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Illness/Sickness: Purple/red growth on tail

Lottie Lover 13

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My 20 year old axolotl Lottie has a dark purple thing growing on the top of her tail, she has had it for a little while but it's been getting more prominent, has anyone seen anything like it before? It is inside her dorsal fin with skin growing around it in both sides and doesn't seem to bother her. Is it some sort of blood clot or is it a tumor?

She also has a couple of black slightly scabby patch on her back and side (only one is pictured, she wouldn't turn around for me).
 

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KumquatSquats

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not an expert but if its been there awhile and doesn't seem to affect the animals behavior its probably a tumor.
the black scabby bit looks a lot like my grandpas skin cancer patches, the purple splotch could be a bruise? doesnt look like fungus or infection to me but maybe someone else has seen this before

*Added*
20 years old!?! wow!!! shes a 'lotl old lady, wouldnt be surprised at all if its tumors given her age
 

Lottie Lover 13

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not an expert but if its been there awhile and doesn't seem to affect the animals behavior its probably a tumor.
the black scabby bit looks a lot like my grandpas skin cancer patches, the purple splotch could be a bruise? doesnt look like fungus or infection to me but maybe someone else has seen this before

*Added*
20 years old!?! wow!!! shes a 'lotl old lady, wouldnt be surprised at all if its tumors given her age
Thanks for replying

The purple thing is about a centimeter thick so if it is a bruise then its a very big one.
 

Cryowuff

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I'm unsure about the blotches, but her belly does look really distended. The gravel isn't the most lovely substrate choice. It looks like she's been eating it. :(

Unless it's just age related - her gills look bad, too. Has your water quality been okay?
 

Lottie Lover 13

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I'm unsure about the blotches, but her belly does look really distended. The gravel isn't the most lovely substrate choice. It looks like she's been eating it. :(

Unless it's just age related - her gills look bad, too. Has your water quality been okay?
She lost her external gills years ago when she got really sick (I honestly thought she was dead several times), they are starting to grow back slowly. The water is good as I can give her.

She has had the gravel substrate her entire life, I only notice her eating it accidentally when she misses her food and she tends to spit it straight back out again. She might do it when I'm not paying attention. I considered changing it a while ago but she doesn't like anything in her tank changing or moving and at her age I don't want to stress her out too much.

Whenever I clean out her tank fully she spends a few days sulking in the back corner and if I dare to put anything back in a different spot she won't go near it until I put it back where she wants it to go.
 

Hayleyy

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I'm with Cryowuff. The belly looks pretty bloated, possibly from the gravel. It's more stressful on her when she eats it (even a small amount) than it'll be if you take out the gravel and rearrange the tank. I strongly suggest removing it asap.
What are your water parameters?
 
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