synchronicity
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Hi, my axolotl Mudkip has been sick for the past few months. Started out as refusing food, cheek gills shrinking to near nonexistence, lethargy, etc. Then his tankmate attacked him and managed to chomp his leg right off, and while the leg is growing back (he's been separated from her since The Incident), his condition seems to be declining. Salt baths were given to treat a bacterial infection (fluffy and white) in the leg while it fell off and a new one grew, which seemed to help for a while, but he's taken a turn for the worse. His fins are shrunken and shriveled and curled in on themselves, he's lost a ton of weight because he isn't eating, and his mouth won't close. By all accounts he appears to have metabolic bone disease, and he's been in the fridge for a week with daily water changes, but checking up on him today i noticed what looked like a white spot on his growing in leg and some white stuff in the corners of his mouth. He also is trying VERY hard to get at least his face out of the water, which concerns me as if he is metamorphosizing I haven't the slightest clue as to why. It might just be his slime coat shedding as it began to come off the other day (???) but his symptoms are also consistent with mouth rot, and there are no vets in the area familiar with this species so I hope you all can help me out. I'll attach some pictures.
In brief here are his symptoms:
He's been in quarantine for about two months now and showing no signs of recovery. Water quality is fine, tested it myself and had it tested at a local aquarium store place to make sure. His and his tankmate's diet consisted of Hikari Sinking Carnivore Pellets up until about a month ago, when it was switched to earthworms/red worms because they would provide better nutrition and his tankmate seemed a bit disinterested in the pellets. They eat bloodworms as treats. He ate one earth worm and that is the first and last thing he's eaten in months. Please help, I'm worried about him. I don't want to treat him for something he doesn't have and cause unnecesary stress. Also I can't figure out how he's managed to survive this long without eating?
In brief here are his symptoms:
- lethargy
- showing interest in food but refusing to eat. now if you put some near his face he turns away and goes to the other side of the tank.
- shrinking gills
- shrinking fins
- tankmate bit his leg off for no apparent reason (she is perfectly healthy and jubilant and they've always gotten along fine, but she attacked him after his symptoms began to show)
- slime coat shedding
- gaping mouth
- occasional dry-heaving motions
- underweight
- tail fin membrane appears to be shredding???
- difficulty getting oxygen, keeps trying to leave water
- his cloaca appears to be swollen and had something stringy in it a few days ago
He's been in quarantine for about two months now and showing no signs of recovery. Water quality is fine, tested it myself and had it tested at a local aquarium store place to make sure. His and his tankmate's diet consisted of Hikari Sinking Carnivore Pellets up until about a month ago, when it was switched to earthworms/red worms because they would provide better nutrition and his tankmate seemed a bit disinterested in the pellets. They eat bloodworms as treats. He ate one earth worm and that is the first and last thing he's eaten in months. Please help, I'm worried about him. I don't want to treat him for something he doesn't have and cause unnecesary stress. Also I can't figure out how he's managed to survive this long without eating?
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