Illness/Sickness: No appetite and paralyzed legs?

[lmj65]

Re: No appetite and paralyzed legs? Update and new question.

Me again, with positive news and a pressing question.

First for the positive news: We saw movement in Aethrios' rear legs today! They are still bent back, but when he is moving across the tank they are beginning to move forward just a bit. Also, he is definitely showing more movement of the front leg that wasn't moving as much.

Now for the question and request for help. He has refused food for the past few days. He will ignore the food, then actively swim away from it. If I persist and dangle some near his mouth, he may bite at it, but if food gets in his mouth, he spits it out. He almost seems annoyed that I am offering food. We have offered blood worms (which he used to gobble up), pellets, and pieces of earthworm. I have tried leaving the food in the tank and walking away for 10 minutes or so to see if he will eat, but he doesn't. How long can I safely leave the food in the tank? I'm thinking he may need some time and privacy to eat. He is in a small critter keeper (with daily water changes) for now.

Thank you!

 

[lmj65]

Just a quick update. Our little guy is back in his big tank. His rear legs are still not moving much, but he is managing to move all around his tank without any difficulty. He still doesn't seem too interested in eating (he seems to be running away from the food). I put the blood worms in the tank and leave him alone for about 10 minutes. There seem to be fewer when I come back, so I think he is eating a few of them.

The good news is he is moving all over the place, exploring his tank. This is a big change from 2 weeks ago when he was just lying in a corner of the tank trying to keep himself upright. Hopefully he will continue to get better. He is certainly more alert and active.

 

[milahoh]

Hey, small steps in the right direction make good news!

 

[Bette]

Thats good news! Yes, hopefully he is eating some of the food.
I would leave the food in for several hours before removing what it doesn't eat.

 

[lmj65]

Okay, I'll try leaving the food longer. I was nervous about leaving it in too long. But, I really want him to have the opportunity to eat.

Thanks!