Illness/Sickness: My Chinese bellied newt looking very fat ??

[chubchublolly]

Hey all this is my first time posting here and have a question.

one of my newts is looking very fat at the moment and has just become like this in tha last week or so not sure really. I have two newts and feed them dried and frozen blood worm and leave it in a bowl as they don't eat from tweezers or hand. im worried it is bloat wich i have heard is not a good thing ,.
here are some photos off the two :

any advice on what and what not to do is much appreciated .

thanks
ben

 

[jewett]

If you have not already done so, take a look at these pictures from this article: Caudata Culture Articles: Bloat

I can't tell from your photos if it is bloat or simply a very gravid female. It does seem to have a rather pear shaped physique which leans more towards a gravid female, but if I were you I would seek out an experienced exotic vet for diagnosis and treatment. Also, the diet is not the best - live foods like worms and daphnia would be much better. Can you provide more information regarding other aspects of husbandry (like water depth and temperature, size of tank) as well as how long you have had the newts and where they originally came from?

HJ

 

[Sith the turtle]

I am not sure if this would apply, but people who have fed blood-worms to African clawed frogs have documented the animal bloating afterwards, so I don't know if that would occur in this situation, but that's my two cents

 

[chubchublolly]

Hey , i have removed the bloated newt and put into a new enclosure. I have had these newts for about 9 years and have been fine until now. The water is about 4 inches deep (10 cm ish ) and im not sure on the tempreture of the water i leave it at room temperature and its tap water with aqua safe that makes it safe for them . the tank is a exo terra terrarium i think the small one. and has artificial plants and water fall . It has 50:50 land to water but they never go in the water (not sure why)

and ill look into daphnia and see if they like it . I have tried them with live food but they never seem to want to eat it. .
sorry if i didnt make much seance .
hope this helps

thanks
ben

 

[Canecorsonewt]

I hope newts cant get bloat from frozen blood worms . Thats all i been feeding my newts since September. I guess I better go get some night crawlers. But they just seem so big for newts. I was going to wait till snow melted and collect some small worms. But now you scard me xavier . I am going to Walmart to get some worms.

 

[Asevernnnn]

I hope newts cant get bloat from frozen blood worms . Thats all i been feeding my newts since September. I guess I better go get some night crawlers. But they just seem so big for newts. I was going to wait till snow melted and collect some small worms. But now you scard me xavier . I am going to Walmart to get some worms.

Bloodworms shouldn't cause bloat unless there's something wrong with them, I would say the majority of the people on this forum have fed bloodworms at some point or another.
Nightcrawlers should not be an issue when cut into smaller pieces, frozen bloodworms are not good as a staple food

 

[Canecorsonewt]

Thanks Aaron. I will start giving more of a verity two my little friends.:happy:

 

[Sith the turtle]

I don't mean feed them once and the newt gets bloat, the people had to feed them as a staple, if you use them once or twice it should be fine. Here's a article for staple foods: Caudata Culture Articles - Food Items for Captive Caudates

 

[jewett]

. It has 50:50 land to water but they never go in the water (not sure why)

Hmm, since it does't go in the water perhaps gravid is less likely. Does anyone know if orientalis can be primed for breeding whilst remaining terrestrial? I don't think so but don't know this for sure...

HJ

 

[AuSu]

I don't know either but since the courtship behaviour is based on moves happening in water (and isn't there some hormones or something like that laid in the water durin the "dance"), that sounds impossible?? And of course the spermatophore, too.

 

[Chinadog]

I'd be asking myself why they've never gone in the water for years if they were mine. Chinese firebellies are highly aquatic newts, maybe Their set up needs improving?