Question: Healthy Happy Tummy?

[ladygodiva35]

I tend to worry about everything when it comes to my beloved pets. So just a check up to make sure this is a happy healthy tummy of my leucistic. Now that my second axolotl has arrived Saskia seems overweight with a dark belly compared to the other golden albino. I also want to make sure the dark parts aren't filled with sand since I do have black sand but she also eats dark bloodworms. She eats twice a day and has solid poop. What do ya'll think? How does she look? These are the best photos I could take since she was not going to stop moving for anyone!

 

[Elise]

She looks healthy to me. Food will generally turn a darker color as it works it way through the digestive track. If you are concerned with sand, start using a feeding jar. Feeding directly on the sand would cause your axolotls to involuntarily ingest some sand through the vacuum-like method they use to eat. A feeding jar has the added benefit of making blood worms a lot less messy too.

 

[ladygodiva35]

Yeah I use one of those plastic critter keeper containers. I turn it over and Saskia will swim in there and then I scoop her upward and that's how she eats. The new axolotl Sage freaked out over it but it was his first time.

 

[Petersgirl]

Plump, nice gills, good colour...I can't see anything that would concern me, she looks perfectly healthy to me Pretty girl too.

 

[layna]

As long as her tummy is as wide as her head, shes at a good weight

 

[vainglory]

She looks healthy to me. Food will generally turn a darker color as it works it way through the digestive track. If you are concerned with sand, start using a feeding jar. Feeding directly on the sand would cause your axolotls to involuntarily ingest some sand through the vacuum-like method they use to eat. A feeding jar has the added benefit of making blood worms a lot less messy too.

My axies actually have a food bowl that they eat from. It helps with the mess too, and what ever falls out usually gets snatched up by little shrimps.

 

[ladygodiva35]

Thanks for the replies. She is a spoiled little creature. Glad she looks well. Or he...but to me everything is female.

 

[Elise]

It's still going to be a few months before you'll be able to tell the sex. I'm more interested to see how the markings turn out because I love the axolotls with lots of freckles. Is this one of Marige's babies?

 

[ladygodiva35]

Yup, this is totally one of Margie's babies! Did the cute freckles give it away?