Please help! Newt was stuck in water filter.

[scuwiffpixi]

Please, any help would be fantastic. I got up Tues morning and checked all my newts as per usual and one of my red spotteds looked like he was making good friends with his internal water filter, which is a small one for 12L tanks and is set on its lowest setting.

On closer inspection it came to light his arm and tail were stuck in the spongy part of the filter so I immediately turned it all off and dove into the tank to get him out. At first he looked like he was dead as he was all bloated, but as soon as he was out of the water he gave me a lil beep and moved!! Hoorah!

He's still alive!! So I very, very gently got his lil arm out of the filter sponge and also his tail. The tail looks all gunky and I think he will loose the end of it (about 2cms worth)

So made him a newt hospital out of a clean spare plastic tank and lined the bottom with damp kitchen roll. I also cleaned the tail with a tiny bit of Bactine and a cotton bud.

He looks very sorry for himself and I was just wondering if there is anything else I should be doing for him. And what is the likelihood of him pulling through?

I know they can regenerate bits of themselves and I'm hoping that he will do this with his tail but will the stress of the ordeal kill him?

I'm absolutely devastated! :sad: Any information would be a great help. Thanks!

 

[AfroNewtkeeper]

Good job getting him into a quarantine tank. You might want to provide a small hide as well. Upload a few pictures please, so we can see exactly how he's looking. How much larger is he than normal? Also, can you upload a picture of the filter?
Keep a towel over the quarantine tank to keep him in the dark- this should help with the stress. Also, keep him under 65F if possible. Set ice packs on the lid of his tank, or place the tank in a styrofoam cooler filled with ice.

 

[scuwiffpixi]

Wow, Great! Thanks Daniel! Im more than happy to upload some pics of him and the filter as soon as I get home from work tonight for you to have a look at. He was always a bit chubby as he's a bit of a porker when it comes to food, but he is definitely more swollen than normal.

I dont really know how to describe how much bigger than normal he is tho. He just kinda look like he is retaining more fluid than normal. No discolouration on his belly as yet, of any internal bleeding, as I already gave him a good looking over. His tail is a little red and did bleed a minute amount.

A hide, why didn't I think of that! That will be the first thing I'll do, once I have taken some pics for you, then I will get the ice packs out of the freezer I have in there already (the other half is a skateboarder and I never know when he will need one) So that's real handy I have some ready to go.
I also have a lean-to which is not heated but doesn't freeze over either. Do you think he would be better out there to keep the temp lower? It's darker and quieter than the rest of the house too.

He managed to catch a few Z's last night in his lil tank and was awake this morning as he gave me my morning nod, blink and throat inflation he even attempted to have a bit move around but didn't get too far he also had a poop which I removed straight away. But all of his legs seem to work still.

And a towel, No problem!

Thank you sooo much for the advice Daniel, I'll be home around 6.30pm and will crack straight on with the bits you have suggested I do and get the pics up asap. I'll message you as soon as im done with that and we can go from there.

 

[AfroNewtkeeper]

The lean-to would probably be okay, as long as it stays below 70F and no wild animals can get to him. Just keep in mind that it'll be a bit more work to care for him. It sounds like he's mainly just wounded, which isn't too bad. Pooping is definitely a good sign, but let us know if he stops eating.

 

[scuwiffpixi]

sorry some of the pics aren't great as the quarantine tank is a bit scratched up.

This is the same pump I have in all my tanks and I always keep a couple spare just incase.

The spoon is in there for scale as I didn't know what else to use that was at hand

I hope they are helpful?

The lean-to is attached to the back of house and I'm 100% sure, no other animals can get in. I realise he is going to be more work than normal, but I love my newts and am willing to do whatever it takes to help him. Im also aware they are hard to fix, once broken, it's the same with most Phibs but I'm more than willing to put the time in for my aquatic babies.

Ps he looked a little less bloated when I got home tonight he still hasn't moved from this position tho. He now has new kitchen paper, a hide, a towel, some cool darkness and another clean up with the bactine.

 

[AfroNewtkeeper]

Aww, he's cute. Poor tail - don't freak out if that part falls off- that's not a bad sign. Just to clarify, did she get caught in that tube, or the intake? She doesn't look horribly bloated, though. Make sure that her quarantine tank is visibly wet, so she doesn't dehydrate.

Edit: Read your sig. Man, I wish those snails were legal in the US!

 

[scuwiffpixi]

Yeah, I'm expecting the end of the tail to fall off, so it can start to generate a new one. I have had newt drop a bit of it's tail before and regrow it, fascinating! It wasn't this newt tho.:happy:

He had his lil arm and tail trapped in the intake slots at the bottom, not the big tube at the top.

I did notice he look's less bloated when I got home from work last night, I took that as a good sign. He hasn't really moved from the spot he's in tho. He didn't head for the hide at all!

I put him on damp kitchen towel and sprayed the sides of his tank with bottled mineral water. I haven't fed him yet as he eats every 2-3 days and ate his fill on Monday. So I'll put some food in later today and see if he has some.

So, this morning new damp kitchen paper, quick spray with mineral water and a bactine and bud clean up. No blood or poop this morning and his back legs move and act normal, the front ones are still in the bent, resting his head on them, but the joints seem to move ok when I gave him a lil spray with water he did try and move away.

As for the bloomin snails! Well I have literally hundreds of the lil buggers right now! I missed a couple of clutches of eggs and I have a tonne of babies. They are soooo prolific it's unreal! I've attached a couple of pics of them but please excuse the grubby mess they are in it's, clean out day today! I just don't know what to do with them all!! I've had GALS for about 10 yrs now so you would have thought I'd be good at spotting clutches of eggs by now but occasionally I miss them and the aftermath is I have to find homes or anyone who wants any of them, Free of charge of course as I'd never get rid of them!!