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New to paddle tail newts!!!

keechoo

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My guy does that when he is annoyed with me for force feeding him (I really don't. I just keep pushing it on his face.). I then take the worm away and he does not get another food offering till the next day.

Leave him absolutely alone in a dark area for a couple of days. He really needs to de-stress.
 

caudatadude28

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He shed his skin last night!!! Could that have been part of his problem? After he shed his skin hi did what looked like yawning. And he went to explore his habitat! Then he went back to his hiding spot.
 

keechoo

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There you go! Most don't eat when in the shedding process and some blow themselves up a little to help loosen the skin (or whatever it might be called).
 

Blackhawk IV

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Hey,
Try to feed him with the earthworms for the next few days, after all, if he has just shed then he should be more relaxed and willing to eat. After that, perhaps trying to feed him with Bloodworms may be an easier option. Just remember to keep the temperature cool in the tank and continue with the water changes.
And remember, the way to a relaxed newt is if YOU are relaxed so take it easy!;)

Blackhawk
 

caudatadude28

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He continues to roam his cage tonight, ignoring the night crawler I have left in there tonight. He is not sure what to think of the 4 ghost shrimp in with him. They keep the tank clean. They love to eat waste!:lick: I want to get some snails for his cage. What kind would be the best. I would prefer the kind without the hard closing thing that he could get caught in. I have heard of snails killing things before.
 

Jennewt

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Is it possible that the worms (or pieces thereof) are too large? After being sick or starved for a while, some newts need smaller pieces of food initially.
 

caudatadude28

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Help!!!! I looked in his cage and he shed his skin. The food is super bright pink/red!!!! The bite in the leg has not healed at all either. What should I do? Is it red leg???
 

Kaysie

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Do you mean the wound is red/pink (not 'food')? This is usually a sign of infection (there's a difference between infected-pink and healthy-pink. But wounds don't heal over night either. What are you doing as far as wound care?

The infection commonly called red-leg is a septicemic infection, meaning the infection's in the blood. This will cause areas where the skin is thin (the belly, the insides of the legs, etc.) to appear red/pink.
 

caudatadude28

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I meant his foot. The foot of the wounded leg is bright red/pink. The wound itself hasnt really changed since I got him. It is red and white. Why would his foot be red/pink? He also is decreasing in his activity. I have not added any antibiotics or salt baths yet.
 

caudatadude28

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The leg is completly dead...I have to amputate. I bought some razors today. I plan on lowering his body temp to about 40F-50F (4.4C-10C). Is that ok? I CANT go to the vet so I need some advise on this operation.
 

Abrahm

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Hold up there. You say the foot/leg is dead, but if it is pink I don't think it would be. Necrotic flesh is not pink, that's a sign of blood flow and thus life. I would post some pictures here for more opinions.

Please don't do anything rash by performing an amputation yourself. Call your local vets and see if they can provide an amputation. Even if they don't know about amphibians they should at least be able to provide that service, maybe for free. At the very least it would be in a sterile environment by experienced hands with a lot of back up supplies, medicine and knowledge if necessary.
 

keechoo

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Don't do an amputation until you are absolutely sure it needs to be done! I waited with my guy when his was infected and the leg was eventually eaten away but with meds he came out fine. I tried salt baths but when he thrashed around I took him out and used Trisulfa the next day. A few weeks later he was his old self. I thought I had to amputate too and was trying to get the courage to do it but now I'm glad I waited. Why put him through stress? Wait and see.

That's like putting a person through a surgery they really don't need.
 
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