Axolotl fell on the floor!! :(

[axolittles]

Hi Caudata! I'm not freaking out so bad now that I've seen that Lancelotl is alert, active, using all 4 limbs, and acting otherwise pretty normal (despite not wanting to eat much) but I'm still very afraid.

I was cleaning my lotls' tank a few minutes ago and while swapping them from their big tank to their temporary basin, Lancelotl lept right out of my hands and onto the glass table supporting their tank. I panicked and tried to grab him as fast as possible, but he managed to work his way off the edge and then fell (again!!) Onto the carpeted floor below. I thought for sure he was a goner and it was terrifying, but managed to get him scooped up and into his tank. I would say the falls were 1 foot and 2.5 feet at most.

I gave him ~10 minutes to calm down, and then used a safer means to transfer him to the basin, and then took these photos:

Lancelotl - Album on Imgur

From other peoples' posts, it sounds like the best course of action is to keep the tank extra clean and extra cool, so I took this time to do a 100% water change, build a better hide, and get their temperature a tad lower than usual. He seems to be acting very normal, aside from not showing signs of wanting to eat the pellets I offer him. His gills were unharmed by the fall, it looks like. (He's got a damaged part on his left side, but that's not new; it's from his brother Dagon being a jerk the other day and snapping at him.)

Anything else I should be on the lookout for? Does he seem like he will be okay?
Nervous new lotl parent here. >.<

The things I'm most worried about are all those tiny scratches and scrapes, and that his belly seems swollen and maybe bruised. I might just be paranoid, since his belly does sometimes turn dark and bloated after he eats, but I'm concerned that it could be internal bleeding or something.

 

[Otterwoman]

Good luck, I hope he turns out to be fine!

 

[silk]

I'm sorry to hear that happened, but Lancelotl is looking pretty good for having such a hard day!

From what you're saying it sounds like he'll be alright. Axolotls are can be surprisingly hardy for being the breathing equivalent of cooked noodles. If you have any IAL those could potentially help any additional stress, but keeping the water cool and clean is really your best bet. If you DO see any signs of infection, your lotl starts vomiting or you find blood on the floor of your tank there may be some deeper issues but it seems like smooth sailing right now.

It sounds like you did learn a bit of a lesson, but it's always a good idea to use either a net when handling axolotls (I learned not to use my own hands a long time ago when a gill got caught under my nail and tore off - absolutely horrifying experience let me tell you) or even coaxing them into a plastic bin while still in the main tank, and using that. That's my favorite way to do it so the slime coat stays in tact!

Keep us updated as he heals, hope he ends up alright!!