Damaged Axolotl

[kennichiwa]

I am new to this forum thing and I just made an account because of this. So yesterday I came home to my axolotl with a bruise like bump and a swollen front right leg. I am not sure how it happened but I have another axolotl of the same size in the tank which is 20 gallons long and a couple minnows for them to eat. I've had both axolotls for a little over a month by the way. I just don't know what to do right now. Should i fridge it and should I amputate the swollen limb? btw I tried googling what to do couldn't find anything.

 

[avitalpanda]

if its just swollen and no broken parts it should heal just fine just check every now and then to try to find out what could have caused this probly just bumped into the other axolotl and it snapped at him and damaged its leg thats just my idea

 

[kennichiwa]

the limb looked squished up against the body like how a person would with a cast

 

[charleybambino]

I'd just wait and see how it goes.......bruises often take two weeks or more to go.As said previously if the leg has no open wound then just leave and see......and if it all looks bad then see a vet....don't just chop it's leg off yourself!

 

[qannp]

Don't amputate the leg yourself! Just because axolotls are able to regrow bodyparts, you can't just cut off a hurt leg…gee.

Your axie looks really stressed. Keep it in a separate container with cool, fresh water and do daily water changes (80 to 100%). No fridge needed at this point. Monitor it closely, if the swollen leg gets worse or your lotl gets bloated, you need a vet immediately.

Just to be on the safe side, what are the water parameters in the main tank, and what's the temperature? Do they have enough hiding places (at least three if you have two axies)?

Do you have decoration items where it could got stuck and hurt itself? I once had a big plastic "elephant skull" in my first tank. One of my axies thought "hey, let's sneak in this tusk!" and got stuck. (Needless to say that I threw the skull out after I freed her.)

 

[kennichiwa]

I guess the leg that was swollen is doing better now but the bruise kind of opened up... To be honest i only have an ammonia tester and its at 0 for the main tank. I've been changing the separate container water with dechlorinated 24 hour tap water but he isn't moving much and he doesn't eat the bloodworms i put in.

 

[kennichiwa]

Photo btw

 

[qannp]

Thank you for updating, and thank you for being honest about the test kit. Get a test kit for the other water parameters today. It's essential for you to know what the water parameters are.

I did a quick forum search for you and found this thread: http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...m/f58-sick-axolotl/93717-bruised-swollen.html

If an axie starts bleeding though it hasn't been bitten, it has to see a vet soon. Hopefully, you'll find a vet in your area here: http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...canum/f58-sick-axolotl/75182-looking-vet.html

In the meantime, you could give your axie a tea bath. You can find the instructions here: Caudata Culture Articles - Illness Part 2
A tea bath is a mild treatment and doesn't replace visiting the vet!

Please, take a moment and answer these questions:

What's the temperature in your tanks (both main tank and quarantine tank)?
-> Temperature should be between 62°F and 68°F (17°C to 20°C)

Do you handle your axies bare handed?
-> Handling with your bare hands can cause skin irritations and even sickness.

Whats exactly in your main tank? Are there other animals, like feeder fish, plecos, frogs, what decorations do you have?
-> Plecos can hurt your axie by sucking on it's skin. Decorations can have sharp edges on the inside.

How big are your axies?
-> Bloodworms are for babies, earthworms are a better diet for juvies and adults.

 

[Niitro iLLusioN]

You could try a tea bath to help sooth the irritated skin, at least until you find a vet that is.

Here is a link to a video showing how to peform a tea bath: http://youtu.be/EjL-SLXNh7E

(P.S: the video is actually from my YouTube channel ;p)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[kennichiwa]

Ummm i was wondering how much the vet would cost like approximately? I'm just a broke high school student to be honest. The axolotl got worse also. His head was actually bleeding i dont know how because its been in its separate container. My room is about 70-75 degrees and i handle it when I have to like when I change the water i put my hand in the way so he doesn't fall out of the tank. At the time of the injury there were feeder minnows and another axolotl same size as him. he's also still not eating

 

[rachel1]

Call nearby vets and ask for an estimate. It will vary from vet to vet, but they will be able to give a quote for the office call, at least. I think it looks like it could be an abscess, and I think there's a good chance your Axolotl needs antibiotics to get better.