Hatchling deformities.....

Does anyone know about these in particular? Like if they stand a chance at surviving? The two in the top photo, one looks like it's back is broken, the other looks under developed and "u" shape, it is alive but all it really does is twitch and go in circles. The one in the bottom pic, you can see the big attachment under it's belly, looks transparent. I've had ones like these before, quite a few in the first clutch, a couple in the second. I was told it's prob the yolk sac and had accepted that however over time with the first clutch completely perfect Axies developed this issue over night, stopped thriving/eating and eventually died. The ones born like this from the second clutch aren't eating either but have good swim speed on them, then again so did the others. I don't count on them surviving.

It won't let me upload more than one pic at a time with my iphone for some reason, here is the second one.

And just curious, here is a little guy from my first clutch, I've named him Raj, I'm 90% sure he is a dwarf because his stomach is quite small like Howie's with his back legs growing in quite close to his front legs, he use to have quite a noticeable curve to him as well which has since straightened out, he swims fine now, use to only do circles. I'm not sure if you can see in the pic what I'm talking about but his tail is warped, his fin starts out on top like it should but then it wraps sideways and ends underneath at the tip. He also doesn't use one of his front arms, I haven't been able to get a clear look at it but I'm pretty sure it is also missing digits.

I had one deformed guy with a big belly and bent tail. Couldn't swim. Died within 3-4 days.

I had a couple that were a weird shape, they didn't survive.

Part of wants these guys to make it - we all love the runt of the litter - but another part of me thinks they could be in pain and we should euthanise them when they hatch.

That picture of the one with the big belly doesn't look like yolk sac to me though.

I know I have all the ones in their own tub together to monitor them but it pains me to watch them. I have 2 with the bent tail, 3 "u" shaped ones and 4 or 5 of the big belly ones. I just don't know how to go about euthanizing them in a humane painless way. They stare at me with their big eyes and I feel so terrible for them, espesh the big bellied ones, it took over a month for the ones from the first clutch to die always feeding them hoping they would become healthy and over come whatever this is but of course never did, over a month is a long time to die, espesh when they aren't eating but have incredible swim speed on them, it's baffling.

Euthanising deformed larvae isn't easy on a personal level, but it's easy on a practical level:
Get some clove oil from a pharmacy (sold as a toothache remedy), put a few (6 or so)drops in a pint of water in a bottle and shake well. Put clove water in a disposable tub (or one you're going to mark as clove oil use only) and add your babies. They'll give a little wriggle and then stop moving. Leave them for an hour then you can bury/flush them.

Ironically in my house it's my hubby that can't euthanise a sick fish or axie larva, so I now have quite a bit of experience with this

I've used clove oil to euthanize fish with dropsy. It's emotionally hard but very effective, and the most painless method I've been able to find. The clove oil is an anesthetic. Begin with a small amount of the clove oil/water emulsion, it can burn and cause distress. An overdose of clove oil can euthanize, but I found it difficult. Adding vodka to the water they're in is more effective, but please only do so after the anesthetic has time to kick in.

If you want to euthanise them fast scoop them up in a net and flick them on the head, they die easily when they are small.

Let's just use the clove oil...

Elise said:

Let's just use the clove oil...

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Would hate to try and flick them on the head and not get it right.....I'm with you on this one......the other sounds a bit hit and miss...if you get my meaning?

Dipsy66 said:

Would hate to try and flick them on the head and not get it right.....I'm with you on this one......the other sounds a bit hit and miss...if you get my meaning?

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Ian has years of experience and knows what he's doing, but I agree that one of us could easily get it wrong and cause more suffering. I'm sticking with clove oil too.

The second picture you should euthanise, i did not have one that looked like that survive.. But none actually died.. They stop eating and then eventually starve to death so I would euthanise once they stoped eating.

As far as cosmetic deformaties, I had one who many on here may know. Nike was born with a bent tail, and though he still has a slight bend, he will be one year old in march and isdoing great. I would wait to see if they develop bloat before euthanising.

auntiejude said:

Euthanising deformed larvae isn't easy on a personal level, but it's easy on a practical level:
Get some clove oil from a pharmacy (sold as a toothache remedy), put a few (6 or so)drops in a pint of water in a bottle and shake well. Put clove water in a disposable tub (or one you're going to mark as clove oil use only) and add your babies. They'll give a little wriggle and then stop moving. Leave them for an hour then you can bury/flush them.

Ironically in my house it's my hubby that can't euthanise a sick fish or axie larva, so I now have quite a bit of experience with this

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can you not just freeze them to euthanize ?

Freezing ruptures the cells and is a pretty painful way to go. Some people think that the slowed metabolism of a fridged axolotl means it feels less pain when frozen, but that makes no sense to me. I do think that freezing after anesthetizing with clove oil could be okay.

I would disagree but its in a bias way so if somebody understands clove oil a bit more then me I would love to hear it because this is just my thought in my head.

Clove oil does not actually dissolve into the water, it kind of sits on top of the water, thus the importance of shaking the water up and continuous stirring during euthanization. And say it takes roughly 24-48hours to euthanize a axolotl in the freezer. Even if you were to sedate it and then put it in the freezer, chances it would wear off before they would freeze.

For me I use clove oil to euthanise young juveniles, it works and its sad but it hurts me more watching and waiting for them to starve to death or suffer.
I have not had to euthanize one older then 2.5months but I think once they reached a certain size I would have to get a vet to do it.. But to me once they get a certain age you can generally rule out genetic disorders therefore a vet may be able to find an alternate solution---emphasizing "may"

Short toe/bloat i have not seen one lotl live. Deformaties in their tail and such I have one who lived, sometimes with those deformaties Bloat will eventually come. With nike, he never seemed stressed or suffering so I just let him live thinking even if his lifespan was 6months it would be great. Now he is 9months