HELP!!! Axolotl out of water!

[Rune]

I went to work last night and I left him in a fairly shallow dish because he has some fungus. I've been giving him salt baths twice daily and decided not to put him in his tank until he was better. I came home this morning and ready to give him another salt bath and I found him under my heater! I don't know how long he was out, but most likely for hours! But he's still alive and I put him back in the water. Will he be okay and what can I do to help him?!? I didn't think the dish was low enough for him to be able to get out or maybe I added too much water, but I feel really, really terrible for what I did to him!

 

[Rune]

He's floating near the top and struggling to move! I don't think he'll make it...

 

[LSuzuki]

I suspect this is a case where fridging might help him heal, but I am not 100% sure. Read the fridging guide at the top of this subforum - temperature is important. Make sure there is a cover on the container in the fridge - his oxygen requirements will be far lower in the fridge.

He is extremely stressed physically, so do not add to his stress by changing his temperature frequently. Keep fresh dechlorinated water in the fridge with him to do water changes with, so it is at the same temperature.

Good luck. I hope he makes it.

 

[NaterPotater]

I hope he makes it :/

They can jump pretty high if they want to. Always keep the water low or cover the top.

 

[Rune]

He seems to be doing okay, not moving much. A lot of the dried skin/slime coat has flaked off, but he doesn't seem to be using the legs on his left side. I'm not sure if they're paralyzed or broken or what...

 

[Rune]

I don't think any of the vets in my area would know what to do with him though...

 

[LSuzuki]

I recommend you keep him in excellent conditions and hope for the best. So, no ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate below 40 ppm. Is he back in the tank or in the fridge? If he is in the tank, keep the temperature as cool as possible. I suspect the best course of action is to just leave him alone to recover.

Let's assume he will survive and recover ... what was the cause of the fungus? Was it an injury or something else? Was the tank completely cycled? What were/are the tank parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, temperature, pH)?

 

[Rune]

I'm not sure but I think it was because the fridge was too cold and he got cell damage on his feet. When I pulled him out of the fridge and continued the salt baths the fungus went away. I actually intended to return him to the tank yesterday but then I found him... I put him back in the fridge.

I just checked on him and it took a while to get him to respond but he's still moving, though it seems he's struggling to move with his left side and the limbs on that side aren't moving at all, the left back leg is limp and not responding at all.

The tank parameters before I fridged him were pH 7, ammonia 0.1, nitrite 0, and nitrate 0. I put him in the fridge because his back end was floating and later I found it was due to constipation because I fed him mealworms without knowing any better. I've never had axolotls, or anything like them, this is my first one.

 

[Rune]

He passed away this morning... He was unresponsive and his eyes were cloudy...

 

[LSuzuki]

I'm sorry to hear of your loss.