Strange Filament Growth?

Hi guys,

I've been noticing my axies seems to have about 3 strangely longer and redder filaments. I've highlighted them in the photos. They are definitely connected to his head so just so you don't think it's a worm or something. But they seem to have a different shape from the rest. I figured it may been the result of him always been scared and stressed when I have to take him out for a water change.

I know I've been progressively more and more careful with taking them out since back then I used a net and that's how his little red long loopy filament started. Discovered he was hurt from the net, I began to take him out using my hands, making sure I don't squeeze him. Yet, is it okay for him to have these long red things? I personally have this awkward feeling about them. Sometimes they appear redder but when he is scared, it turns pretty pale. Is there a suggestion I could do to help him reduce those long red filaments in size?

Thank you everyone in advance always!

Hi hitman,

I haven't seen this before but best guess some sort of regeneration variation, but I wouldn't know for sure, some one here will though,
Good Luck

Looks like some oddly-grown filaments. In my opinion, it doesn't look like something to worry much about. However, I've never seen anything exactly like it.

Hi Hitmansougo,

I agree with the rest that it is likely to be filaments that have regenerated oddly. There is no immediate cause for concern provided the axie remains healthy and relaxed otherwise. I would recommend you do continue to monitor these filaments.

In particular, look out for signs of ulceration, continual excessive growth and presence of any new odd growths (both sides) or on the body. There could be a chance the growths are neoplastic (cancerous).

Cheers.

Hi guys, I've noticed my axie has does a little stress run lately he did it today and he did about two ago while hitting into a wall.

I am planning to give him a salt bath for this situtation unless someone else has ever seen this before.

Hi HitmanSougo13!

I dont know much about axies, Im a newbie!, but I have read that salt bath is a treatment for fungan
infections and if you are not sure about the diagnosis, you shouldnt do this, as this could bring more
stress to your axie.

By the way, when I have to take my axies out of the tank, I prefer using a little clean container, and
I just put the container in the tank and trap them... I hope your axie gets better.

About the hitting, sometimes they stress by a sudden change of light, or a loud noise... has he
be eating, or showing other signs of stress?

I used to take him out using a bowl when he was little but then he recognized the bowl. Maybe I should shop for a large plastic thing to try to take him out. That one gill out of the 3 on one side of his head is rather limp...It doesn't responds as well as the others unless he is showing signs that he wants to ****. That is the one with the red loopy filaments.

Upon close inspection, he actually has one of these loopy filaments on this other side of his gills too but it's so small that it looks just like his other filament and it's also attached to the around the triangular veins in his gills.

I'm wondering if those loopy things are his veins. So i'm wondering if every axolotl has a few of these loop shaped filaments on the gills. And that my guy just has a lot of blood in that particular side of his veins. If anyone is able to get a really really close and good look at the gills of their axolotl, please let me know. You will probably not be able to even take a picture of it but I just wanted to know if it's a part of their anatomy to have loopy veins sticking out. Thank you to any one of you curious individuals that have decided to take a look. It's a good way to learn more about the anatomy of our pets.

Hi Hitmansougo,

There are indeed fine capillaries and venules around the gill region. They are involved with gaseous exchange. However, these fine blood vessels are quite microscopic (sometimes even 1 cell thick), and do not protrude out past the skin tissues. I am fairly certain what you see on your axie are regenerated gill filaments.

Cheers.

Hi,

I wouldn't give a salt bath for the "stress run" it is fairly normal axolotl behaviour to "ping pong" around the tank banging into the walls, so long as it is not some frantic mad dash which normally indicates fright and isn't continual.

My golden axie also has one of these weird filaments on one side. Nothing to worry about just another strange regeneration thing, like the double footed axies and forked gills etc....

daryl

Does anyone know if your axolotl has some dangerous unusual growth if it is possible to perform something like minor surgery in order to correct this? Of course this seems like a very very extreme measure, but considering the tendency for regeneration within this species, is it something which would not be considered a last resort?

biggestnoobinto said:

Does anyone know if your axolotl has some dangerous unusual growth if it is possible to perform something like minor surgery in order to correct this? Of course this seems like a very very extreme measure, but considering the tendency for regeneration within this species, is it something which would not be considered a last resort?

Click to expand...

That would depend really on the circumstances - for example, some people on here have had to perfom an amputation to remove badly damaged legs, however, these are not decisions that are undertaken lightly - if there is a vet that can do it for you, this would be better.

A dangerous growth, to be honest, sounds like the sort of thing that would come in the form of a tumour or similar - this would definately need to be done by a vet.

I would wait until you encounter such a situation (and hopefully you won't!) and then seek advice on here before taking any actions, as whilst an axie can regenerate, a lot of surgical procedures will not neccessarily be safe and may be incredibly painful - just because an axie has the ability to regenerate, unfortunately, this does not make them immortal.

Now, Highlanders on the other hand...

Zoe x

Hi Biggestnoobinto,

Surgery procedures should be performed by a vet. Firstly, the vet can determine if the lesion can be conservatively treated medically or warrants a surgery. Diagnostic testing can be performed to determine what is the cause of the lesion - tumour, abscess, scarring etc. This is important to determine because some type of lumps can recur, can cause zoonotic diseases, infectious to other axies and require special management.

Surgery itself is not merely chopping something off. If its a tumour, we need to determine the safest most effective margin to take out. Anaesthetics are administered during the procedure, analgesia and anti-inflammatories as well as prophylactic antibiotics are also given to ensure a smooth, less painful and less hazardous surgery.

How the surgery is performed also determines how well the site regenerates. A clean excision will heal better, neater and faster compared to a haphazard jaggedy cut.

Cheers.