Illness/Sickness: Why has my Axolotl blown up like a balloon

[SludgeMunkey]

I have seen this before in Axolotls living in warm slightly acidic water. Not to sweat it, it happens to the best of us.

Most successful treatment was refrigeration (as stated above) and the addition of a SMALL amount of salt to the water.

I used 2.5 gallon(9.46L) glass dishes for my "hospital" tanks. I added one quarter teaspoon ( I believe this is about 14.78mL...hopefully someone can verify this conversion)of freshwater aquarium salt per gallon. Water changes are done every other day. Average temperature is 58 degrees Fahrenheit (14.4 C)

I also added a one mL of Melafix to the dish every other water change. (I am unsure of the availability of this product outside the US, but it is an excellent antibacterial I have used with great success in treating various infections in axolotls over the years.)

 

[gr33neyes]

Well the Vet recommended these people at the Aquarium to take him/her to and said they were good. The fellow at the Aquarium has some of his own and he was the one that actually told me my he Axolotte was in fact a girl.
When I told him on the phone it was bloated he asked me to bring it down to him but he says she is just a big girl. I will see how she goes anyway. Will have to contact my daughter in London and tell her to rename it with a girls name.

Hmmmm but the problem is you said it swelled up while you were away. A fat axolotl would surely put on a steady amount of weight over a period of time to get like that. Yours literally became that bloated in days. Did you explain that to the aquarium people, that it happened over a course of days?

 

[NeonGeckoBubble]

:frog:I hope he stays ok

 

[nspackman]

I have seen this before in Axolotls living in warm slightly acidic water. Not to sweat it, it happens to the best of us.

Most successful treatment was refrigeration (as stated above) and the addition of a SMALL amount of salt to the water.

I used 2.5 gallon(9.46L) glass dishes for my "hospital" tanks. I added one quarter teaspoon ( I believe this is about 14.78mL...hopefully someone can verify this conversion)of freshwater aquarium salt per gallon. Water changes are done every other day. Average temperature is 58 degrees Fahrenheit (14.4 C)

I also added a one mL of Melafix to the dish every other water change. (I am unsure of the availability of this product outside the US, but it is an excellent antibacterial I have used with great success in treating various infections in axolotls over the years.)

Had her in the fridge for a few days. She did not seem to mind but I thought it was cruel. Tested her clean tank for acidic levels and was ok. Aquarium fellow told me to bring acidic level down slightly. Went out and brought a thermometer to test the temperature in her tank. left her out of the fridge until water was same temperature and put her in the tank this afternoon. Tested level just now and acidic level has gone down to far trying to bring back up. The water temp was about 23 yesterday but today was very warm and tonight it is 26 in her tank so I have put some frozen plastic bottles in the tank to try and bring temperature down. She has done a big poo and seems to be happy.

 

[SludgeMunkey]

I am glad to hear she is doing better. I know the fridge seems odd, but keep in mind that axies come from an area fed by snow melt fed streams. They are actually adapted to live in colder water than most amphibians, in fact are healthier in cooler temps. I keep mine at about 60 Fahrenheit(15.5C)
during hot weather here I use frozen bottles of aquarium treated water to keep the temps down. Anything above 75 degrees F (24C) is asking for trouble. If I am going out of town or away for a long period, I put em in the fridge.

 

[Kal El]

I also added a one mL of Melafix to the dish every other water change. (I am unsure of the availability of this product outside the US, but it is an excellent antibacterial I have used with great success in treating various infections in axolotls over the years.)

The dangers of Melafix have already been thoroughly discussed*, and the general consensus is that it's not appropriate for axolotls.

*http://www.caudata.org/forum/showthread.php?t=43767&highlight=melafix+turpentine

Jay.

 

[Linda Brooks]

Hi
I have read all your replies with great interest because my Axolotl Sam is also very, very swollen. He is 18 months old and lives with my others axolotl in the same tank.

I took him to the vets who said she thought it was a parasite and sent tests of to the laboratory. She treated him with a diuretic, Panacur for worms and Flagyl for parasites; she also took fluid from him. One week later he was back eating and very active, after three/ four weeks he stopped eating again and I took him back to the vets, she gave him a scan more Panicure and flagyl. He seemed better after a few days and ate a couple of meals then stopped eating and gradually became more and more swollen, Last week I took about 20 ml of the fluid out of him with a syringe and gave him some diuretic and prednisolone, today I repeated the procedure, unfortunately I am not seeing much sigh of improvement . I have decided that if he is not better by Saturday I am going to take him to the vets and put him to sleep as I cannot bear to watch him suffer any more.