Illness/Sickness: Help!! Axolotl looks like its going to explode !!!

mikeg

mikeg

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Michael
Okay so i went to do a feeding today and i saw my axolotl was HUGE and a little too red!
His cola is swollen like crazy and its open, he got extremely fat compared to yesterday and he has what looks like veins popen out around his body, gills look red and normal, do not have a test kit but i brought some sample water the fish store 3 days ago they said my water was fine haven't done a water change between the day i brought my water in and now , tank has been cycled for just over a year.


Do not have a spare tank at the moment so i had to put him in a clear container i had lying around with a ziplock bag full of ice. He is leucistic and about 4 years old.

WHAT HAPPEN WHAT DO I DO!!



Will post more pictures tomorrow
 

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This is going to sound weird, but did he look like he pooped out something weird? It reminds me of a prolapse but not quite.....
 
Have no idea where or even if we have a exotic vet/animal hospital that will deal with axolotls in the GTA
 
I'm thinking a salt bath might be in order, but I'm just not sure. Hopefully others will see this soon.

A tea bath might be a safer option that would at least soothe his skin. Do you know how to do that?
 
No haven't noticed any poop that looked weird. I have done a salt bath to my melaniod when she had fungus in the summer, but for the tea bag bath i know there is a post about it il give it a search. It almost looks like something black on his right side is trying to push out of his body.
 
Has he ever been on dark gravel? If that's what's going on, maybe the fridge would help???

How is he acting???
 
In May 2012 he was on large river rocks (3inches plus) and in June or July 2012 i switched to white sand (got the sand at a great deal). So its been about 11 months that they have been on white sand.
 
Have you felt the dark bit on his side? Can you get a picture of it? It's possible that it could be a stone from all that time ago that has suddenly shifted position and caused an obstruction, which might explain why his cloaca looks like that if he is trying to pass it. I'm not sure a salt bath will help, but I'd be inclined to put him in the fridge.
 
The male or female cloaca can look that when they are laying spermatophore or eggs.

So, are there any other axolotl in the tank, and what sexes are they?
 
Net, i looked at that link, that axolotl looks swollen all around min is just in the tummy area.

Anna, i agree i do not think a salt bath would help. never thought of that possibility. he has been eating normally when i saw this yesterday i took him out an feed my other axolotls just as i would any other feeding.

Julia, i checked the tank last night for sperm packets didn't find any. he is a male. i have 2 male leucistic, 1 female golden, 2 female melaniod, 1 wild sex unknown, and that wild/purple looking one sex unknown. checked the cola again today looks the same.



Here are some more pictures

First pic was taken yesterday, second and third this morning
 

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The swelling is just on one side by the looks of it. Have you felt for any hard lumps? It looks like he is trying to pass something huge.
 
I have not touched his side i am scared it is going to hurt him. The side that looks swollen appears bruised. He is being fridge should i try offering food or should i wait since he is bloated? He still seems to be as somewhat active in the container but i noticed he is walking funny.
 
Anna i touched the side of him just felt slimy and soft didn't feel hard,

Here is what the side of him looks like( full tail is there just curved in the picture)

And also a picture of the entire tank.



Other thank fridgeing is there anything else i can do to help him?


.
 

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You're right it does look more like a bruise than a rock inside. I'm really sorry but I'm out of ideas. I'm worried he may be bleeding internally.

I have no specialist vets within easy reach of where I am, but I have found two that are prepared to treat my axolotl Burrito, who has an abscess on her head and is being treated with antibiotic injections. At first my regular vet was reluctant to see her as he has had no experience with axolotls. Basically, I did as much research as I possibly could, and the vet spoke on the phone to a specialist.

I have basically told my vet that I appreciate that he has no experience and will not hold him responsible if anything goes wrong. I think at this stage you might need to try this too. There is a list of vets who do treat axolotls as a sticky at the top of the sick axolotl forum. You could try sending these pictures and a link to this thread to any one of them and see if they have any ideas. Then take any information you get this way to your nearest vet.

Wishing you the best of luck- I hope you can find some help x
 
By the way your tank looks great- I can't see anything obvious that could cause this.
 
I have not found a vet who will deal with axolotls. I tried to offer him a small worm to see if he was respondent to food, he was not. All my other axolotls seem to be happy and acting normal noting out of the ordinary with them. If it is internal bleeding what would it have been caused by and what are the chances of survival without antibiotic injections. I am guessing that if he does not get better or start to have some sort of a food intake he will only last another week or so before he starves to death? Really hope this does not happen though, i am still looking for a vet but i will defiantly send this thread link to some of the vets on caudata to get there expertise.
 
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