My axies rear end is floating!

[franksmum]

Hi there,

My juvenile axie has its rear end floating in the air! His feet are on the ground but he's having trouble & is constantly swimming around trying to stop floating, I don't know if he's stressed or not but doesn't seem to be. I've read in other threads to give his belly a rub but how do I do it? I'm a first time owner & am worried about my water baby please help!

 

[keiko]

By rubbing the belly you might do more harm than good (damaging the slime coat and skin and possibly internal damage if not careful). He just probably needs to poop and might be a bit constipated. Just wait for a few days to see if it passes. If he struggles to stay at the bottom then you can put him in a smaller container with just enough water to cover him so his legs will easily stay at the bottom. If you do put him in another container then you need to do 100% water changes once or twice a day and make sure the temperature stays stable.