Photo: Update to the "what is this?" post... I still don't know what it is

This is a pretty good shot, pure luck for me!!


Sharon

Looks like a slight prolapse to me.

I searched this forum for "prolapse" and the axolotl site and didn't really find the information I want.

What is it exactly? The only prolapse I've had to deal with is prolapsed duck weinie, not fun.

And how to treat it?

Thank you!
Sharon

The stuff inside the cloaca comes out a little bit...do you know anything about when a woman gets a prolapsed uterus? Anyway, does it get worse and better? I have some alpine newts and a couple of them had a prolapse, and they they seemed to get better again. Someone I talked to said maybe the bloodworms I fed them were too much roughage; I stopped feeding them bloodworms and the prolapses stopped. Anyone care to comment? The prolapse in the picture doesn't seem too bad, maybe it'll get better? Is it constipated/ does it still poo?

lol they are currently on a hunger strike refusing to eat the new type of earthworms I have to buy. I do see some tiny poos in the tank - probably the guppies they've been eating. I've tossed in some shrimp pellets - which they love but they tend to dissolve fast so there isn't much to eat there and some frozen bloodworms - the axies are to big for those but they snuffle them up and slurp them down when they find them.

I figure when they get good and hungry they'll eat the earthworms I do have!

Sharon

I don't really know what else you can do except cross your fingers, but maybe someone else has a better idea.

Hi Sharon,

It must be really distressing for you. I wish i could offer more help.

Based on the photos, i agree with the others that cloacal prolapse is top of my differential list.

Cloacal prolapse is multi-factorial, caused by a combination of factors including inherent genetic predisposition, diet, underlying pathology like impaction, constipation or growth of a mass around or in the cloacal region.

There are palliative conservative treatments that can help in minor or subclinical cases, whereby they may spontaneously self resolve.

The first thing i would consider doing is to refridgerate the axolotl under clean water conditions and offering easily digestible nutritious food.

To make food more palatable and easily digestable while still nutritious, i tend to feed my sick axolotl patients with a mash i make up myself. This mash comprises of moistened axolotl pellets, earthworms, bloodworms, shrimp, mussels, deboned -non white fish fillet, beef heart etc. that i blend together in a food processor. The resultant mash is doughy in texture. I then proceed to roll them into pea-sized portions before offering. I personally have good success with this method. The mash balls are attractive to axolotls due to the scent, are nutritionally complete, can be stored in the fridge easily, and best of all is highly digestable due to the pre-pulverised ingredients that increase the surface area for digestive enzymes.

In many cases however, cloacal prolapse would require veterinary intervention. I only had one experience clinically in practice whereby my boss (senior vet) reduced the prolapse by gently manipulating the prolapse back into position. In some instances, a fine suture may be required to hold things in place. That axolotl went on to recover uneventfully.

Best regards

Thanks Everyone. Well I didn't hear what I wanted to hear but lets see if I can get this sorted out.

I think first I'm going to seperate him into a tub away from the others. Today they all caved and ate the nasty earthworms I bought for them. Until now they've had to hunt down a few guppies and slurp up some quickly disintegrating shrimp pellets.

I'll give him two weeks seperated and see what happens. If I don't notice any change at all, I'll move him to the fridge (hubby is gonna LOVE that). I'll give him another two weeks there and check his progress. Hopefully I'll see something at that point.

If I don't see any progress whatsoever I'll move him back to his isolation tub and let him spend a month there. If after the months have passed and nothing has changed and he is continuing to eat and poop normally but the prolapse hasn't resolved, I'll move him back in with his buds and call it quits.

IF he develops issues with eating or pooping at any point, I'll look up an exotics vet in Tucson who may want to practice his amphibian skills.

Thanks for everyones' input it means alot that you chime in with any comments at all! Now I gotta program my cell phone calendar with this timeline or by next monday I'll have forgotten everything.

Sharon

Like everyone's said just keep it's tank extra clean and feed him easily digestible food. Sorry to not be much help, the only method I know wouldn't be suitable for amphibians (syrup mixture used for Reptiles) so I think that's all you can do short of consulting a vet.