

If she's eating, keep offering food! Even if it isn't the healthiest, it's better to get some food in her belly and then work back toward nutrition.

I wish I could like that last post more than once I am SOOOOOOO Glad she is eating again and will echo Kaisies words. Get her eating THEN worry about getting her diet back on track when she's feeding well.

When my children have been ill for a few days and not eating I will let them have whatever they think they want to get them eating and drinking again and worry about getting the junk out and good stuff in when they are back to normal again.

WOO HOO Still so gosh darned pleased that she has eaten too pleased to care that it was liver :uhoh: YUCK :lol:

Keep up the good work with her.