Illness/Sickness: Growth on Moomins side

Moomin has a large red growth on his side. It started out as a red dot and its been there a fair few years and not got any bigger so i've not bothered it. the dot appeared in an area where moomin used to have a black spot which i presumed to be just skin colour.

Well just recently moomins red dot has rapidly expanded and although it seems not to bother him i'd hate to think it was anyting that could killl him. If you have any ideas what it could be then please do help, ive had him 6 years hes like a part of the family!

I'm not really sure, but I seem to remember reading somewhere that this is a type of bacterial infection. Have you tried a salt bath?

Aeromonas hydrophila, one of the "red leg" bacteria, is one the most common diseases that axolotls can suffer. It is septicemic, i.e. it can be widespread in the body because it is carried by the blood. Common symptoms are red patches on the limbs and parts of the body. Other bacteria such as Proteus, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Mima, and Alcaligenes, have been found to affect axolotls. Salmonella is also known in axolotls and it is almost impossible to eliminate from effected animals as it becomes resident in the digestive tract. Treatment for most bacterial problems is best left to an expert, but the hobbyist has some means at his or her disposal. Obviously, changing the water is a good idea, but 100% Holtfreter's solution can also help to reduce bacterial numbers in the water and to aid osmo-regulation in effected animals. Antibiotics can be used in axolotls and the the most reliable form of antibiotic delivery is by injection, but this should usually be left to an expert.


That is what I found... hope it helps.

Hi,

that doesn´t look like a bacterial infection to me, but more than an ulcer.
I would suggest to visit a vet asap without trying to medicate it by yourself. Salt baths won´t help.

Tina

I agree that it's probably not a bacterial infection given the long term nature of its development. Septicemia, as properly described above, is a blood borne infection that you can actually see spread throughout the animal's body - usually in a very short period of time.

Since this area began as a black spot and then changed to red as it increased in size, I would guess that it's some sort of tumor. I doubt that anything can be done to remedy the situation. You can always hope that it continues to be a slow growing sort that doesn't have a significant impact on the overall health of this otherwise attractive animal. Best wishes to you and your Axie.

It looks like some kind of wart or tumor. It's certainly not something that is "common" in axolotls. Thus you will not get any really satisfying answers on this forum.

Will it shorten his life? Your guess is as good as anyone else's. If it's cancerous, yes. If it's just a wart kind of growth, then maybe not.

Will it continue growing? Your guess is as good as anyone else's.

Is there a treatment for it? None of the usual "home remedies" for axolotls is going to do a bit of good. Only a vet could even begin to give you a decent discussion of the risks and possible benefits of trying to remove the growth.

If you do consult a vet, please write back and let us know what advice you get. Good luck!

Thanks guys, i'll get him to the vet asap, how would you advise trancporting him? I know how sencative they can be.

Moomin said:

Thanks guys, i'll get him to the vet asap, how would you advise trancporting him? I know how sencative they can be.

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Find a container of suitable size with a tight-fitting lid. (I would use a 5-gallon bucket with lid, but a plastic bin would also work.) Fill the container about half full (or less) with the axolot's own tank water. The reason for the lid is that the water will slosh wildly in the car, no matter how gently you drive.

Most importantly, plan how to keep the animal's temperature cool. If it's a sunny day, you might even want to put the container inside a big cooler with some ice.

Keep in mind that people do ship axolotls with high success rate. As long as they are basically healthy, they can survive being moved about and subjected to temperature changes for a day. Don't worry about the sloshing.

Thankyou