Tip of tail gone, fungus?

[Biance]

I have just come back from a week away and have instantly noticed one of my axolotls' tail is looking seriously bad. I could swear it was totally fine when I left, but here it is now:

The toes on one of his back feet are white and swollen looking too:

He's always had swollen lips of some manner but he's been perfectly healthy and I just assumed it was normal or from him continually aggressively biting plants/ornaments. I've had him and his sister for ~ 3-4 years.

And his sister (the only other living thing he's ever been with, no plants or anything), seems totally fine:

(sorry, my camera's auto-focus is playing up and it's night time) (also, I've just realised you can't see the tip of her tail, but it's just bent behind her and looks normal)

It looks absolutely terrible! I think I can see his spine! I'm feeling like it's some kind of fungus? Or is it possibly an injury and the flesh has gone necrotic?
He was still very happy to eat, and the water conditions are all perfect, although the pH is 7.6, but that is the pH of our tap water so I've always just kept it at that. Water temperature is 19 C, as it's winter.
Does anyone know what this is and what I can do to help him (and should I do the same to his sister)?
Thanks in advance!

 

[Petersgirl]

It looks to me like a bite and the white bit looks like skin or tissue that's been left behind. The feet could either be natural colouring - dark coloured axxies often have white toes - but if it looks unusual and the white stuff looks like cotton wool, then you may have fungus on your hands.

For the fungus, if needed, you will have to do salt baths. There are tutorials on here and a Sticky that gives you a step by step for this. If it isn't fungus, or after you have treated for fungus, try tea baths to seal off the wounds and allow the skin to heal. (Don't try them before you have treated the fungus if that's what it is because the tea stops other substances such as medicine and salt from getting in).

Needless to say he'll have to have the salt baths in a separate container, and the other axxie should be fine. Hope they get better soon!

 

[auntiejude]

That tail injury is a bite - his sister has taken a chunk out! What you're seeing is bone and cartilage - 2 of mine have had that type of injury and recovered nicely.

The toes look normal to me, but you should avoid salt baths on an injury unless you're absolutely sure there is fungus - have you ever got salt in an fresh wound? Stings a bit!

I would add tea to the tank if you're happy there's no fungus. I have found that fungus is only a problem in summer when the water gets warmer.

 

[Biance]

Yeah I'm actually not sure if he had the white toes previously, I feel like he might have.

Are there some instructions for using tea? Is there a type of tea and dose I should follow?

 

[auntiejude]

There's a sticky for tea baths, but it's so simple for a whole tank you shouldn't need it! Brew a mug of tea (ordinary tea, not decaf or green tea or fruit tea etc), leave the bag in until it goes cool, add it to the tank slowly - I do mine near the filter outlet to mix it quickly.
It gets removed with water changes eventually.