Axie skinny but eating.... HELP!

Hi guys! So glad I found this site

I bought my axie about 3 months ago. He has always eaten and I have been feeding him every second or third day (not consistent). Anyway lately his pudgy tummy has now shrunk considerably and I can see his bones poking out but I am feeding him! I know he isn't spitting it out as I watch him and I am now feeding him daily.

Mum asked the vet about it today and he said it was a 'skinny' disease and that my axie will probably die.

He swims around a lot and eats his food... when I first put him in the tank he ate EVERY single feeder fish we put in. I now feed him earth worms every day as he seems to have gone off the feeder fish.

Anyone know whats going on in his little head? Water temp is 23 degrees (Aussie weather)

Please help!

Fee

Fiona - Welcome to the forum.

23C is too hot, axolotls should be kept under 20C. You should float some frozen bottles of water in the tank to cool it down and or run a fan over the surface of the water to help cool it.

Feeder fish carry parasites and disease. These can be passed to your axolotl. Feeder fish should be avoided.

Did you cycle your tank before you put him in it? If you didn't he went through an ammonia and nitrite cycle which is detrimental to health.

I have never heard of a "skinny disease" could you ask the vet to give you a medical name so we can learn about it?

The worms are a good food, but you should vary his diet with axolotl pellets or salmon pellets, crickets and other items. You can read through the forums for more ideas.

You should also check out caudata's sister site:
http://www.axolotl.org it has lots of useful information on care, health ect

How do his gills look? are they fluffy or stubby?
Since he is so thin, if he would eat every day I would offer him food everyday.

hey fiona welcome to the site
if you could send a pic this would help us too

Cynthia I agree with you. Exactly what type of parasites can feeder fish carry - could they be parasitic worms? Eating and losing weight sounds like a parasitic worm could be living in the gut? And if it is a worm, would it be possible to get rid of it via medication?

Anne-Marie - I have wondered if some of the very skinny axolotls we sometimes see here have internal parasites. And I wonder if a poo specimen was taken to a vet if it could be tested for parasites, like we do for dogs.

This is from axolotl.org:
Although I've no experience of bait minnows and bait goldfish, apparently they are often rife with parasitic protozoans like Hexamita, Opalina, and ciliates (from Developmental Biology of the Axolotl and other sources). Internal parasites can be treated with flagyl (metronidazole) (Developmental Biology of the Axolotl recommends 500 mg per 100 g of food for three to four feedings)

Any one here have any experience with internal parasites and flagyl?