Question: Axie with a facial cut???

[MelinaAnn]

My axie, Zotl, is 7 years old, leucistic and my favorite pet... I've never had any problems at all with him until recently. I think he swam into a log and cut his face pretty good (log had been in his tank for years, but has been removed).

3 weeks ago, it started as a small pink/red gash with a white center. It was gradually getting a bit of white flappy skin that would hang off in front of his face (dangling in the water). I thought it was healing itself, but after eating a worm, the skin fell off and I saw that the cut was larger than I'd seen before.

The other day, he seemed to have a slight film with the same flappy skin touching his eye, so he's been getting his salt bath 3x a day for 2 1/2 days and in the fridge (the flappy skin fell off before the salt bath). I'm afraid that because it may not be a fungus, that salt bathing won't really help and is doing more harm than good.

Is it possible that he could regenerate half of his top lip? He has been eating (not since being in the cold fridge water).

The first pic is what it looked like a few weeks ago, the last two are today. HELP, my boy!

 

[SludgeMunkey]

This is a situation where a stint in the fridge is advisable. It will heal up just fine.

Have a go at the forum search functions and our sister sites for axolotl first aid.

If you absolutely feel you have to treat the critter chemically, try fridging with holtsfretter soulution as described on The Axolotl site.

 

[MelinaAnn]

Wonderful Thanks very much! I am doing everything possible NOT to treat him chemically, since he hasn't ever been exposed to any sort of tampering with his water . He's eating fine and swimming around, so I'm definitely hopeful. How long do you think it will take to regenerate? I am keeping an eye on him.

 

[AxieLover21]

this is a VERY late reply but how is he?