Swallowed stones stuck

Hows it going, my axolotl has swallowed some stones probably from our recent move, he has done before but passed them fine but im afraid this time its not gonna pass through. He has had a swollen belly for the past week and a half but he is still so active and looks hungry.
I have read fridging is the best remedy in this case to get him to throw up the stones and i know time is important!
Thanks

Yeah that is a bad case of impaction. Fridging would be the best solution to help pass the gravel. Follow the fridging guide asap: http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-beginner-newt-salamander-axolotl-help-topics/f48-axolotls-ambystoma-mexicanum/f58-sick-axolotl/85263-axolotl-fridging-guide.html

How did a recent move allow him to eat gravel? I take it you just kept him on gravel?

If fridging doesn't help after 3-5 days you may need to take him to a vet, better to start looking for vets now so your prepared.

Thanks i will get on to it asap! I had around 2cm of fine sand covering the gravel and a 2hr car ride with the axolotl in the tank had brought up some of the bigger stones and he must have swallowed them ? lesson learnt there hey!
I'll give the fridge a go thanks heaps for the help.

No problem!

Make sure the fridge is not below 5 degrees Celsius. Follow the guide carefully. Best remove those stones from the tank ASAP!

The results after being fridged after 9hrs. 10 stones and alot of poo.
Im thinking to keep him in for a couple more days to see if more stones are in there

Brilliant! That's the results you want, lucky it wasn't worse!

Definitely continue the fridging for a few more days at the least. Stones can keep passing months after ingestion so don't be surprised if you continue to find them for a long time. Make sure you change the water daily so hes in the best environment and stress free!

I only have the larger Stones in my Tank, I lost one absolutely lovely Axolytl - because we had round -or more Oval clear Glass Stones - and quite big - you know the sort of "pretty "ones for Fish tanks.
I dont know how but this one got stuck in the whole mouth area and back a bit - of course being Glass you couldnt see it - terrible lesson at such a cost, I was mortified after trying everything - until it died and I found it
I threw the whole lot out of the Tank 9 Glass Stones that is )

ok help me here, the one thing I have NEVER tried - because it sounds devastatingly awful - is putting a Axolotl in the Fridge !!

It seems as though it would be such a stressful thing to do? Sorry if this sounds silly.

I had to fridge my axies for a week. Basically I put them in a glass dish with a towel wrapped around the outside to keep out the light. Then, I put the dishes, lid on, in my wine fridge and kept the temp at 45 F. Kept them in there for a week and did daily 100% water changes with dechlorinated tap water.

It's a sad sight to see them in the fridge, but it doesn't really bother them. Slows their metabolisms and directs all their energy to repairing whatever their issue is. Also, it slows down fungus growth etc... You don't need to feed them either, and their oxygen supply is supplemented with the cold water! Good luck!

Don't use any stones in a tank unless they are clearly larger than the Axolotls head, that way you are safe in knowing there is no chance for the Axolotl to swallow it or even get it in it's mouth!

Fridging sounds extreme, but it is a safe procedure if performed correctly.

When putting an Axolotl in a fridge, the cold temperatures slow the metabolism and aid healing, as well as trying to pass any food left in the digestive system including gravels/stones. So as long as you follow the fridging guide posted above, and make sure your fridge temperature is between 5 - 8 degrees Celsius then your Axolotl will be fine, Axolotls can survive in temperatures as low as 5 degrees Celsius for weeks, but you ideally just use the fridging procedure only for as long as it takes to pass what ever has been ingested or to aid in healing if an Axolotl has had bad fungus or an infection.

Great news! 3 days in the fridge plus a 4 day water cycle has been great for my axe! 17 stones total came up and he's happy to be back in his home

Nice, you'll find more stones through out the months no doubt!