Another sad story...

Been to a shop in Streatham Hill in London. Owner had about ten Axies albino and about have a gravel in them some so many you could see it through their skin... Six or seven stones inside... Sad thing to see cos there would be no rescue for little fella... Told the owner/keeper to remove the gravel and he promised he will but it is to late for little ones... Or is it? Cos if there is a chance I will get them and save them... So please... Any advice?

Fridging is considered to be a good treatment for impaction, follow the link Axolotl Sanctuary

Methodzki said:

Been to a shop in Streatham Hill in London. Owner had about ten Axies albino and about have a gravel in them some so many you could see it through their skin... Six or seven stones inside... Sad thing to see cos there would be no rescue for little fella... Told the owner/keeper to remove the gravel and he promised he will but it is to late for little ones... Or is it? Cos if there is a chance I will get them and save them... So please... Any advice?

Click to expand...

It is awful seeing them in shops in inappropriate conditions, not only for the axolotls but for their future owners. If someone ill experienced saw them on gravel, they'd presume it's fine for them to be housed on gravel, which obviously it is not. It's good that you informed the shop keeper that it should be removed but I feel this is unfortunately a "wait and see" situation. There have been several occasions where I have rehomed axolotls previously kept on gravel, to my disgust, but thankfully they were able to pass it. This is not always the case though. You could go back to the shop at a later date (several times, if needs be) to see if they kept to their word and removed the gravel and check the condition of the axolotls. If it is still poor then however heart breaking it is, I would leave them in the shop purely for the fact if they died, it would be the shops loss, not yours. Maybe then it would teach them to care for them properly.

I am just thinking about buying them and try to save them... Just need a good method that will give them about 80% chances... Fridging is an option but what are the chances?

I got a broken hart...

Waste of time buying them tbh , if you do that the shop will only buy more and you will be rewarding poor care practices. The best thing that can happen in this situation is that the shop owners learn how to care for axolotls or they all die and the shop doesnt get any more in.

Methodzki said:

I am just thinking about buying them and try to save them... Just need a good method that will give them about 80% chances... Fridging is an option but what are the chances?

I got a broken hart...

Click to expand...

How large was the gravel? Would you say it was average size or quite fine? Either way it's so difficult to know if they will be able to pass it as even the smallest gravel can cause dreadful impactions. Whatever you choose to do, I wouldn't get them while they're still being kept on the gravel as the shop will think it doesn't matter and won't improve on anything. They will see it as people are still buying them, so why change their "care".

He started removing gravel as I left the shop... So that is good omen... I will go back there after few days and see what is going on.