Illness/Sickness: My axie is not eating...

[Jess]

While cleaning up some axie poop the about a week ago, I noticed a small fish tank gravel rock in my tank. I looked around for anymore, but did not find any. My axie was looking a little pudgy, but i had been feeding him a lot lately. Fearing he may have swallowed a gravel rock somehow, even though he is on sand, I removed my axie and put him in the fridge overnight. In the morning I took him out, and he had definitely taken care of his bathroom business because his container was FULL of poop.

I let the water return to room temperature before putting him back in his tank. I placed him back in his tank, and the first place he went was this little cave he has. He did not come out of the cave for about 2 days. Finally yesterday, he showed his pretty little face, but would just swim back and forth across the tank. I tried to feed him multiple times, and he would not eat, and usually he is a little piggy. After a few hours of swimming around, he returned to his cave, and still has not eaten.

He is getting quite thin, not having eaten in at least 3 or 4 days. But he is not exhibiting any other signs of stress, no forward gills, no curled tail, he isn't floating, and his water parameters are fine.

He usually gets a little cranky when I remove him from his tank, but it has never taken him this long to get back to his usual self.

I'm starting to get really worried, and I've done everything I know to do. Any advice will be REALLY appreciated!!

 

[oregon newt]

I wouldn't be worried if it's only been 3 or 4 days and everything else is fine within your tank. Three or four days isn't very long at all. I usually feed my animals every 2-3 days. What do you feed him?

 

[Jess]

I feed him cut up night crawlers.

Ocassionally I give him a wax worm as a treat.

 

[philbaker76]

How long you had him? he could have swallowed some gravel weeks ago (maybe before you got him) - and he's just passing it now. As Will says, 3-4 days isn't a long time - I too feed every 2-3 days.

 

[Jess]

I've had him for about two months. I ordered him from Ward's. He was perfectly fine when I got him. He has been perfectly fine up until now.

And the only reason I'm so worried, is because he usually eats everyday, and he usually comes out and begs for food when I come into the room where his tank is located.

 

[philbaker76]

I had one of my youngsters back from a pet shop once, it'd been in a tank with bright blue gravel (small gravel - even though I told them not to); and he was poopin blue pebbles for weeks (maybe even two months).

But, if he's not showing any signs of stress - he's probably just not hungery; leave him another few days without food.

 

[blueberlin]

Hi Jess,

You may want to leave him in the fridge for longer than overnight. The cold will certainly slow down his metabolism so that even if he is not eating well, it won't make him so skinny so quickly.

Good luck to you,

-Eva

 

[Jess]

So I usually hand feed my axie using a long toothpick like stick, and like I said before, he hasn't been eating.

BUT I left the worm in his tank last night after attempting to feed him, and when I came back later the worm was gone.

I don't know why he would suddenly refuse food if I'm handfeeding it to him, but at least he's eating.

My boyfriend suggested that maybe my axie is in his teenage years and is rebelling against his parent. Hahaha.

 

[Jess]

I've been thinking lately that my axie is a female, the tips of its toes are completely black, and it doesn't really have a large cloaca.

I read in another thread that when females are coming into breeding condition, that they tend to get moody. Could this possibly be what is going on with my axie?

 

[philbaker76]

Another way to tell if your Axie is a female is to look at him/her from the top - she'll be rounder (with eggs).

Never heard of the moody thing. I wouldn't consider breeding Axies until they are at least 18 months; and fully grown at that. Cheers, Phil

 

[Jess]

I'm not going to breed her. I only have the one axie anyway.

And she is fairly round, not so much anymore since she hasn'rt been eating as much, but her head is really shovel shaped.

 

[philbaker76]

the tips of its toes are completely black, and it doesn't really have a large cloaca.

...And she is fairly round

Yeah, she sounds like a female Jess.

 

[Jess]

Yeah. Looks like Sal Paradise is now Sally Paradise.

 

[coichards]

Apparently the females have wider heads and have stumpy legs