Illness/Sickness: HELP! HELP! Rotting arm! PHOTO!

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greensocks

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Katie
HELP!
One of my male axolotls attacked the other's arm about 5 days ago. I seperated them and have kept the poorly one (Logan) in a cosy tank. Initially, his arm appeared broken and he was struggling to get about.. but the arm was intact. I made sure the water was really cold and guessed it would be a case of waiting for him to heal.
Overnight it's turned white and very stringy! There are bits of flesh in the tank and his arm is turning yellow. It's red and bloody at the top (where Lexus nipped him) He's still eating well and he's still pink!
WHAT DO I DO? Is this fungus? HELP! HELP!
 
Hi.

The first thing to do would to calm down a little. This can be treated.

Because there is an open wound, salt baths are not an option. An idea would to be to place the axolotl in the fridge, but for how long, I'm not sure. This buys you time, slows the process down and would allow healing of the wound.

Get a photo up here straight away, for one of our vets to have a look at. It will probably be fungus, yes. Remove the axie from the tank and carry out a water change of at least 20% weekly to remove any harmful fungus or bacteria in the tank that could affect your other axie.

Place your axolotl in another container with fresh dechlorinated water, and whilst is in here, change the water 100% at least every two days.

I'd definitelt fridge, but again, for how long, I'm not sure. Someone will chip in eventually.
 
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:(
 
That´s definitely a severe infection. A vet will be needed to amputate the arm. Salt baths might help contain the infection, and cold will slow it down a lot, plus it will reinforce the axolotl´s inmune system.
The water looks pretty bad...water quality is essential for the well-being of your axolotls. you might want to check everywhting is fine.
 
Hi Azhael,

I apologise for the misinformation. I was under the impression that with an open wound a salt bath would cause more upset...my apologies. :D
 
I did a 100% water change at 10:30ish last night.. it's the camera quality i think.
I'll 'fridge' him ASAP.

How do i go about finding a vet who even knows what an Axolotl is?
 
A 100% water change is never a good idea...now you have to cycle the tank again, causing further stress your animals. Make sure to make 10-20% daily partial water changes to keep ammonia and nitrites from building up too much.

Vets who know what an axolotl is are uncommon, but i´d say pretty much any vet should be able to amputate and treat an arm, regardless of the species.
 
I would probably call your local vet and ask them to find out any contact information on a vet who deals with amphibians/reptiles. Mention the latin name Ambystoma mexicanum, this could help also.

Good luck.

Have a look through the site on 'fridging' articles.
 
Vet visit and surgical repair is a must. Antibiotic prophylaxis can also be given. Meanwhile fridging is a good idea.

If the wound is huge, bleeding and fresh, salt baths are not suitable as a first treatment. You may however flush the wound site with saline solution. Prolonged soaking in salt water will interfere with wound healing and the wound will not close or stop bleeding as quickly.

Wait till the wound is closed before you try the salt baths to treat the fungal infection. Salt baths are best used for superficial skin problems. With deeper wounds, salt baths (soaking) can push bacteria deeper into tissues. Open wounds with salt baths can also be quite uncomfortable.
 
Logan has a consultation and amputation at the vets today and it went swimmingly :)
Photos soon!

Just wondering if i return him to his big tank? Or continue to fridge him for a while?

Thanks to everyone for their help :)

Kate and Logan x
 
I am so glad it went well. I would keep him fridged for a bit just so you can keep a close eye on him. Did the vet suggest any further treatments or medication?
 
Continue to fridge your axie. It definitely helps with the mend.
 
Hey guys i think a similar thing is happening to my axolotl :(

Can someone help because the vets dont know much about amphibians and no vets for miles do :(

When we had snakes (my cousin has ours now) we could never get vets either :(

Also is your axolotls leg fine now or is it getting worse?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Drew would you like to post some history and specific information of your axie's condition in a new thread? Include photos if you can. Only then can we work out a plan.
 
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