Blisters on skin

[jacqueline]

Hello my axelotl has some kind of blisters on her skin.
Can anyone tell me what that is and what i can do about it?

 

[sharn]

sheesh!! that looks nasty!! im not sure what it is but id reccomend salt baths. has it been progressing or did it just pop up and stay the same? if its been getting worse put him/her in the fridge to slow it down. kind of reminds me of those gas bubbles fish get....

 

[cynthia]

Jacqueline - I have never seen anything like that on an axolotl before. It reminds me of shingles on a person (the chicken pox virus).

If you decide to take it to a vet please let us know what they say.

 

[jacqueline]

It suddenly popped up. At first it looked like a little wound, but now it's getting bigger.
He also floats in the water at the moment, he is not staying on the bottom.
We also have little fish for food in the tank, but i already removed them, because they where eating him (at the wound) and not the other way.
Further we have a bigger axelotl in the tank, but could he do that, they have never been fighting before. The bigger one is also a little bit wounded, but that is heeling very good.
Both are they wounded at the same place. Very strange.

 

[cynthia]

Jacqueline - I would suggest removing that axolotl from the tank and putting it in a food safe container (with lid) and putting it in the fridge.

If your other axolotl is showing signs of the same thing I would put it in a separate container and put it in the fridge as well.

Check the bottom of this page for axolotl safe medications
http://axolotl.org/health.htm

I think I would take them to a vet to find out what that is.

 

[jacqueline]

It looks like the skin is dead and letting loose.

I now have a better picture of the wound.

 

[joan]

It does look like it's starting to blister over, maybe fall off. It could be this was an abrasion from the other axolotl, a rock, anything sharp in the tank, etc. that could have been irritated (see the red around the wound?) and is kind of 'scabbing' over with mucus. I also suggest the fridge, as that's the best place for an axolotl with almost any kind of problem.

As a side note, your gravel is very small. I would worry about axolotls accidently eating it. Small gravel can be lodged in the digestive tract and cause problems.

 

[jacqueline]

Thank you for the side note.
We are looking for a bigger tank and then we will put bigger gravel in it.

I'll keep you all posted how it is going with the axelotl.

 

[sharn]

it could have contracted this mystery illness from the fish you had in with it. its one of the reasons we dont reccomend having them in there because they often have unseen diseases that can be passed on. hope it gets better!!

 

[jacqueline]

Great news, he is just wounded. The dead skin is letting loose and his own skin is healing perfectly.

 

[cynthia]

So now my question is... how did both of them get wounded in the same spot at the same time.