snuffleupagus
New member
Hello!
Today I was at my local "Big Al's" and I saw this little guy. He was in with 3 large albinos (first picture), each at least twice his size! He is missing/regrowing one of his front feet, missing the end of his tail, has lesions on his back, and is seriously emaciated. I couldn't leave him there. Even if he dies in the next few days it'll be a better life/death than in a pet store...
Anyways, I'm wondering what seasoned axolotl enthusiasts would do in my scenario? I'm very new to them and have spent the last month researching daily before even purchasing one - but reading about it and experiencing it are two very different things! I put him in the fridge this evening after giving him a chance to settle, and eat a pellet or two and some bloodworms. He didn't eat a lot but he did eat some. Before I put him in his gills were curled forward which I read is a sign of stress and after being in for a couple hours they're already straightening out (yay!). I was thinking tomorrow I might do a salt bath for the lesions on his back. The pictures don't show it very well, they don't look badly infected but they do look a bit greyish - thoughts?
Any insight/comments/anecdotes/whathaveyou that you can offer is welcome and appreciated!
* Also good to note: I have one other axolotl (my first) purchased 6 days ago from the same place [I'm ashamed to say]. She is currently in the fridge also, to treat a presumed fungal infection that I first noticed on monday. She had her second salt bath today 9fourth picture) and, while still a little fuzzy, seems to be improving (thanks to Kaysie for her salt bath tutorial and axolotl sanctuary for fridge tutorial). She is 8cm long compared to this guy's 6cm.
ps. I've named him Pickle and her Snuffles (and I don't actually know their genders; too little yet). I threw in a picture of their future home once they've stabilized (I worked hard on it and I wanted to show it off a bit, haha)
Today I was at my local "Big Al's" and I saw this little guy. He was in with 3 large albinos (first picture), each at least twice his size! He is missing/regrowing one of his front feet, missing the end of his tail, has lesions on his back, and is seriously emaciated. I couldn't leave him there. Even if he dies in the next few days it'll be a better life/death than in a pet store...
Anyways, I'm wondering what seasoned axolotl enthusiasts would do in my scenario? I'm very new to them and have spent the last month researching daily before even purchasing one - but reading about it and experiencing it are two very different things! I put him in the fridge this evening after giving him a chance to settle, and eat a pellet or two and some bloodworms. He didn't eat a lot but he did eat some. Before I put him in his gills were curled forward which I read is a sign of stress and after being in for a couple hours they're already straightening out (yay!). I was thinking tomorrow I might do a salt bath for the lesions on his back. The pictures don't show it very well, they don't look badly infected but they do look a bit greyish - thoughts?
Any insight/comments/anecdotes/whathaveyou that you can offer is welcome and appreciated!
* Also good to note: I have one other axolotl (my first) purchased 6 days ago from the same place [I'm ashamed to say]. She is currently in the fridge also, to treat a presumed fungal infection that I first noticed on monday. She had her second salt bath today 9fourth picture) and, while still a little fuzzy, seems to be improving (thanks to Kaysie for her salt bath tutorial and axolotl sanctuary for fridge tutorial). She is 8cm long compared to this guy's 6cm.
ps. I've named him Pickle and her Snuffles (and I don't actually know their genders; too little yet). I threw in a picture of their future home once they've stabilized (I worked hard on it and I wanted to show it off a bit, haha)