What is this?!

HayleyK

HayleyK

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Hayley
What the hell is this?! Is this her jaw bone??? I just feed her a worm and I came back from washing my hands and her jaw is all weird?! She looks kind of uncomfortable, and please before anyone mentions that she doesn't look healthy - I know she's been having unknown problems the last two weeks.

But what is that?!
 

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This does seem to have taken a very dramatic turn. Please, see what you can do about getting her to an experienced Herp vet, it's her best chance right now. If nothing else, at least take her to a regular vet and they can at least try to help you figure out what's wrong.
 
Have you checked that there is nothing in her mouth? If not it looks like she has injured her jaw - could she have smacked her head on something whilst eating?

I think a vet is your best bet.
 
How is she doing? Any luck finding an exotic vet near you? There's a thread on here that you can search for that might be helpful with that.
 
She doesn't seem AS bad but still concerning. Can axolotls dislocate and pop their jaws back in? It doesn't seem prominent anymore on her right but her left sticks out a little.. She doesn't seem stressed what so ever and doesn't have problem opening or closing her mouth. There is nothing in there I checked just then. She might have whacked it but she wasn't struggling with this worm at all. The vets around here don't do amphibians at all, and I don't have my license to drive to further vets...

I don't understand what is going on with her! The parameters are all correct, food isn't contaminated and the tank mate is fine... What is going on!!!!
 
Here's a pic of her now..
 

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She may have dislocated it somehow while she was eating. However, because of the regenerative abilities of axolotls, it probably repaired itself. Keep an eye on her and make sure it doesn't get any worse, but I think as long as she doesn't seem to be in pain or have any difficulties eating, she should recover just fine.
 
Could you do some research, find an exotic specialist vet then email them the photos or ask your local vet to do so?

I would be a little concerned about a dislocated jaw healing wonky or stuck in a single position and the axie being left unable to eat.
 
I have done research, and no local vets do any amphibian and hardly any reptiles. I have asked the closest vets to me and they've never had experience with axolotls. I don't have my license so i would have to take long/ multiple public transport, perhaps too stressful. She has eaten 4 worms since ( chopped and full ) and it looks less prominent on both sides. She also closes her mouth at rest and opens rather large for gulps of air.. Have you ever seen this problem before CJ?
 
hayleykahnita said:
I have done research, and no local vets do any amphibian and hardly any reptiles. I have asked the closest vets to me and they've never had experience with axolotls. I don't have my license so i would have to take long/ multiple public transport, perhaps too stressful. She has eaten 4 worms since ( chopped and full ) and it looks less prominent on both sides. She also closes her mouth at rest and opens rather large for gulps of air.. Have you ever seen this problem before CJ?
Click to expand...

I know your local vets do not have axie experience and you do not drive etc, that is why I suggested emailing the pictures to a specialist. This is fairly commonly done by vets, the specialist can then comment and email back with an opinion.

Your picture could show anything from a dislocated/broken jaw, to changes induced by cannabalism to your axie 'gurning', I can't really tell.
 
Oh I didn't understand your first comment my mistake. I will email them.

Can you explain the possibily induced canabalism and gurning? What are they and why does it happen?
 
Cannibalism is when an axolotl will eat its own kind, whether it be to cull the competition for food, or out of a fit of anger. Usually though, it's over food, or lack thereof. Gurning is defined as "to make a grotesque face (out of anger); grimace." I assume this was meant to mean that your axolotl made a face to scare off the competition? Not quite sure if it was meant as a joke or if they're being serious.
 
PatchworkClocks said:
Cannibalism is when an axolotl will eat its own kind, whether it be to cull the competition for food, or out of a fit of anger. Usually though, it's over food, or lack thereof. Gurning is defined as "to make a grotesque face (out of anger); grimace." I assume this was meant to mean that your axolotl made a face to scare off the competition? Not quite sure if it was meant as a joke or if they're being serious.
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I know what cannibalism is. I meant in regards to what the jaw has to do with it. There is no lack of food, I feed her as much as I can, maybe up to 3 worms a day to get her bulky again and to give her energy to fight off what's been going on with her the past couple of weeks.

Her tank mate was 3 foot away so I don't think it's gurning.... Axolotls do this?!
 
PatchworkClocks said:
Gurning is defined as "to make a grotesque face (out of anger); grimace." I assume this was meant to mean that your axolotl made a face to scare off the competition? Not quite sure if it was meant as a joke or if they're being serious.
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Sorry - Brits forget that some people (non-Brits) aren't as familiar as us with some of our odd colloquialisms.
'Gurning' is just pulling a funny face - nothing to do with anger, agression or anything else. It's just making faces - usually for fun or cheekiness.

:rolleyes: Another addition for the 'lost in translation' page (it's up there with pants and purse!)
(and an explanation of that one - pants in the UK are men's underwear - boxers etc, in the US they are trousers, a purse in the UK is what you keep your coins in, in the US it's a handbag and the thing you keep your money in is a wallet).
 
Ah, makes sense. If I weren't so tired I probably would have understood the joke there. Thank you for explaining.
 
Gurning wasn't meant as a joke, as Auntiejude said it means pulling a face.

There are several threads on here discussing cannibalism and subsequent possible jaw changes. Do a search of the forums using the search button at the top of this page and take your pick. ;)
 
The morphological changes associated with cannibal ambystoma are a widening of the mouth and an increase in head size. It doesn't appear to be the case in this instance, I cant actually see what the problem would be unless it is related to the poor body mass and general poor condition of the axolotl. What probs have you been experiencing with it recently btw ?
 
I've had so many threads about her. Basically 2-2.5 year old leucistic female

1. Used to be a fatty, still ate like a pig but started to decrease her weight over 12 weeks now (last two have been dramatic). Fed her 2-3 earthworms every second day. She stopped eating completely for a week or so, now she doesn't snap at her food straight away and will gently take the worm kind of like a shy puppy dog.

2. Her skin was extremely red and irritated, occasionally it was yellow blotchy with veins, I know her being skinnier you would see more but it really looked like a chemical burn from bad water parameters BUT ammonia was 0, nitrite was 0, ph was between 7.4-7.8, nitrate is 0, it was a pale orange deep yellow when I first checked but that was a week or so without water change. Temp was 19 at highest.
My tests weren't dodgy as my partner is cycling his tank and showed the ammonia and nitrite levels in his tank. Also bought two different brands to test with.
3. She floats constantly.. With her back out of the water. She doesn't have a problem with floating, she can go to the bottom and sit there fine and is pooping.

4. Her gills are deteriorating but are always bright red like irritation or something.

5. Always gulps for air.

6. Her tank mate is 100% fine. Eats fine, poops fine, no skin problems, never floats, is pretty calm. Occasionally he? Will slowly walk up and down but that's about it. We've had him for about 9 weeks.

7. She thrashing around a lot. Like she's really uncomfortable.

8. This jaw problem which has "popped" back in?

I check the water parameters every 3 days and it's all 0, temp is 19.



Please I am so desperate for her to be better I've had her for two years without problem then all of a sudden it was problem on top of problem on top of problem!
 
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Your well aware that most probs with axolotls are down to temp and water quality, if both of those peramiters are ok in your tank (especially as your other axolotl is ok) you need to get some pro help ie a specialist vet. There is only so much advice you can get from people in this forum.
 
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