Leucistic going through puberty?

[randy]

Meet Wilhelm: +clickforpicture

Obviously, Wilhelm has some problems. I got him a few weeks ago from a pet store, mainly because I'd been researching axolotls for about a year, he was missing a leg, and they were feeding him (and his tankmates) dead fish. It's been a bumpy few weeks, and he only just started eating regularly (I've been feeding him trout worms because the nightcrawlers are a little too big for him) about a week ago. I was really worried about him for a while because he was barely eating and wasn't active at all. He had two hiding places, but didn't seem to like them. I added another hiding spot for him (a small pot on its side, axolotl-safe) and a few fake plants, and he seems much, much happier. He's been eating, hiding in his pot and climbing all over it, and reacts to me when I talk to him.

However, a few weeks ago, he started to develop these little hairs all over his body. They look like hairs, but I'm wondering if it's just some weird infection? His behavior has been picking up, but I don't think axolotls aren't meant to be hairy.. I've been searching the threads, and can't seem to find anything similar happening to anyone else.. Any idea what I can do to treat it and what I can do to prevent it in the future? Or am I just being overprotective and this is SUPPOSED to happen?!

Extra info:

He's about 8 inches long from his nose to the tip of his tail, still very skinny, I'm not completely sure he's a 'He' although he does have the enlargement.

I'm not too much of a 'light' person myself, so I just use a small lamp in the corner of my dorm room for lighting purposes. The picture is bright only because I turned on the overhead lights so that the hairs could be seen.

Thanks for any help I get.. ):

 

[Erzs]

Oh my goodness! To me that looks like anchorworm, please scroll down on this website to see a picture of another axolotl with it: Photos of Sick Axolotls

 

[Bellabelloo]

I suspect the hairs may be anchor worms , have a look at this post and see what you think.

Axolotls - Health & Diseases

 

[Morrison]

Yep, those hairs are definitely anchor worms
Poor thing

 

[randy]

At least I know what's going on, then!

Any guesses on how he could have gotten them? And what treatments should I look into? Axolotl.com isn't much help..

 

[Morrison]

Maybe this will help a bit: http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...olotl/67390-dimilin-anchorworm-treatment.html

or
Aquarium FD - Anchor Worms - Disease Identification, Diagnosis & Treatment

 

[oceanblue]

I agree these are anchor worms. He probably got them from a fish, usually a goldfish or koi in the same tank water or circulation system.

There are multiple threads which come up with the search function and two have been added above while I was looking. Your first problem is locating Dimilin and getting the right dosage. Good luck.

 

[randy]

Hm.. that's really weird, then.. He was the first 'fish' ever to be in the tank he's in (I bought it especially new for him), so he must have gotten it from back at the petstore, and it somehow didn't show up until then. I'll be on the search for the dimilin, and keep you all updated. Thanks!

 

[sek]

Oh dear, definitely anchorworm. Poor fella. I hope you find some dimilin for him.

Also, this will help with the dosage: http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...anum/f58-sick-axolotl/60192-anchor-worms.html

Goodluck.

 

[randy]

Okay.. so I FINALLY was able to get some medicine.. he was looking really bad for a while (his eyes were swollen, he stopped eating, and would float on his side so often that I thought he was dead..) but he's looking a little better, so I slid him in a bare tank for some dosages. I am, however, a bit worried about him. It's been a couple of hours that he's been in his 'doctor tank' and about 30 minutes ago, he was thrashing around.. Now, I'm noticing that he's shedding just a bit, but should I be worried about the thrashing? He resembled... well... and underwater dog (haha), trying to scratch behind his 'ears' with his back feet. His front right leg still hasn't healed from the petstore, and he's been scratching at that, too...

Could the medicine be working that fast? Is THAT what's irritating his skin, or is it just normal and he's shedding?

*NOTE*: I cannot fridge him.. I'm at Uni and my little apartment-sized fridge doesn't have a constant enough temperature that I would be comfortable doing that. He is, however, in a dark place. That one time was the only time I've checked on him and he was thrashing around.

Now, off to decontaminate his 'home' of those icky anchorworms!

 

[saided]

It makes me so sad that a pet stor would EVER let an animal get into that condition, go Randy for rescuing him!

 

[randy]

Re: UPDATE! Leucistic going through puberty?

Alright, I feel like I'm talking to an empty room here, but that's alright. I feel like I'm in axolotl therapy and that makes me happy....

Another update:
Wilhelm just finished his first treatment. I am using +this medication to treat him. From what I've researched, it's for fish and has no mention of the safety for amphibians. I was very desperate, though, so I only beg that you all don't judge me too quickly. It was the only thing I could find that I could get as fast as possible.

My poor baby is extremely stressed, especially right now after I just switched all of his water again to do the second treatment. I only hope that he can survive the treatment. The results, however, are encouraging. I guesstimate about 40+% of the hookworms are gone after the first treatment, which is extremely encouraging. His eyes are no longer swollen and the hookworms around his eyes seem to be dead, just not completely unattached yet. I do wish that I had a bigger tub for him to swim around in (which is partially why he is so stressed and why he doesn't have more missing.. he doesn't have enough room to swim around much in his doctoring tank, I fear). His eating habits have skyrocketed again, he is no longer floating (!!!) and I'm more hopeful now that we can survive this ordeal.

This may be silly, but I am asking for prayer for Wilhelm. I know that stress can kill, and I'm VERY worried that it will. I try talking to him while I'm doing homework, and hope that he can one day forgive me for all the stress he's had to go through from the pet store and from his nasty little parasites.

More word will come in a few days after this second treatment is done. If all of them aren't gone by then, I may attempt to tweezer the rest left, but desperately hope that it does not come to that.

 

[Crysta]

Re: UPDATE! Leucistic going through puberty?

I usually find you're lucky if you find a healthy anything in a pet store.

Randy, good luck, and congrats on the rescue, please keep us posted.

You may want to let that pet store know what happened he WILL have gotten it at the petstore, they usually keep all their tanks flowing through the same system (bloody stupid) but yes, you'll probably want to let them know for the sake of the animals. (they will also probably treat you like **** but just say "RSPCA now shut up"


we're all hoping the best, keeping our fingers crossed and praying for Wilhelm.

 

[oceanblue]

Re: UPDATE! Leucistic going through puberty?

I've had a look at the ingredients of the cure you are using. It seems to have two active ingredients, Metronidazole, which is an antibiotic which has anti-parasite action which will probably not affect anchor worm but will help secondary infections and is probably harmless to axolotls and Praziquantel, which is known to be active against anchor worm and is an unknown quantity as to axolotl safety.

I haven't found anything to indicate these ingredients should not be used. Good luck and keep us informed as to progress!

 

[randy]

Exciting news!!

Exciting news... I pulled Wilhelm out of his doctoring tank, rinsed him off, and he is now in his normal (decontaminated) tank again. The hookworms all seem to be gone, and he is eating healthily. He's pretty skinny, which I am worried about, but he has been eating the last couple of days whenever I feed him, which is obviously good news.

Thanks so much for helping, everyone! We appreciate it.

 

[Erzs]

Brilliant news, Randy! I'm so happy to hear improvements have been made. I'm sure he'll fatten up in no time if his appetite is good! =]

 

[Morrison]

He's eating, so that's good Good to hear he got rid of those nasties

 

[mewsie]

Fantastic, well done you!! I'm sure you'll have no trouble fattening him up

Out of interest, did you contact the original pet store?

 

[randy]

Out of interest, did you contact the original pet store?

Yes, I did. They responded with a non-answer, really. "Well, our axolotls are originally raised at home, and when they get to a certain age they are brought in here." Yes, that's all well and good, but if you can't take good care of them, there really isn't much use in having them. ):

Wilhelm is back to preferring that I feed him by hand rather than just dropping the worms in the tank for him to find on his own time. He has the appetite of a racehorse and I am very encouraged.

 

[oceanblue]

I'm glad to hear it's going well. It looks like API General cure might become a first try medication for anchor worms in the USA. It is probably safer environmentally than Dimilin and easier to obtain.

For the UK Praziquantel is available over the counter unrestricted to dose cats and dogs either by tablet or a transcutaneous preparation but working out dosage for axolotls is off label and guesswork.