Illness/Sickness: Help with impacted axolotl!

[el_biggie]

Hello. I have a leucistic axolotl that has not pooped for more than 3 weeks. He usually pooped every 5 days, but for some reason he stopped pooping.
He lives in a 20 gallon long tank and has fine sand substrate (pool sand), and has always been hand fed with tweezers, so no risk of gravel ingestion. He has been eating mainly shrimp and some earthworms. He still eats very enthusiastically but after a couple days he regurgitates most or all of it. He does not look or act ill but given that he was pretty regular with his pooping schedule, I am now really concerned.
His water parameters are good (0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate), his tank is fully cycled, he lives at a steady 16 degree temperature maintained by a water chiller.
I took him to a vet who only confirmed he is impacted, which I suspected given that I have not seen him poop for about 23 days now. He gave him small doses of metoclopramide but that has not worked yet.
Yesterday I decided to fridge him for the first time. Really nervous about this but I’ve read that this really helps in this situation so hoping for the best. His temperature is at 5-6 degrees, as this is the consensus in this forum.

Any other help or pointers you guys could give me? Thanks!

 

[Autistic Catholic]

They can become impacted by more than just gravel. Do you have decorations? There was an axolotl on this forum a couple years ago became impacted by an artificial plant. It died. Please consider a vet.

 

[el_biggie]

They can become impacted by more than just gravel. Do you have decorations? There was an axolotl on this forum a couple years ago became impacted by an artificial plant. It died. Please consider a vet.

I do have decorations, but there’s no part of any plant that’s visibly missing

 

[wolfen]

there are a few reasons for impaction, 1. what size is your axolotl, sand isn't recommended for axolotls under 5 inches due to how small their digestive tract is making it easy to block, 2. how often are you feeding your axolotl, young axolotls will need feeding more often than adult and spend a lot of time hunting for food, 3. how oxygenated is your water, inadequate water oxygenation will cause frequent surface gulping which will cause floating, to prevent this axolotls have been known to swallow sand/stones etc.. to provide weight, 4. how active is your axolotl, axolotls are poor swimmers (they don't have a swim bladder unlike fish) and have been known to swallow items to act as ballast.
magnesium sulphate (0.2g/l) can be added to the water to act as a laxative, there are a few posts on this site which may be worth reading through ie.. Axolotl Conspitation - the medical solution

 

[el_biggie]

there are a few reasons for impaction, 1. what size is your axolotl, sand isn't recommended for axolotls under 5 inches due to how small their digestive tract is making it easy to block, 2. how often are you feeding your axolotl, young axolotls will need feeding more often than adult and spend a lot of time hunting for food, 3. how oxygenated is your water, inadequate water oxygenation will cause frequent surface gulping which will cause floating, to prevent this axolotls have been known to swallow sand/stones etc.. to provide weight, 4. how active is your axolotl, axolotls are poor swimmers (they don't have a swim bladder unlike fish) and have been known to swallow items to act as ballast.
magnesium sulphate (0.2g/l) can be added to the water to act as a laxative, there are a few posts on this site which may be worth reading through ie.. Axolotl Conspitation - the medical solution

Thanks for your comments! He is about 8 inches. I’ve had him for 7 months now. He was feeding once daily but about 5-6 weeks ago I started feeding him every 2 days. He always feeds very enthusiastically, no problem with loss of appetite. Oxygenation is not an issue, he has plenty of water circulation using the cascade filter and chiller as well, so there are 2 water circulation sources acting as a cascade. He is pretty active still, not swimming a lot but very mobile, moving around the tank frequently, floating sometimes but not involuntary, he has no trouble going to the bottom and staying there when he wants to.

I’ll look into the magnesium sulfate, I have no idea where to get it here in Mexico or the USA (I live at the border), but will look for it!

As far as feedings go, should I go back to daily feedings once he (hopefully) clears his bowels? He should be around 10 months old. He has no problem feeding now even while impacted, but he ends up regurgitating everything after a couple days since nothing is going through his digestive system.

Given this information, any insights as to whi this may have happenned?

 

[wolfen]

although the water is circulated it is always a good idea to use air stones to ensure good oxygenation as well.
even though he is eight inches in length he should be fed daily until full grown, the width of his torso should be the width of his head, does he regurgitate all the types of food given or is it a specific type, try feeding small food that is easier to digest.
fridging will slow his metabolism down which includes movement of waste.
magnesium sulphate is also known as epsom salts which are quite commonly used as bath salts etc.. needs to be pure non scented though.

 

[el_biggie]

Thanks Wolfen! Got the magnesium sulfate, it was really easy to get, here in Mexico they sell it in most pharmacies as a laxative. Have been adding the dosage suggested to the tub. He has been fridged for 4 days now but still no poo. He has not eaten in 2 days but read that loss of appetite is normal when fridged. Last thing he ate was a small piece of salmon (which I also read has a laxative effect).
He is pretty active when I check on him for poo or when I change his water. He does not look skinny (his torso is almost the same width as his head). He’s not bloated but because he is leucistic you can see the brownish fecal matter through his skin. Any extra advice or anything else I should try? How long should I leave him fridged if he still does not poop and refuses to eat?

Thanks!

 

[wolfen]

it can take longer for the block to shift in fridged water due to reduced metabolism than in just cold water 10°c> <15°c.

 

[el_biggie]

So I took him to a different vet today, they were able to X-ray him and he does have some pool sand from his substrate inside him. I was under the impression fine sand should not be an issue but apparently he’s having trouble passing it. They gave me a syrupy laxative gel that I should feed him, though I have no idea how I will be able to. I’ll try to freeze small dollops and see if he takes them. I’ll keep him tubbed but I’ll have to raise his temperature a little so he has more appetite and eats this laxative thing.
Here’s a pic of his X-ray…

 

[wolfen]

although fine sand is better for their feet and stomachs (less abrasive when rubbed against) it does tend to clump together what can cause issues.
wash some earthworms then soak them for a while in the laxative, because most laxative syrup is sweet your axolotl should accept worms coated in it.

 

[el_biggie]

Just an update regarding my impacted axolotl. Today, after 36 days of not pooping, my axolotl finally had his first poop! I just wanted to post this update for anyone else who has this problem and might end up on this thread after searching for answers online and is desperate as I was. I tried salmon and earthworms (which are supposed to have a laxative effect), metoclopramide, magnesium sulfate, fridging for 8 days, and nothing seemed to help. After using Laxatone (a lubricating oral gel that lubricates the digestive tract and helps poop travel more easily), that seemed to do the trick! I’m attaching a picture of the product in case anyone is in this situation. It’s petrolatum based and it apparently was safe to use on my axolotl.
I’ll keep using it for a day or two just to help him expel anything else that might still be stuck in there, but a poop after 36 long days is a good indication that it works!
Thanks to everyone here that helped me with their comments!