please help , very sick axie

hi i am jun,
my axie hasnt eaten in a month, he refuses all food offered,
his legs are paralized and will not move ,
he has trouble swimming as he cant swim, so i put him in a tank with just a little water,
I have brought him to 2 fish shops to ask for their help but their suggestion
have not helped. In the large tank, he cant swin straight and tends to float on his left side.
although he hasnt esten he still looks fat.
i have used antiboits , as suggested by the fish shop guys, but nothing has helped
i am at a lost, please help
are there any vets i can take him to? i live in brisbane ( aussie)
any help is appreciated
thanks ,
Jun

Hi Jun,

The most common cause of the symptoms you describe is impaction, which comes from the axolotl taking something into its mouth which cannot pass out the other end. The usual culprit is gravel. The solution is to fridge the axolotl to slow its metabolism until the obstruction can pass.

What kind of substrate do you have in the tank? How long have you had your axolotl? What do you feed him? What are your water parameters (levels of ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, as well as water temperature)?

-Eva

Hi Jun,

Impaction is definitely a possible cause. However, i am very concerned that what you describe could be bloat. There is another thread by lilipad which discusses this issue. I would advice you take a photo to post here and also meanwhile fridge your axolotl. Take a look through this thread
http://www.caudata.org/forum/showthread.php?t=59685

Fridging your axie will destress it, boost its immune system and render harmful pathogens less viable. It can also aid in the passage of impacted material in the axie's gut.

- Set your fridge to about 4-5 degree celsius.
- Put your axie in a container large enough to allow it to stretch its limbs and tail comfortably.
- Fill with fresh dechlorinated water enough to submerge it but not allowing it to float.
- Cover with a lid. You can use a perforated lid or netting to prevent it jumping out.
- Use a tea towel to cover it to keep the environment dark.
- Perform 100% water changes daily with clean dechlorinated water.
- You can pre prepare bottles of water in the fridge.
- Continue to offer a variety of nutritious food daily. Try live wriggly food like blackworms, bloodworms, earthworms. You can also try the usual pellet, offer treats of shrimp and fish etc. Otherwise you can also blend everything in a food processor and then roll the resultant mash into a pea sized ball to try offer your axie. Remove uneaten food within 20 min.

Bloat can be cause by renal dysfunction, poor heart function and scepticaemia among other causes. Take a look at these links to see if your axie resembles one with bloat. Try posting a photo here for comparison.

http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/bloatEDK.shtml

http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/illness3.shtml

Please also consider taking your axie to your vet for a diagnostic workup and appropriate treatment. I shall private message you a list of some vets in brisbane who specialise in exotics.

Regards

hi ,
thank you for your suggestions, however my axie , isnt bloated as in the pixs, he seems quite normal except for the fact that he wont eat & his hind limbs are not functional.
I have taken him to the large aqurarims and they have taken samples and said that there isnt much sign to suggest infection.
the strange thing is that he floats on his left side, seems to be boyant on that side only , not on the right.
He hasnt got any gravel in his tank , so it cant be that he's eaten gravel, & the pebbles in his tank are very large, so he cant have eated any.
I still offer him , forzen blood worms ( thats what i uasually feed him) but now have offered him , live worms as well as meal worms and pellets , all of which he dosent respons to, turning his head away in disgust.
he also takes large gulps of air, as if he hasnt enough oxgen in the water, althought I have a bubble filteration system?
I have had him for 2.5 yrs and really he is a part of our family & i hate to see him so inactive and possible? hurting.....
I will take him to the vet as you suggested , thanks you for that, i have been running round an dtrying to find someone who can help him ...so i will try that
if i put him in the fridge what temp should the fridge be... i am afraid i will get him frozen ,stupid i know, just do want to cause him any more hurt
Thank you for your input,
I will update you on his progress.. i hope...
Jun

Hi Jun, if yiu look at Darkmavericks post above you will see the correct temperature and procedure for fridging your axolotl. If you're not sure of your fridge temp, put a thermometer on the shelf to test it first.

Hi Jun,

it appears you have taken some steps in ensuring good water quality and nutrition. That is great. Continue to persist in these areas.

You can set your fridge to 4-5 degree celsius. Use a thermometer if you are unsure.

Would it be possible you take some photos of your axie and post them here? From your description, your axie has been floating in an unusual manner. Have you noticed any other unusual movements such as incoordination, twitching, strange jaw movements etc?

Also check how his gills look like. Take a photo of them. In fact if possible, take a photo of his entire body and how he floats as well. We will work it out from there.

Cheers