Red swollen arms and rotting tail.. help..

[gelgel]

HI all I need some quick help.
So this started few days ago.. where my axo tail seems to start to rot..
I immediately dose melafix into the tank.
Second day I checked her out and the tail seemed to have not worsen and I dosed for the 2nd day.
the third day the rotten pieces seem to loosen off and ready to generate new tissue. So I thought all is good. I dose for the 3nd day.
4th day the tail looked abt the same.. but she seemed to have difficulty eating. She did have appetite though.. just having a hard time swallowing things down. Dosed for the 4th day.
5th day (today), it all turned really bad.. her tail starts to rot again.. her arms.. red, shedding skin, swollen.. and especially her right front arm.. she totally lost her appetite.
I just dosed both Melafix PLUS Pimafix.

I have tried taken as clear pictures as possible..
I don't have the kit right now so I am not able to take water parameters.
But this is not a new tank.. I have this tank set up for more than a year.
bi-weekly water change at 50%. Has always been very stable never have any disease outbreak. She has a male as a tankmate. Both full grown and it's a 22 gallon long.
I feed red wigglers to them every other day.

Here are the pics..

Right hind leg:

Right front leg (top view):

right front leg (from behind):

tail:

Please help! I don't want to lose her

 

[Alkylhalide]

Maybe your problem is the melafix.ive heard very different views on whether this is toxic to axolotls. I do know to much will hurt your axie.

My suggestion to you is to immediately put your axie in a tuperware container filled with fresh dechlorinated water and put him in the fridge. Change the water out daily.

Also stop using the chemicals.

I know salt bathes are used for fungus, so in my opinion i wouldnt panic and start those unless somebody with more experience here posts that you do. The most important thing to do right now is get him in clean water and let his body heal/detox in the fridge.

Remember while in the fridge he probably wont eat/much at all. Take him out once a day or every other day, and try to feed him. Since the frodge slows down their metabolism they wont need to eat as much. But this is the best thing you can do immediately to give it a chance

Im hopig somebody else has some insight for you! Keep us updated

 

[Alkylhalide]

Oh and dont forget to keep the aged water youll be using for your daily water changes in the fridge too so the temp is the same.

I think theres a lot of things you can do but im not experienced enough to tell you exactly how to fix this. All i know is you cant go wron with clean water and the fridge in a situation like this.

 

[ciele02]

Hi, I'm not hugely experienced, but I agree with Alkylhalide. Get him out of the tank. I think it is safe to say that if you have no way of testing the water...assume the worst of the water and get him out. I have also heard that Axies are very sensitive to melafix and multicure...there is this page Axolotls - Health & Diseases that lists what is safe/not safe. I always try natural first.All Amphibians are extremely sensitive to chemicals. I do hope your little bubi recovers...keep us updated...best of luck.

 

[Petersgirl]

I am a little worried that this is Red Leg, which is a kind of bacterial disease. I have never seen it before and am not sure, but red swollen limbs is one of the symptoms. As a precaution, I would definetely follow Alkylhalide's advice; a clean dechlorinated tub of his own is a must, with daily water changes. If it is Red Leg it is contagious and he needs to be isolated. Even if it isn't it's always best to get a poorly axxie on his own.

These are the symptoms: Red patches on the legs and body, loss of appitite, bloating, weakness and lethargy. Is this what your axolotl has?

Has anyone else ever seen Red Leg before? Does this look like it? I'm sorry I can't be more helpful If you can I recommend a Vet. They will have the diagnosis and medicines your axxie needs.

 

[gelgel]

Thanks for the replies. I really appreciate for all the suggestions and help.

I couldn't find a container that can fit her size.. I will needa get one tmr after work..
I only have a container that just fit her size.. so I was able to gave her a salt bath.
I don't wanna use the same container to put her in the fridge as that gives her no rm to move at all.

As for the salt bath I went with 1.5L water with 4.5 tsp of salt and bathe her for abt 20 mins.
Planning to repeat that tomorrow.

The temperature was a bit high since the weather is getting warmer and we are at the 2nd level of the house.. But I have a fan blowing at it now and I am able to keep the temp at 70F.

Have also done a 50% water change. I hope what I am doing is really gonna help her..
She seems suffocate in the salt bath.. and after the bath her wounds are even more red..
This just broke my heart..


I really really don't wanna lose her...

Anyone have similar experience?

 

[callina]

Hi,

excuse me, but I don´t agreee with the others.

1. this is NOT red leg desease. Your poor axie was bitten by it´s tankmate and this caused the wounds. I cannot see any infection, so chemicals or medis are unnecessary.

2. Salt baths will work against fungus, but I cannot see any fungus.

I would put him in a separated container, tupperware s.e. with cold, dechlorinated water with daily water changes - that´s all.
You may put him in the fridge, but it isn´t necessary as long as the water temp doesn´t raise over 60°F.

Greetz, Tina

 

[axolotl newbie]

I agree with Tina. Once there is an open wound it might smell like food to the tankmate, who may then go back for a second bite making everything look worse.

 

[Petersgirl]

Can I suggest tea baths in a fresh container with dechlorinated water, 100% water changes daily? The method for the Tea Bath is in the Caudata Cultures Article 'Illness Part 2.' This will clean the wounds and won't stress your axolotl out.

Salt baths really do stress them out - it does break your heart to see them thrashing, but they don't need them if there isn't any fungal infection. A tea bath is really good for wounds. Also, if you use Stress Coat + as a dechlorinator, it will help to keep it clean too as it contains skin soothing aloe vera. I wouldn't suggest the fridge personally as that means your axxie is digesting less slowly, and you want food to help them heal. It may be better to take them out.

My action plan would be to find a very large tub or, ideally, a small nursing tank. Fill it with clean, aged, dechlorinated water and replace it 100% daily. If it's a tub keep it somewhere cool and dark where no-one will knock it over. I would also add the tea bath recipe and feed as usual:

Here's the recipe:

• Tea bath for axolotls
  Contributed by Daniel Weiner, August 2007.
  I mainly use teabaths for minor skin problems. It may also be used with fungal problems but on that account I prefer salt baths. Tea has a slightly antifungal and antibacterial effect (resulting from tannins) and additionally it closes the pores in the skin a little bit (mainly resulting from tannin and caffeine). The skin tightens and gets some kind of protective layer, making it harder for fungi and bacteria to intrude the body. On the other hand it makes it harder for salt or medicine to reach pathogens which are already inside the body - that is the reason I do not use it on fungal infections, although a tea bath is sometimes recommended as a cure for fungal infections by some people.
  The medication is as follows: I take one bag of black tea without any additional aroma (it is important to use black tea because this kind of tea is fermented and so it has tannins) for every 10 litres of water (preferably used in a quarantine tank). This tea gets dashed with boiling water in a seperate bowl - I leave it there for at least 10 to 15 minutes so the tannins are resolved into the water. The tea has to cool down and is finally added to the quarantine water. After a week I make a bigger change of water (60% at least), the rest of the tea is removed over time by normal water changes. If you have to make more regular water changes (f.i. in a small bowl or tank) the tea concentration can be refilled. As far as I know there are no negative effects even for long term treatment.
  A similar effect (although not as strong) may have the addition of dried oak or beech leafs now and then as a precaution.
  ​

It has no ill effects and actually helps to keep nasties out. Given this TLC, a lot of love, some worms, and a load of water changes, he should get better within a few months.

 

[gelgel]

Thanks for the replies... She is now tea bathing.. She seems much calmer.. Will see how it goes... Another thing is I still couldn't get her to eat.. I hope she can recover from this..

 

[Petersgirl]

Stressed axxies sometimes won't eat. She's probably a little stressed out from all the moves, the colder temp of the fridge and the salt baths.

A well fed axxie can survive for 3 weeks without a feed, but if she doesn't eat within the next two days I'd try a new food to tempt her. Examples include defrosted prawns or blackworm, which I've heard they love.

Hope she starts to get better soon!

 

[gelgel]

update!

she finally eats for me after more than 2 weeks time!! She's doing much better now!
arm is much less swollen now.. tail is slowly growing back!

I feel much more relief now! thanks soooo much for all the help!!

 

[ciele02]

Glad to read the good news! hope she continues to improve.