Super sick Axolotls, already lost one desperate to save the other

[lQdALPHA]

Update: Angel still hasn't taken food but (i may be too hopeful) but she seems abit brighter? :s

Tho i only just remembered my the vet was asking how long she had had the white/gold specs down the side of her body... she's always had them... aren't they normal? D:?
i tried circling the marks but she has larger and smaller white-ish specs so not sure which the vet was referring too

Also my juvenile is very happy #>_<#
How much bigger until i can tell age? cause atm it's name is Baby until i can tell it's gender lol


Also i really liked the vet! She definitely seemed to know what she was doing and told me a story of how yesterday she operated on an axolotl to remove a rock stuck in its intestines... didn't realise you could operate on axolotls but now i know!!

 

[mackinthebox]

Im pretty sure those spots are normal, they even have a name that I saw in another post but dont remember
Most golden albinos have them from what Ive see
Im sure someone with more experience will confirm for me

 

[Sweetie]

And this pic is of my girls when they were healthy Angel swimming over/into Bella

Your lotls are absolutely adorable.
We're all thrilled that the vet seems to have found at least part of the problem. Please keep us updated on her progress. So so glad to hear she seems to be on the mend at last. Let's hope her appetite returns soon. :happy:

 

[HayleyK]

They're called iridophores. They should shine back.

 

[lQdALPHA]

ah ok thanks
I am unsure what the vet was referring too then.. maybe the lump on Angels side which is unusual but she's always had it :/

 

[HayleyK]

It just looks like iridophores along the lateral line. My gold and wildtype have them.

Use the torch trick to double check other than that I can't see any bumps?

 

[lQdALPHA]

Angel still hasn't eaten but is currently having her second salt bath, she's definitely become more active and alert and her colouring has improved i am so very happy

the torch trick? is that just shining light onto the specs and seeing them shine back? (im just guessing)

and here is a pic of Angel's lump

 

[HayleyK]

That's so good to hear!

Oh now I can see the bump. Did the vet suggest to look at it?

Yeah shine the torch over any parts that you're unsure about, if it's shiny they're just iridophores. If they look cloudy, it could be a slime coat issue.

 

[lQdALPHA]

ok i'll try out the torch test later on tonight
And the vet just asked about it and i was like she'd always had it. but then the vet had pulled Angel out of water to weigh her so i had to turn away Q_Q and didn't say anything else about it. guess i'll re ask about it when i next contact the vet

Also so far she hasn't eaten but still alert - when i walk over to the tank she looks up at me

 

[lQdALPHA]

Ok just tried feeding Angel, when i placed my hand in she snapped at me. But then when i offered her food she didn't take it. i do offer multiple foods each time. So i am just taking it that she's on the mend but not 100% up for eating yet!

Did the torch test her back legs and tail were all shiny back her torso im unsure as she went all wrinkly (due to her skinniness) as she turned to look at me.
i'll write back in tomorrow night after her afternoon bath and if she has taken to food

 

[lQdALPHA]

I AM SO HAPPY!!!
so i was heading to bed for the night and thought 'ahh i'll just try once more'. i offered her probably 1/8th of a piece of dried blackworms AND SHE ATE IT (obviously i let it expand before giving to her)
i tried again not long after n she wasnt interested
BUT ITS A START !!!!!

 

[lQdALPHA]

Awesome news
I got home from work at about 1pm and went straight over to Angel's tank, as soon as i was close enough she looked up at me then walked over
I offered her a little dried black worms and she took it!
An hour later i gave her her salt bath- she was very active and wouldn't stop moving- i wasn't sure if she was agitated or just active so i cut it short to just 15-20 mins instead of her proposed 30mins.
Since then i have offered her food 3 more times and she has taken it every time. She's still only taking to the dried black worms over her old favorite -frozen axolotl dinner cubes.
I have been giving her really small amounts as i don't want to upset her stomach and she has probably only had 3/4 of a cube today.

 

[lQdALPHA]

Angel just had her salt bath and acted worse then yesterday. She was sticking her head fully out of the water or rolling over or just splashing around.
She's really agitated right??? so i kept her in until 9 mins instead of her proposed 30mins and pulled her out cause i couldnt stand her doing it anymore

I haven't done anything different besides slightly less salt.....

 

[leandrah]

Maybe just call the vet
Why dont you feed her earthworms rather? They love earthworms and it will help her pick up weight quickly

 

[lQdALPHA]

Ive tried earth worms multiple times before- she absolutely hates them =_=, she either turned her nose up on them or spits them out straight away.
Ive got multiple food on me atm but dried blackworms is the only thing she'll take. Tho Since her bath she has refused to eat - I've tried 3-4 times? :/

And yeah i agree i will be calling the vet- tho i think i'll try her bath one more time and if she has a similar reaction i'll pull her straight out and call the vet

Also besides being more of a treat and fatty- Angel used to love mealworms tho like every other food refused them when she got sick- should i try her on them again?

Here is a pick of Angel today in her bath- (when she actually sat still for a moment)-
her colouring is abit better and i think she looks abit healthier then my original pic of her >_<-

 

[leandrah]

I actually think that she has picked up a tiny bit of weight. Her stomach doesnt look as thin.
You should REALLY try scallops - they absolutely love them and they cant resist them. It might help get her back onto food.

Try mealworms.
You are doing a great job, i really would recommend the scallops - they will definitely work (well im 99% sure they will)

 

[lQdALPHA]

Angel had her daily bath earlier.
She moved around a little bit but was completely fine in it. i left her in for only 25mins tho.
Not sure why she was so unsettled yesterday
She's started climbing into the branches of her driftwood plant again which is good to see
She hasnt eaten today yet but hopefully later on she will

i'll be able to pick up mealworms for her tomorrow as i finish work at midday

 

[Skudo09]

I would take care with mealworms. They can cause some difficulty with digestion due to their exoskeleton. They are ok once in a while but I would avoid giving too many.

If you persist with earthworms and offer nothing else, eventually she will eat them. Have you tried blanching the worms before offering them? Sometimes the worms excrete a foul tasting substance which axolotls don't like. If you briefly run the worms under hot water then immediately cold water, it will kill the worm and stop it excreting the substance.

Scallops might be worth a shot to get her eating again. Ideally though, earthworms are far more nutritional if you can get her onto them. But I can understand that you would like her to eat given she has been unwell. She does look like she has improved a little

 

[Sweetie]

How is she doing? Please give us an update.

 

[lQdALPHA]

Hi!
Sorry i couldn't open any pages on this site for while- kept coming up with an error message

Anyway! A certain somebody is looking amazing compared to two weeks ago!
Angel is back to being super curious and forever hungry which matches her friend (white baby who is now massive- had since end of jan and has grown from 9.5cm to about 17cm -omg)
Today i put Angel back into the main tank as she is able to swim and i deemed her strong enough. She had he last bath on Saturday and i have tried to contact the vet but have been told i can get ahold of her tomorrow morning!
Unfortunately haven't been able to get ahold of meal worms or earth worms as the the teo petshops near me are out of stock and i have been abit sick so haven't been able to travel further to get some.

The only thing left of concern is Angels front feet. Since i first got her she had this skin issue that'd flare up once or so a month and she'd loose the flesh of the top of either one or both of her front feet - and no where else. it'd start off as redness then the flesh would come off. --- this is what the vet will be discussing with me tomorrow- hence what i said before about the possible need for anitbiotic injections.
Angel hasnt had a flare up since last yr. however since she got so skinny (past month) she doesnt seem to be able to use her front feet anymore- she walks on the side of her arms as if shes commando crawling.

Also when i put Angel back in, the 'baby' (mentioned above) follows her around constantly (literly right behind her) and pushes Angel abit and is constantly right there always watching... It's a little creepy >_> Like if Angel is just walking along, it will too...

Pictures: Angel as of today and my 'baby' (needs a name- preety sure its a girl 8-9months? old?)