Illness/Sickness: Axolotl fat legs?

[Tay]

Hello

My gold axolotl, Percy, has been in the fridge for about 3 weeks now because it's just waaayyy to hot for him in his tank and it made him ill. I plan to get him healthy again and then find him an owner who can afford an adequate cooling system.

I noticed the other day though that his back legs look really fat and he still seems to be floating a bit. (photo attached)
He is in a container his length and i change the water everyday (ph 7-8). He also still eats frozen bloodworms with enthusiasm.
Could it be lack of exercise? Any ideas would really be appreciated!

Thanks

Taylor

 

[Olivia97]

i wouldn't say they're overly fat but if you start to see the belly fill out more and anything else getting more swollen then it could be bloat.

 

[NeekaLovesYou]

They don't look particularly fat or swollen to me, in comparison to the rest of him. As Olivia said swelling usually comes hand in hand with bloat but from experience I've found its the abdomen that swells first then followed by the legs and neck. Bloat needs to be treated by a professional. I'd keep an eye on him for now, see if he starts to show signs of swelling in other areas. He may just be having a growth spurt. I've found my little ones get chunky legs from time to time then all of a sudden they grow a centimeter over night. Obviously their legs get thicker as they age to support their weight.

 

[Tay]

Thank you both for replying! I'll keep an eye on him but fingers crossed he's just growing and I'm just a bit paranoid