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Illness/Sickness: Help! Our Axolotl is bloated and won't eat.

AJ3k

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Hello,

My partner and I need help with our Axoltl Wesley, who appears to be sick!

He has a bloated belly, but isn't floating and the tip of he's tail is curved indicating he's stressed. He won't eat anything and hasn't for about 2 weeks.

He has a large tank, and we keep his water clean; we use sand and not pebbles or gravel and mainly feed him frozen blood worm anywhere from once a day to once every couple of days.
We got him about 3 years ago and he is about 8 years old now.

We did a bit of research and tried some things, none of which worked and there aren't any specialist vets in our area that can look at him.

We had that horrible heat wave and at first thought he was heat stressed, so we did what we could to keep his tank and room cool; we covered his tank to keep him in the shade and kept the blinds down and the ceiling fan on during the day so he didn't overheat. The temp has dropped now and he's no better.

We tried fridging him, and kept him in there for a week (he came out only a couple of days ago); we followed instructions on this very carefully, but he is still bloated and still won't eat. He doesn't seem to have pooed but if he hasn't eaten, will he poo? And if he had food stuck in him, wouldn't a week of fridging help him to pass/vomit that?
We also read that he might be bloated due to only eating bloodworm and not getting a more diverse diet, so we got him chicken liver and was going to get other things but he simply refuses to eat.

We're really quite worried at this point and are not sure what to do next, if anyone can offer advice on this, we would be very grateful.

Attached are 2 pics of Wesley (he is in his little tank in these pics while we clean his big tank) These were taken about a week ago and he looks more bloated now than he did in these pics.
 

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emdalliance

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I really don't want to be the bearer of bad news but both my axolotls who were exposed to a heat wave wouldn't eat and got bloated and died.
Bloated can be signs of kidney problems and other underlying issues some of which may have been caused by the exposure to heat. Heat and axolotls don't go hand in hand AT all. You might think some are more susceptible than others but with my experience, it just appears that some show outward signs slower than others more than anything.

What temperature did your tank go up to?

My wildtype died suddenly after bouts of floating and not eating so I couldn't even attempt anything with her.. my lucy bloated and was floating and not eating and I basically kept her in the fridge the whole time I was trying to find help, just because it slows their condition down a lot so you don't need to MAD panic rush trying to do something. Mine didn't pass anything as I thought it might be a blockage some how. A lot of keepers I know feed just a diet of blood worms so I wouldn't worry about that - they have really healthy beautiful axolotls.

Most people when I posted pictures of mine said I needed antibiotics to help, or to try and help with her condition - there's no specialist vets anywhere near me like not even possibly reachable. Someone suggested salts and so I just tried that and she passed away after an hour of doing this. So some advice - don't jump into doing things that people suggest on here unless you know 100% by looking at their profile and other posts that they provide reliable knowledge and advice. It appeared the poster who was giving me advice had been replying to a lot of threads and also been reported a lot for awful advice. So lesson learnt for me.
She's a gorgeous axolotl. I really hope you can help her.. It's horrible to lose axolotls to something like heat - I lost my two axolotls who I've had the longest since eggs so ?

Good luck
❤️


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emdalliance

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Also, if it wasn't hideously above what the usual temperature should be (no more than 20 degrees Celsius) she may be gravid, have you considered this? Not eating is also a sign of being gravid. But I obviously haven't seen her immediate condition as you did say she's more bloated than in those pictures so, it's a slim possibility, but definitely not something to rule out !


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AJ3k

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Hi Emily, thank you so much for your reply. We can safely rule out gravid as Wesley is a boy!

I'm so sorry you lost your axie on the basis of poor advice; that's just terrible. You were just trying to help your axie though so I hope you can take some consolation in that.

The temperature of the tank didn't rise much above 20 centigrade; I'd say up to about 25 at most (it was getting to 31 outside).

He showed a slight interest in his food last night but ultimately didn't eat anything - hopefully tonight we'll be able to get him to have a little something.

My concern is that we've kept him cool, and we then fridged him in the hopes that he would pass the blockage but there's been no trace of poop for about 3 weeks now. Does this mean that it's likely not a blockage?

We are just so worried about him :(
 

emdalliance

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Hi Emily, thank you so much for your reply. We can safely rule out gravid as Wesley is a boy!

I'm so sorry you lost your axie on the basis of poor advice; that's just terrible. You were just trying to help your axie though so I hope you can take some consolation in that.

The temperature of the tank didn't rise much above 20 centigrade; I'd say up to about 25 at most (it was getting to 31 outside).

He showed a slight interest in his food last night but ultimately didn't eat anything - hopefully tonight we'll be able to get him to have a little something.

My concern is that we've kept him cool, and we then fridged him in the hopes that he would pass the blockage but there's been no trace of poop for about 3 weeks now. Does this mean that it's likely not a blockage?

We are just so worried about him :(



It's okay! I know it's horrible waiting for a reply (sometimes I never received one) so I like to help out when I can!
I'm sorry I couldn't tell that she was a he from the pics as I couldn't see much under the tail haha! Well that certainly does rule out being gravid.

25 is extremely hot for axies.. being anything over 20 can be lethal. We struggled with it here (In England) a few months back, it was getting to like 33 degrees+ and we've just moved in to an apartment in Feb from our parents homes so we didn't know how hot it would be in here! Third floor flat and none of the windows open much at all.. ours got to about 25 too..

I've since invested in lots of big tuppawear tubs and clip on fans! (£5 from Amazon).. I try the fans first on the tanks as well as ice bottles (I have 3 tanks lol not helpful) and then if that doesn't work enough they all get evacuated into a big tub each (they're all like 50/60L tubs that don't take up much room) and I put them somewhere where I can clip the fans on to point over the water! That really works for me. I know it's inconvenient but I guess that's what being a pet momma or dad is all about haha!

I also have a very nasty bitey axie (a rescue, long story thought we'd stopped the biting, our other rescue who had been attacked by her previously before we owned them lost all his legs, found out she hadn't stopped) so working on building a divider to separate them (back in tubs now due to this). It all comes with its annoyances but it's so worth owning them!

Yeah I'd think by now a blockage would have passed honestly.. they usually poop out or sick up anything after a week maximum really.. you could try a teabath to sooth him especially if any fungus starts appearing (happened to my lucy never had it before). Just do an extremely mild tea bath - it's good for their skin because it can be bacterial infections that cause the bloat - in the case of this you will need antibiotic (only swabs done by a vet or someone specialised will be able to tell if it's a bacterial infection causing the issues).. mine also went anaemic from the bloating and not eating ? so definitely try and get him eating!!!

Anaemia is hard to find anything about on the Internet. Never saw much about it on here. Mine eventually started tipping to the side so it was obviously bloat and the heat that had caused it and killed her..

Definitely try for a vet! I know it's expensive.. but that's what I needed at the end of the day and I couldn't find one. Ring around. Ask and other vets can point you in the right direction.


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AJ3k

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Hi Emily,

Thank you again for your advice. We'll do everything we can for him, but will be cautious as you suggest.

He had a small nibble last night for the first time in weeks which is good, but he's still bloated/swollen.

Yeah, this most recent heat wave took us by surprise! We came home to find the room was so hot, and our windows are like yours and don't open too far. From then on we took steps to keep the room cool (leaving the ceiling fan on all day and closing the blinds to stop direct sunlight from coming in) and Wesleys tank as cool as we could, but I guess the damage was potentially already done in that first day.

Sorry to hear about your bitey lil fella - I did read that once an axolotl turns cannibalistic they basically stay that way, but don't know how true that is.

Good luck with your Axolotls, and let's hope ours recovers!
 

EmilyEllis

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Hi there, I seem to be having the same problem with my axolotl (Axol) he has a large bloated stomach and won't eat, he hasn't eaten properly for around a week or two. He is fed on axolotl pellets and eats around 15-20 every 3 days. I recently did a full tank change as we were worried he may be constipated and he always does a big poo after he has a nice clean tank! There's still no big poo but a lot of little flakey bits appearing where he always poos. I'm going to try him on some lamb heart see if he will eat that. There was a heat wave reaching around 25° though the house stayed cool and he's always covered in his tank as I can't find a hide big enough for him. But does anyone have any ideas what I can do??
Sorry for hijacking your thread! I'm just super worried ☹️

Emily
 

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NoemiMedina

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I am so sorry to here about your axolotl Emily! Sometimes I get scared like this with my axolotls, but they go back to normal once I make sure all their water levels and temperature are back to what they are used to. I hope that’s all your little guy needs.
 

Hayleyy

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Is his backside floating? If so you can fridge him and see if that helps. There is a fridging guide here on the sick axolotl forum.
 

EmilyEllis

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Thanks so much guys! I had the pH of the tank water checked today and it was quite acidic so I've done a whole new change again and hopefully this will help! I've also put some frozen bottles in the tank to keep it below 18° he's definitely more lively today. If he's no better in a few days I'll put him in the fridge for a week. I'm also going to go dig up some worms and feed him on them more than the pellets so ?? he'll get better!

Emily
 

tundrabadger

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Hi Emily....do you have a fan? frozen bottles are a big help, but a fan can encourage evaporation and keep a nice steady temperature. It doesn't have to be anything fancy.



With regard to a hide, how big of a tank do you have? cause his hide can be literally anything he can hide in, I know a lot of people use lengths of pvc pipe. Alexander has a nice cave that I bought him for a sum of money I will never admit to my wife, but he spends as much time hiding in the opposite corner under some leafy fake plants next to his rock. which is as protected from any light source, and I have legitimately thought he got out somehow on more than one occasion.
 

Hayleyy

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I have a suggestion for the hide. A ceramic pot works wonders. You can have it just layed down on it's side, or break it so it can stand upside down and have an entry hole. For the latter you would need to sand down and sharp bits, and/or silicone the parts which broke off. Go through this thread, there are so many great ideas on there https://www.caudata.org/forum/showthread.php?t=75076
 

EmilyEllis

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Hi yeah, I have a small fan thing in the tank that keep all the condensation at bay. I currently have a 4foot tank that I bought off a friend. I have bought a plastic plant pot and cut a hole out of it after seeing the post on the ceramic pot!! I just need to sand the edges to make sure they're blunt and it will be going straight in! Thanks for all the advice it's a great help! ??
 

EmilyEllis

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Hi there! Just a quick update. Axol was put into the fridge for 10 days and still did not reduce in swelling and his bottom is still floating slightly. I decided to take him to the vet to see if they could help. The vet was quite concerned about the bloating and said it's not a pebble because she couldn't feel it. He got given a large dose of fluids subcutaneously because he hasn't ate in a month, and I have also been given antibiotics to give him via injection every 2 days. The vet thinks it may be a form of septicemia or infection as she opened his mouth he bled quite a lot ?. So I have another appointment next Thursday for a check up and maybe for some force feeding which I don't want to happen! Just wondering if anyone has had anything similar to this with their lotl?

Thanks in advance!
Emily
 

Hayleyy

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It sounds as though you have a vet willing and able to help, that's really great. I don't know anything about axolotls and septicema, although I read a post yesterday where an axie had it, but I can't remember which post it was sorry. Hope your one recovers, keep updating.
 

EmilyEllis

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Thank you! He is definitely more himself today, I gave him his now second injection of this antibiotic and his stomach is looking less bloated! He's still floating bottom up and not eating but he's definitely interested in his food now, popping his head up when I drop it in which is hopeful. I'm still taking him on Thursday to the vet again and hopefully he can help me feed him. That is my main worry at the moment! I will keep updating the page on his hopeful recovery ����
 

EmilyEllis

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Hi again! PLEASE HELP! I took him to the vet on Thursday and he reckons he's fine and just picked up an infection when there was a temperature peak. Just went to give him his next injection and as I put him down noticed a red floaty in his tub (he's in the fridge) and then he started constantly bleeding from under his stomach which I haven't touched. It won't stop!! I've put him in clean water and back in the fridge. WHAT CAN I DO!? I can't stop it bleeding!!
 

Hayleyy

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Oh gosh how terrible. Get him back to the vet asap, keep him in the fridge until then. The cold water should help stop the bleeding.
 

EmilyEllis

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UPDATE!
Axol is still with us! The bleeding was caused by the fluid injection he got given by the vet pervious and it had not healed correctly. I took him to the vet the next day when he saw him bleeding and gave him an injection of vitamin k to help with clotting, and gave me another 2 weeks of antibiotics to give him whilst still in the fridge. His diagnosis was either he has an infection in either his kidneys or liver or that he's had liver failure. He's now had his 2 weeks of antibiotics and got put back in his tank tonight. He still has a floaty bottom but that could still be a bit of constipation as when he's been pooing it hasn't looked very pleasant. My fingers are crossed that he'll pull through just need him to start to eat and have a good poop and he should be hunky dory!
Sorry for the number of comments. I'm just trying to prevent this happening to someone else's poor lotl as it's heart breaking!
 
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