my axolotl jumped out of her tank. please help!

[alkwaiga]

there's not much background to how this happened. my female axolotl had jumped from her tank while i wasn't present and she ended up on the floor for some time. i'm assuming she stayed there for around two or three hours? it could've possibly been longer.
my first initial reaction was dumping tank water onto her. seeing she moved, i acted as quickly as possible. taking a clean cloth, i soaked it with her tank water and carefully picked her up. placing her into the tank, she took gulps of air and twitched consistently for some time. even though she was safe, i was still panicking and expected the unfortunate aftermath which would be her current condition. she is extremely lethargic and still for the most part. her skin is irritated and clearly she isn't doing well. out of soul worry, i reached my hand out and felt for her slime-coat; which painstakingly, i couldn't feel anything. even underwater i couldn't feel any sliminess which would naturally be there. and honestly, it was just one of the most horrible feelings ever. her tail is curled and she's flicking her gills much more frequently than she normally would. being in distress, that is a normal behavior i'm assuming. strange flaking from her body could either be dead skin or the remainder of her slime coat.
her belly has developed this white patch from the underside of her head to hind legs. the area looks sore and somewhat flakey. i know what to expect from this horrific development as i've been in search of answers and help. (thinking eventually, this will begin to rot away.)
from other threads, i would assume her condition isn't as awful as others. she has no visible injuries other than the patching stomach. i'm thinking of using methylene blue but i'm unsure if that's safe? i've used it before on my axolotls but i'm much more nervous trying it on my poor girl.
not long after observing her current state, i immediately prepared tubbing. she's currently inside her tub as i'm writing this. i don't plan on trying to feed her until tomorrow once everything has calmed down. (assuming she'll make the night) she refuses to lay her belly down onto the flooring. sometimes her front limbs will float.
however, the floating doesn't seem uncontrollable. i've kept the water level low enough to make sure she's footed correctly. enough to ensure her back isn't exposed from the water. any help would be extremely appreciated. i'm exhausted and haven't had sleep. thank you.

 

[Autistic Catholic]

When they're out of water, their slime coat will peel. The best thing to do is create a cool, clean environment for her. Tubbing (not fridging) is generally recommended as sometimes they get antsy and jump out in search of better water conditions. If you have pictures, that would be helpful. It usually isn't being out of the water which they die from, but injuries related to the adventure. If you have methylene blue, definitely add that to the tub you have her in as that will prevent infections.

 

[alkwaiga]

When they're out of water, their slime coat will peel. The best thing to do is create a cool, clean environment for her. Tubbing (not fridging) is generally recommended as sometimes they get antsy and jump out in search of better water conditions. If you have pictures, that would be helpful. It usually isn't being out of the water which they die from, but injuries related to the adventure. If you have methylene blue, definitely add that to the tub you have her in as that will prevent infections.

she is currently tubbed. my water conditions in her tank are all up to level. i'm assuming my other female must've spooked her and that triggered her to jump out of the tank.
my tank is luckily placed on the floor for cooler temperatures. all her legs seem to be working just fine and i don't see any actual injuries other than her flaking stomach. i will definitely add methylene blue in that case.
i'm trying to leave her alone for now since this had just recently happened and she's currently in her hide. don't want to bother her too much. i'll try and get pictures once she decides to come out. thank you

 

[Autistic Catholic]

You're welcome! Yeah, this might have been her getting spooked by the other axolotl. Some will bring up a lid first thing they see something like this but I am well aware of stories where an axolotl jumps even *with* a lid on the tank.

 

[alkwaiga]

You're welcome! Yeah, this might have been her getting spooked by the other axolotl. Some will bring up a lid first thing they see something like this but I am well aware of stories where an axolotl jumps even *with* a lid on the tank.

there was a lid on the tank, actually. i was surprised how she managed to slip through but i'm glad it wasn't from a height. i added the methylene blue and was able to take some pictures. they're not the best as i didn't want to further stress her with bright lights. something she's not so fond of haha.
she looks awfully dull in these pictures and it makes me upset to see her in such a way. she isn't moving much unless she's looking for her hide or needing to breath. there's also splotches of more slime coating shedding off of her.

 

[Autistic Catholic]

Yeah. I don't know why people think a lid will auto-prevent jumping. It simply doesn't. I hope she gets better.

 

[alkwaiga]

she is definitely looking like this axie here.
fortunately, this one managed to pull through and survive as i searched further down the thread. hopefully the same for her. but yes, thank you so much! i appreciate the advice. it really relieves me the more i know.

 

[alkwaiga]

she's doing so much better. no longer sitting still and lethargic and now accepting food from me. the only downside i see is her stomach beginning to rot. the scar isn't big. but there is a blue patch beneath her stomach and around it, there's red.

 

[Autistic Catholic]

I've seen things like that and it might be cartilage that got injured during being on the carpet and maybe crawling on it. But I don't know. You may consider taking her to see a vet. I'd also continue to give a dosage of methylene blue to the tub she's in so as to prevent infection. At least she's eating so that's a good sign!

 

[alkwaiga]

I've seen things like that and it might be cartilage that got injured during being on the carpet and maybe crawling on it. But I don't know. You may consider taking her to see a vet. I'd also continue to give a dosage of methylene blue to the tub she's in so as to prevent infection. At least she's eating so that's a good sign!

yeah, i'm thinking it might be from rubbing herself against the wood. almost like burn marks? it's going on under her jaw too. i'm definitely considering a vet if the wound gets any worse. have been dosing methylene blue since the first day. she has been accepting food but i haven't noticed her pooping. maybe brown flecks here and there? but nothing entirely complete. i've been holding off feeding and doing research to ensure she isn't impacted. besides that, she's no longer arched and acting normal. i'm sure it could've been so much worse. really relieved to see her doing better than before!

 

[Autistic Catholic]

I don't think they eat when impacted but I know if they step in their poop it'll be like a poop confetti as Go Herping has described it with his axolotl.

 

[alkwaiga]

I don't think they eat when impacted but I know if they step in their poop it'll be like a poop confetti as Go Herping has described it with his axolotl.

i see! yeah, i'll try feeding her again and see if she'll accept it. just wanna make sure the wound on her belly hasn't caused anything internal.

 

[alkwaiga]

she accepted food this morning. i'm going to have to check the wound on her stomach and jaw once i change her water. is there anything else i could do if i see it getting worse? i've been told salt baths would help out the wound; but seeing she had shed her entire slime coat off to regenerate a new one, i don't think that would be a good idea.

 

[Autistic Catholic]

Salt baths are better at dealing with fungus and can be harsh on wounds. The methylene blue dosages are far better. A veterinarian should be consulted if no improvement. You really need clean water to allow healing and regeneration. I'd advise against any changes at this point other than consulting a vet.

 

[alkwaiga]

my thoughts exactly. even if the wound gets progressively worse, i think we're going to take her to the vet for an exam regardless. daily water changes and methylene blue will be my main course of action for now until then.

 

[alkwaiga]

alright here is a complete update with pictures.
we’re on day four since she’d jumped and i believe there’s been a significant change for the better.
just checked on the wound and it doesn’t look far worse than yesterday. i didn‘t take pictures yesterday but here’s from day two to present time. first photo is day two, the second and third ones are the photos i took just now. honestly, i think there’s been an improvement maybe? let me know what you think. i’ll definitely keep her tubbed for one week and maybe two before reintroducing her to a tank. (assuming the wound hopefully disappears by then. if not, she’ll remain tubbed) i don’t think i’ll be putting her back with my other female until i know she’s made a complete recovery.

 

[Autistic Catholic]

That does look good! Yeah, it's always important to stick to one treatment. I always, with great haste, recommend methylene blue to aquatic animal lovers because it's a) amphibian-safe and b) a quality, over-the-counter disinfectant. I think it's a good idea to take her to a vet regardless but I have great confidence she'll improve! You might consider a tank-divider in the future, especially if she got spooked by the other axie in the tank.

 

[alkwaiga]

That does look good! Yeah, it's always important to stick to one treatment. I always, with great haste, recommend methylene blue to aquatic animal lovers because it's a) amphibian-safe and b) a quality, over-the-counter disinfectant. I think it's a good idea to take her to a vet regardless but I have great confidence she'll improve! You might consider a tank-divider in the future, especially if she got spooked by the other axie in the tank.

i did get methylene blue way before this even happened just in case i'd stumble across problems! i heard beforehand it was great to use on injured axolotls. i have lots of the little guys and figured injuries were bound to happen. it's always safer to be prepared. i think i was just initially afraid to add dosages because her slime coat had completely fallen off. this is the first time this had ever happened to me so i was unsure of how her skin would've reacted. i'm beyond happy to see her recover quickly, of course. i really did lose hope in the first two days when she wasn't moving whatsoever and seemed to struggle walking correctly. however, she's extremely active outside her hide now. responding well to movement and feedings, defecating after meals as she should. i don't think she started pooping until the third day, i found lots of it underneath her hide during my water change that day. but now, everything's up and normal. i really appreciate your help. thank you so much! i'm not sure what i would've done had i not received any assistance in this struggle.

 

[Autistic Catholic]

Hey, did she end up surviving??? If so, how's she doing now?

 

[alkwaiga]

Hey, did she end up surviving??? If so, how's she doing now?

apologies for the late response. fortunately she is thriving and well!
the wound on her stomach has healed completely with only a scar stretching along her stomach and chin.
her gills grew back extremely well and she has a great appetite. this is her now! she was placed into a bowl for observation.
the past few weeks i've been working for on a 75 gallon tank for her and my other girls.