Possible septicemia

[texa]

Hi guys,
I have a problem with my adult male (3 years old). He's always been the weaker one of the two, is usually fussy with food, and has deformed front legs which might be a result of genetic deformity or injury when young.

He's been off his food more than usual recently, and anything he has been eating I've been finding spat out later (so not eaten properly in over a week). Yesterday evening I noticed he was very red, veins showing all over the body, and very lethargic. They were due a water change, so I siphoned and did a 40% change.

My water parameters are as follows before the 40% change, recently I've had slightly higher nitrates which I eventually found to be caused by both disintegrating mopani wood, and plants which had rotted in their weights.

NH4 and NO2-0
NO3- 5
pH- 6.4
GH- 4
KH-3-5

This morning he is still red, opening and closing his mouth, and has a particularly bright red leg, all of which I'm so worried are septicemia symptoms. Would an antibiotic give him a chance if it is sepsis? Does anyone have any vet recommendations in the Edinburgh area?

 

[Donna001]

Hi Texa,

You could try these vets - usually vets that do unusual pets will also deal with amphibians as well as reptiles, but phone and check first.

ReptileVets.co.uk - Vet Details: Braid Veterinary Centre - Reptile Vet in Edinburgh,Edinburgh

I'm very new to this forum and to axolotls keeping, but it might be worth posting some pictures for the more experienced keepers to comment on.

Best of luck.

 

[texa]

Thanks Donna.
After calling around I found Lawrie's vets in Falkirk are experienced in axolotl care. I took mine in, and he's getting a blood sample and antibiotics, they're also keeping him there for observation.
I don't have great pictures but things to watch for are sluggish/disorientated behaviour, not eating/ regurgitating food, and very red/bloated skin. Rosie (he's a boy with a girl's name) had a very red belly and back legs, and the symptoms have onset very rapidly.

 

[Donna001]

Glad to hear that you found a vet that could help.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you and Rosie.
Please keep us updated on progress.

 

[texa]

So really bad news, rosie didn't make it. I got him to the vet at 10am on Sunday where he got immediate antibiotics, but by 4pm the vet started to see rapid changes for the worse and he died not long after. Obviously I'm devastated and left reeling by the speed of this illness, which was septicemia as I suspected. It set on very quickly, and was not brought about by the usual causes of illness in axolotls such as poor water quality, inappropriate surroundings or diet.

This forum was integral to my initial diagnosis, having read about sepsis on other threads before. Speed is vital, and by the time I noticed the symptoms on Saturday evening I think it may have already been too late. Would be interested to hear from people who have managed to treat septicemia in axolotls, maybe we could figure out a time frame in which treatment could be successful?

 

[texa]

*edit, I got rosie to the vet at 10am on Saturday, after seeing symptoms on Friday night.

 

[Donna001]

Oh Texa, I'm so sorry to hear what happened to Rosie. :sad:

 

[Skudo09]

I am sorry to hear Rosie didn't make it.