AXIE BLOATED, LUMPY ALL OVER TAIL IS SWOLLEN.. HELP!!!!!

[james]

My axie, mercury, has been sick for about a week now, it started off as a bit of a bloated belly. After reading a few of the posts i decided on a water change. i let it sit. etc. then i put him in. The next day, he wouldn't eat and his back legs were off the ground and he spent a majority of the time hiding in the corner.
After further reading i put him in the fridge, around 6-9 degrees celcius. He started to perk up and he started eating a little bit (1/4 of a cube of blood worm) then just the other day, he wasn't moving, he wouldn't react when i touched him, i became VERY worried, then it was as if he had woken up.
Then just today, he has developed a MAJOR case of the lumps, his tail is swollen and stiff, he has lumps ALL over his back and up his spine. His mouth is always open, his cloaca is swollen AND i can see the white under his jaw (where the skin is whhite, like on all fish) his gills have shrunk and i am very worried about his life. I have contacted the local VET and they have reffered me to another VET, but he is over an hour away. I don't know what to do.
PLEASE HELP ME!!!
i am afraid that he is on the verge of leaving me.

URGENT INFORMATION NEEDED!!!
I can't get pictures as i always use my phone to take photos but you can't see anything in the pictures from the phone.

 

[deb]

James I'm sorry I don't have the answer but I would certainly recommend that you talk to the vet - even if he is an hour away. Maybe you could pay for a phone consultation if it is too far to travel? Until someone more knowledgeable posts a message for you I would suggest keeping Mercury in the fridge to minimise stress on him. All the best - I'm sure you'll get some more useful replies.

 

[heihei]

Hi James, Just make sure when keeping in the fridge you do complete daily waterchanges (keep a bottle of dechlorinated water in the fridge at the same temperature as his container).

Have you added anything recently to your tankwater, any new companions, that might have effected him. What is your tank temperature and are you able to test the tankwater?

The lumps sound worrying - hope someone else can help or advise meanwhile !

 

[jennifer]

Once bloat develops, it is rare that the animal recovers. Keeping him in the fridge is the best thing you can do. I don't know what the lumps might be. Sorry

 

[lana]

fitting your description in a book i have, It could be tuberculosis it is a bacterial disease, and s symptom is gross swelling. And it says some causes could be some sort of stress ,primarily poor water quality and rough handling. There are treatments but am not sure what. I read all that on the axolotl book that is shown on axolotl.org.