Caudata.org: Newts and Salamanders Portal

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
Did you know that registered users see fewer ads? Register today!

Illness/Sickness: Please Help! Swollen Axolotl Throat!

Huskar

New member
Joined
May 21, 2015
Messages
26
Reaction score
0
Hello everybody, I have two axolotl, one leucistic, one GFP wild type in 40 gallon tanks and I am very worried about the Wild Type because his or her throat is swollen...

The wild type is eating Very Very well and eats Most of the food BUT the gills are curled, not too much but its worrying me a lot and its been like this for about three weeks now.

The leucistic is doing very fine, the gills are not curled at all and eats fine, swims freely, float and hang on ornaments.

That tells me that the wild type is sick or stressed but I don`t know what is causing it and the mouth is never fully closed.
The wild type also swims around freely floats and hangs on the ornaments...

the water test shows ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 10, water hardness around 300, total alkalinity around 40, and ph around 7.8. I do my water change every week sometimes twice a week when there is too much poop on the fine sand.

Please help I am new to axolotls and its worrying me T^T
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0885.jpg
    IMG_0885.jpg
    157.3 KB · Views: 1,378
  • IMG_0883.jpg
    IMG_0883.jpg
    160.3 KB · Views: 754
  • IMG_0886.jpg
    IMG_0886.jpg
    173.2 KB · Views: 776

Sweetie

Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2014
Messages
373
Reaction score
12
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Has the throat always looked the same or is this something that has changed while you have had the axies? It may be that you are worrying about nothing. The tank parameters are fine (the only thing you don't mention is temperature), and you say the axies are eating well and behaving normally (or as normal as is possible for an axolotl - they are very strange and very individual in their weirdness). The only other thing would be to ask what sort of tank they came from (were there pebbles or anything that could have been swallowed and lodged in the axie's throat)? How old is your wildtype? Curled gills are more reliably a sign of distress in younger axies than more mature ones.
Like the look of your tank btw. And your cute lotl.
 

Huskar

New member
Joined
May 21, 2015
Messages
26
Reaction score
0
Thank you for reply!

No the throat was not like that before, he/she had the mouth tight shut and never had double chinned looking throat it was recently that I've discovered it

Also the temperature is always at 60~64f every hour, I use aquaeuro chiller and it re chills to 60f every time it reaches 64f and it's very stable at this setting.

I bought my Axies from a breeder in March And born in February I believe that was near my area and he sold them to me in a plastic fish bag and I have no idea how they lived before but the wild type came to me with its gills cured to the max and to the point that it was touching the eyes and the pictures I've posted in this thread is when the gills are less curled as I took care of them to lower their stress fully but the wild type is just not recovering fully. also there is no pebbles or anything like that in my tank that they can swallow.

And thank you for liking my tank and my lotls :D
 

HitmanSougo13

Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2008
Messages
281
Reaction score
7
They around shy of a year old. If they are old enough and you are brave enough, I would scoop your axie out, wrap it up like a burrito with a soft towel while exposing the full head. see the post about force feeding as the method is very similar. Then find a thin silicon mini spatula and pry the mouth open and see if you see some weird fungal like infection under the tongue. If you do, you need a vet to prescribe your axie strong enough antibiotics. You can get antibiotics at a pet store but they are not that strong enough to deal with that kind of infection.

If not, the other concern is oedema which can't really be controlled or fixed. It's a bloating that can occur. I had an axie who had that under the chin. It was okay and lived happily. It was always lazy and picky about food though.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Huskar

New member
Joined
May 21, 2015
Messages
26
Reaction score
0
Thanks for reply but the weird thing is, my wild types throat is swollen but she eats like there is no tomorrow, when It's feeding time, she goes crazy looking for food and she's very fat too. She eats most of the food before my leucistics gets chance to eat some... Literally she eats till she can't move, and I have no clue what illness she has, I've read some articles about throat infection and other illness and the article says that when an axie has infection or bloat, they loose appetite and can't come down from surface of the water and she has none of those simptoms... Plus her gills are curled and I'm pretty sure she's not naturally curled like that.. I am so confused:confused:
 

HitmanSougo13

Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2008
Messages
281
Reaction score
7
When my axie had edema under his chin he used to be very active and enjoyed food but becomes lazier throughout the years. Just something to watch for. Edema depending on how it grows may not kill them but can give them health risks.
 

Huskar

New member
Joined
May 21, 2015
Messages
26
Reaction score
0
Ok... So it did get worse and I don`t know if this is an infection or something that got stuck in the throat but its worrying me..


since right now I don`t know what it is so I put her in the fridge with No salt but i did see huge improvements in just a day but still yet to have fully closed mouth also the throat is still little swollen.. so if anyone has any idea on what the cause is please please help...
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0945.jpg
    IMG_0945.jpg
    122.3 KB · Views: 655
E

Elise

Guest
I don't think this is an issue that will correct itself, nor will it be easy to treat at home. You should strongly consider consulting the expertise of an exotics vet.
 

Sweetie

Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2014
Messages
373
Reaction score
12
Location
Melbourne, Australia
I'm not sure why you have put the axolotl in the fridge. Dropping and raising the axie's water temperature like that is stressful - you don't just stick it in the fridge because you don't know what else to do.

Now that it is there, remember to gradually bring your axie's water up to tank temperature when you do remove the lotl from the fridge - leave the axie in its covered container in a quiet, dark place for a couple of hours until the water is the same temperature as that in the tank. Also, do 100% water changes every day it is in the fridge, using dechlorinated water that has been kept in the fridge at the same temperature. You may find it eats less while in the fridge, so be careful not to leave uneaten food in the container.
 

HitmanSougo13

Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2008
Messages
281
Reaction score
7
I am pretty sure it can only be one of the two things: edema or throat infection. You can pretty much figure it for yourself by opening the axie mouth and peeking under the tongue. See the sticky on how to force feed, If you see nothing then it's edema, if you see a glump that looks like pus, then infection.

Edema more likely of the two since your axie still eats. Nothing causes edema, it is sort of a lottery flaw, nothing cures it either. Either it is life threatening or not if it just stops at the throat there. I would not put your axie in the fridge as it won't help either problem. An infection is definitely the vet and it going to be close to $150 at least to cure.
 

Huskar

New member
Joined
May 21, 2015
Messages
26
Reaction score
0
回复: Please Help! Swollen Axolotl Throat!

Oh ok thank you very much for the reply!

Ok so my wild type eats very well and she's very very greedy too when food is involved, also she swims and play around, climbing on ornaments and always curious when I walk by as I checked yesterday and, I will see what's inside her throat under the tongue and post updates .

Lastly I am curious, could these illnesses cause axolotl's gills to curl? Because the wild types gills are still cured. My leucistic is 100% stress free. Or is it possible that the gills are naturally curled?
 

Huskar

New member
Joined
May 21, 2015
Messages
26
Reaction score
0
Update

Ok so i took my axie out and checked if anything was under the tongue and there was nothing there. there is no slime or any objects in the throat, right now her mouth is still slightly open but not as much as before.

she still eats alot of food and shes really really greedy so i think shes healthy, she swims around and very active.

I think her throat is swollen because I started feeding her pellets too early and it scratched her throat or something she had a little hard time eating it at first but as she got older she was eating fine.

her gills are still curled but i dont know whats causing it.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0985.jpg
    IMG_0985.jpg
    161.7 KB · Views: 894

Celeste

New member
Joined
Nov 13, 2008
Messages
109
Reaction score
9
Re: Update

Hello!!! I was reading this post... I have 11 axies in a 400 liter tank, and some of them (not all of them) has this exact thing. Im not sure it is a problem. one of them has been like this for a coupple of years, since he reached his adult size, and he eats and swims and do crazy things like they usually do.
the other ones started doing this also when they reached their adult size, one of them (leucistic) even looks like her jaw is somewhere not exactly where it should be
but everyone eats, and swims and do their stuff.

water parameters are fine, do water changes the necesary to keep 0 amonia, 0 nitrite, 30 nitrate. sand substrate, very little water flow, enough hiding places for everyone. eating well, water temperature 16 C. water is hard and alcaline in my city, but has always been like this


at first I was a little bit scared. treated with low temperature, salt baths in case there was some bug or incipient infection. nothing changed.... and they are healthy in appearance and normal in their habits so I simply observe them in case something change. but it has not.

has your axie changed in this period of time?
 

NaterPotater

New member
Joined
May 18, 2015
Messages
177
Reaction score
12
Location
St. Louis, Missouri
Sounds like a thyroid issue -- hyperthyroidism. I don't know if it can happen to axolotls, but it sounds kind of like what would happen in people.
 

Celeste

New member
Joined
Nov 13, 2008
Messages
109
Reaction score
9
hi Nater Potater...

i dont think Axies can have hyperthyroidism. they would morph into an adult... I think
 
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
    There are no messages in the chat. Be the first one to say Hi!
    Top