White lumps... infested?

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Camirdra

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Itzy has come down ill. He had been reclusive the last few months, staying in his cave and popping his head out to eat. last week he wouldn't eat today he came out and he is terribly thin and covered in white lumps. They almost look like they are attached rather than something that has grown on him. I have 2 axies in a 55 gal tank. all parameters check out and the tank is nice and cold. I have no idea what age he is as he was a craigslist rescue a few years back. He has always has white patches and a few members suggested that was his normal coloring but the new spots are not. Any ideas? it doesn't look like any fungus I've ever seen.
 

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Mites? I would have a vet take a sample.
 
First of all, I'd say fridge him and do a water change. If it's infectious, you must protect your other axolotl. Fridging will also slow his metabolism and will help prevent him from losing too much weight.

Second, patches happen sometimes, I've seen several cases. Those bumps however are very strange. I would definitely take him to the vet, he might have some kind of parasite.
 
I have finally gotten the mini fridge set up and at the right temperature. I will put him in tonight. I have read about it but never had to try it. Hope it helps. Haven't had luck finding a herp vet but found one that will do his best. He always researches and asks colleagues if he doesn't know the answers.
Will let you know what I find out!
 
The spots do look similar. I managed to get some more photos. It seems to be getting worse and something is going on with his gills. I will try the vet tomorrow but here are some pics.
 

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The vet is out of town. I will see how Itzy does this week. I have him in the fridge and added a 1/10 dose of Pimafix to his water change lastnight. I will put him in water without it tonight and try again in a couple days if he doesn't have a bad reaction to it. I double checked the parameters in the main tank. Everything tested great but the ph is up to 8. Not sure what caused the change. Leggs (my little female) still looks as healthy as ever. Poor itzy came to me sick and just seems to keep having problems. I really wish I knew how old he was when I got him. I will keep this updated. Cross your fingers!
 
Still no changes yet. I have contacted a few places to see if I can get him in to get looked at and hopefully treated. Has anyone seen the gill growth before? All his gills have those odd growths and I can't find anything like it online. I am hoping someone gets back to me soon and I will have answers for anyone else dealing with this.
 
Camirdra said:
Still no changes yet. I have contacted a few places to see if I can get him in to get looked at and hopefully treated. Has anyone seen the gill growth before? All his gills have those odd growths and I can't find anything like it online. I am hoping someone gets back to me soon and I will have answers for anyone else dealing with this.
Click to expand...

I have seen gills like that posted on the forum before(one example I can find right now): Black cloaca and gill veins

I'm not exactly sure the cause, so hopefully others with more experience will chime in. I'll also keep searching to see if I can find the posts I've seen in the past with the same gill issue.

EDIT: I found the thread I was looking for: Gill vein growth
 
Thank you! The vet confirmed that the gill growth was normal. He's still baffeled about what itzy ailment is. He has been hitting the books looking for a solution and is now trying to work it out with the people at Washington State University. He sent me home with a new medication to try, SMZ oral suspension, that I am supposed to mix 1 ml to a liter and soak him for an hour each day. I have my fingers crossed. I love that Dr Maier is always willing to go the extra mile to help out. :happy:
 
Sounds like you have an amazing vet there....someone who wants to go that extra mile to help a sick animal. Am well impressed and I don't even know them.

All crossed that this gets figured out and that your little man get better. Please keep us updated.

My thoughts are with you at this trying time.
 
Camirdra said:
Thank you! The vet confirmed that the gill growth was normal. He's still baffeled about what itzy ailment is. He has been hitting the books looking for a solution and is now trying to work it out with the people at Washington State University. He sent me home with a new medication to try, SMZ oral suspension, that I am supposed to mix 1 ml to a liter and soak him for an hour each day. I have my fingers crossed. I love that Dr Maier is always willing to go the extra mile to help out. :happy:
Click to expand...

I've taken my axolotl to the vet hospital here at WSU. (Unfortunately, I didn't have much luck with the exotic vet there. They seemed to be not too familiar with axolotls.). Do you know who your vet is talking to?
 
Just wondering--where in WA are you?

Also, which test are you using for pH? I used the API pH test originally, and it always said 8. Then, I switched to the API High pH test and it always shows 7.4. I don't know why two pH tests from the same company would have different results.
 
One more thing--what's your water temp? A couple of the white patches (not all of them) look like they could be heat-related.
 
Not sure who the vet is talking to. He always calls WSU with unusual issues. I'm in Eastern Wa.
I use both the high and the low ph test and my water temp is at 65°F
I'm guessing the white patches you are asking about are the ones he's always had (at least since I got him a few years ago) I had posted here asking about them but they seem to just be his coloring and the forums seemed to agree on that. They are the same texture and level as the rest of his skin and do not change. He was an adult when I got him and the people I got him from had no idea how old he was when they got him. But said he had always looked like that. He was already an adult so I know he is at the very least 8 years old. The vet is wondering if Itzy is old and maybe the lumps are a symptom of something inside shutting down (because many internal problems present themselves in skin changes. ) Today is day 2 of the new medication so we'll see if it has helped any (I hope) in the next couple days.
 
I just remembered the exotic vet's name that saw my axolotl at the vet school--her last name is Finch.
 
Well after multiple vet visits Itzy passed away. My vet thinks that he was just really old and he was shutting down. He said that when salamanders organs shut down from old age often the only clue that it is happening are the changes in their skin.

I am down to 1 axie now, Leggs my lecustic female. And she is young (about a year) and VERY round. The tank looks huge with just her in there :(
 
I'm very sorry to hear of Itzy's passing. :( May he swim under the Rainbow Bridge.
 
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