Has my Axie got TB?

[ania]

I am totally devastated! I am scared my baby won't make it through the night. His name is Aristotle, "Stotler" for short, a adult male leucistic Axie and he is the very 1st Axie I bought. He is over 2 years old and has been sick for the last couple of months. Initially he had black pigmentation appear on his head and because it didn't look like a fungus infection I ignored it. It then spread slowly and he eventually lost his appetite and his gills deteriorated. I read up on salt washes and tried to the 10-15 min wash with (I don’t remember exactly) 2 teaspoons of salt per Litre... but it was like acid bath to Stotler and I got him out of there quick smart! I mixed up 40% Holtfreters and bought a large air stone and evaporative cooler for the room plus I was rotating frozen water bottles. Stotler seemed to improve and his gills started to regenerate and started to get his appetite back, but in the last few days his skin looked yellow and he was hanging at the top of the aquarium. I tried to do a water change but he was still the same. After I got home from work today I was in shock. He was floating on his side not moving! I moved him a little to see if he would respond and he was rolling side-to-side. It was after 6:30pm and I started to call emergency vet lines... nobody even wanted to speak to me! I then tried to call petstores in desperation. By miracle, someone was staying back at a store and was kind enough to reopen at 7pm for me. They weren't a fish person but we tried to work out the problem, half knowing that Aristotle is on his deathbed. He gave me Primafix to try, and didn't even charge me. the recommended dosage is 1 tspn per 40L, I worked out that my tank contained 68L, and I put in 1 tspn. Now I am just waiting. I tried to find some info on the net that describes what he has. I think he might have TB. Although I can't be sure without evaluating his tissue under a microscope.
He is very swollen, particularly his back legs and cloaca. His skin is yellow and veiny, the dark spots on his head have infected his newly formed gills. His spine is crooked, and when he moves he holds his legs twisted and close to his body. After I added the Primafix to the water he went to the bottom of the tank and after a while went to the top as if to take a gulp of air but he couldn't even open his mouth.

Has anybody experienced anything like this before with his or her Axies? Has anybody heard of Axies with TB?
Poor Stotler, he is a fighter and is clinging on to his life. Please if anyone has any suggestions at this late stage of his disease, pls pls let me know.

 

[sharn]

ppl say to put axos in the fridge in a shallow container so they can get to the top easier and do daily water changes cuz of no circulation when they get really sick.... the cool temp helps them to heal better...i have no idea what this could be but it might keep him going fora while until someone more knowledgeable comes along. im not sure if this could make it better or worse so plz be careful. p.s. read thread: HELP my poor axie is soooo sick its about the 4th one down

(Message edited by Sharn on February 01, 2005)

 

[ania]

Thanks for your response Sharn. I don't know if I want to risk it, he is really fraguile right now. I spoke to another person at a petstore, and they stock axies also. I suggested this approach but they said that it would be a drastic temp change and they didn't recommend it. I don't want to put anymore physical stress on him, especially if there is a chance it can harm him.
I have also noticed what looks like a vague red stripe on his belly, I think it could be internal bleeding, but I'm not sure. I hope to take some pictures and post them ... even if Stotler doesn't pull through. I have another axie in the tank, and he is a wildtype (Yoshi) so I can't really determine most symptoms by looking at him. Although his gills are healthy and he is eating. I would like to find out what this is in the hopes of combating a possible infection in Yoshi, or helping others in the future that may encounter the same disease.

 

[ania]

here are some pics... when he was healthy

 

[ania]

 

[leah]

Unless you've added something (ie un-quarantined fish) to your tank recently, I doubt he'd only start showing signs of TB after two years of good health. Just in case though, make sure you're wearing gloves when you stick your hands in the water, ESPECIALLY if you have any cuts or scrapes on your skin. Fish TB, (possibly axie TB in this case) can be contracted by humans, so be suspicious if you develop any lumps and bumps under your skin that don't heal properly- if left unchecked these will spread and may even necessitate amputation of the affected digit/limb in REALLY bad cases. Some more information here:
http://www.flippersandfins.net/FishTankGranuloma.htm

Unfortunately, if he has contracted TB, your only option is to have him put down. There is no cure, and even after very thorough cleaning I'd hesitate to re-use any decorations or substrate with another animal.

Has the other axolotl in the second picture there shown an signs of illness?

I would stick Stotler in the fridge at this point and hope the cold will kick start that incredible axolotl healing ability they all seem to have. Apart from that, keeping him in a cool, quiet, dark place should ease some stress- checking on him a million times will only stress him.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help, and good luck, I really hope he pulls through!

 

[ania]

Hi guys... Thanks for your help. Sadly Stotler died that night. I didn't have the heart to take any pictures. Since then I have removed all substrate from their tank and thoroughly cleaned it. It is bare save for the air stone and some drift wood, Yoshi will be kept in this isolation take for close observation. I have added Primafix to the water also newly changed water. I was thinking of giving Yoshi some (very dilute) salt baths because I have noticed very small patches of fungal growth. Does this sound OK or is it overkill because I have primafix in the water already?