My axie won't eat

[yon]

My axolotl has not been eating for a few days.... i am really worried and his stomach is bloated. I don't know what to do he won't eat yet his stomach is bloated...it seems to be getting worst everyday

 

[yon]

Here are some photos. He doesn't look that big, however he is usually skinny

 

[sophia]

thats one hefty fella...sorry! is there any chance he may have swallowed some gravel wat size is it? is he having trouble moving to the surface of the water? is there old/uneaten food in the taken or could you have fed him some off stuff?

i know thats alot of questions but let us know if any of them coulld be possible...



for any experts out there is that a male as per lump on right photo between back legs - sorry still trying to sex mine!

sophia

 

[maria]

If you have gravel in his tank, then that may be the cause. Has there been anything to stress him? (new axie added to the tank, a move to a new tank, etc) Or did you just first get him?

Axies can stop eating for a number of reasons - not all of them illness related, most cases I've seen are just stress. How long hasn't he been eating?

By the way, he doesn't really look that big to me, look at some of the pics in the axie gallery! He looks skinny compared to some of them

But if he is bloated then it could be to what he's been eating (he could have gravel stuck in him). What do you usually feed him? If it's beef heart or liver or any sort of cow/pig/chicken meat then that is likely the reason as they don't digest mammal proteins that well.

I hope he gets better soon!

 

[yon]

Thanks for your help. There is no chance that he could of eaten gravel, as there is no gravel in the tank.
He hasn't been eating for a week, i changed the tank about 3 weeks ago, but he was eating fine after that.

I usually feed him meal worms(i read that you're not suppose to, but the pet shop told me to feed him that) recently, the last few weeks i have fed him earth worms, 2 crickets, and yeah can't think of anything else.
He usually gobbles up his food straight away, (probably because i don't feed him enough, i usually feed him only 3 times a week, but he eats a lot in those 3 feeding)

I tried feeding him again (his favourite, earth worms) he just moves his head away from the food.

I am really worried, what should i do? Thanks again for your help.

 

[yon]

Thinking back to what you said about food, there were little kids over last week and i found them trying to feed the axolotl currents (like small seedless grapes) I didn't think he had eaten any, if he did could this be the problem? If so what should i do?

 

[yon]

I was reading another post about an axie with a similar condition. Here is another photo, in this you can see white stuff hanging from behind its legs, I am not sure if it is fecal matter or something worst. I am really worried because it has been like this all day.

 

[maria]

Have you read this thread?
http://www.caudata.org/forum/messages/793/18646.html

That looks to be very similar to the symptoms your axie is suffering from (particularly the part about Spunky, he passed some stuff just like yours did). Do you have any other axies in there with him? I would isolate him if at all possible.

I'm no expert, so maybe Mik or John (or any of the other more experienced people) can be more helpful. I hope your axie is doing better!

 

[yon]

Thanks i read that thread before..... but i am still unsure of what to do.....

Thanks for your help

 

[cynthia]

Yon - I would find a vet to take him to and in the mean time I would put him in the fridge.

Your axolotl's problem is looking very similar to "Spunkie" in the thread Maria mentioned.

 

[mik]

Fully concur with Cynthia. If you can put him in a plastic tub like a sandwhich box. Plastic is a little rougher than glass and he will be happier. Also make sure it's fairly shallow too so he has to maintain contact with the base.

Best of luck

 

[kim]

Spunky was my axie..

But Yans axie does not look anything near the size Spunky did.. i think 'she' maybe coming mature.. How big is she..? I say she because the axies clearly does not have the male testicals.

I wouldnt be too worried about her not eating.. sometimes they do just go off there food..

Best thing tho to do would be go take her to the vet.. i took Spunky but there wasnt much he could do to save her

Hopefully if it is a problem you have caught it early and will solve it..

Good Luck Yan.. keep us posted!

 

[yon]

Yeah it probably is a she (oh well...just another thing the pet shop got wrong) She is now more swollen and still won't eat, i don't think there are any vets near by that i can take her to. When i put an axolotl in the fridge how do u ensure that it doesn't get like severe shock from the temperature change?
Cheeers

 

[lisa]

take a container and fill it with your axies tank water, put your axy in the container and put it in the fridge. You can put a lid on it, or maybe drape a teatowel over it.

by taking the water and axy from the tank at room temp and allowing it to slowly cool down in the fridge, the risk of stressing her will be greatly reduced.

Remember, she wont eat or do much at all whilst she is in the fridge. Good Luck

 

[gayle]

hi l have a very ill axi , l bought bamm bamm meal worms and he has eaten them since l have had him , but in the last to weeks l found an odd smell coming from the food l smelt it and it smelt like pmonia sorry cant speel good, so l threw the food out and bought some more, again after a few days l smelt it again and it was the same smell , he was thrashing the tank last night like he was doing rap, but has been 5 days now since he last ate yet his mate is fine and easting well please help bamm bamm

 

[cynthia]

gayle - stop feeding the meal worms they are not a good staple diet. If you do not pinch off their jaws or head before you feed them their mouths can cause internal damage to your axolotl.

Try to find some earth worms.

 

[gayle]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT CYNTHIA , L WILL DO THAT AS SOON AS THE SHOPS OPEN TODAY