Help with axolotl

pimpmastersmak

pimpmastersmak

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Hello, I could use a little help and the sooner the better. I woke up this morning and my axolotl had pooped quite a bit, the water was pretty nasty so i did a 100 percent water change. While I was cleaning I put him in the fridge, put him back in his tank and put a fan to cool him down if it happend to be to hot cause of the season change. Seems as though his backside is floating, At first it seemed his bottom half was paralyzed, but a few hours later he's swimming with his tail, but still not able to even out and is sideways floating a bit and seems like a dying fish, need help soon. Also I called every vet in town and they seem to be no help at all. :confused:
 
I'm not sure what Illinois you're in, but it didn't top 40F today. If your tank is hot, it's certainly not because of the weather outside.

Your axolotl sounds constipated. You should put him in a shallow container so his feet can touch the ground, and let him chill in the fridge for 24 hours and see if he poops more, and then try putting him back in his tank (after slowly bringing him back to temperature), and see if that helps his floating.
 
I have been feeding him everyday. Should I cut back or keep feeding every night? Also forgot to mention that the first time I put him in the fridge he threw up what he ate last night. Do you think I should try to take him to the vet or is the damage done, in that case just wait to see if the little guy pulls threw. Wanted you guys to know you took about one minute to give me help and I'm still waiting for the vet to call me. You guys are the best, thanks lots.
 
How big/old is it?

I'm not surprised that it threw up in the fridge. By cooling it down, you're basically slowing down its metabolism. This means it tries to do its best to get rid of everything in its gut because it can't digest it.

PS: It was more like 4 minutes ;)
 
He is going on 4 months old. Have had no problems till now, so it took me off guard. Also I noticed now he looks skinny and deflated so he hopfully got it all out, and his tail looks a tad wrinkley. I hope thats not bad too. :uhoh:
 
At 4 inches, you can still feed every day. How much are feeding?
 
About Half an earthworm chopped up. He looks better now, but is legs are kicked back and hes not using them at all. He's just kinda crawling with his arms.
 
Still looking bad, doesn't seem to have much control over his body.
 
Patience is a virtue. Is he in the fridge?
 
Yeah he's in there chillen. Should I leave him in there the whole 24 hours or take him out here and there to make sure he doesn't get to cold?
 
Your fridge shouldn't be too cold. If you're worried, you can turn it up a little. By taking him out and putting him back in, you'll stress him out more.

By opening the fridge and checking on him every 30 seconds, you're likely stressing him with the light, as well.
 
Do you know what temperature your fridge is keeping the water?

Can you tell us more about his regular tank? Size, water parameters, what your normal water changes are(amount and frequency)? Is you tank cycled? Does it have any substrate(sand, gravel, etc)?
 
He is in a 5 and a half USgallons, I change half the water once a day. The tank is bare other than a plastic log to hide under. As for the temp in the fridge its most likely between 33 and 42 degrees fahrenheit. Also I changed all the water earlier today. My girl said she thought it looked better when it was in the tank, but that was when he was flipping around trying to get to the bottom to sit. His legs still very concerning, does all that sound normal for constipation? I do not have a filter on there, but trying to find a way to filter a 20 long without moving to much water around.
 
Have a look at this - sounds like yours is doing what mine's doing. Does the photo look the same?
 
He's looking much better today. I think it was constipation to the fullest. I was wondering how long the symptoms last, because he's using his legs more, but he's still kicking them back to his tail. Also while I'm posting, are there any ways to prevent the little guy from getting clogged up in the future. The guy I bought him from said he was a leusistic albino, is that even a possible morph? :yin-yang:
 
Technically, yes, but they're usually called white albinos.

As for future issues, keep him cool and on an appropriate substrate is the best way to prevent it. You also want to offer food that isn't tough to digest. For example, mealworms have an exoskeleton made of chitin, which is not digestable. This can block the intestinal tract, causing constipation.

Or get him some metamucil (just kidding).
 
It's okay Jackie, you'll get used to it ;)
 
Well he's back in his tank, was looking better earlier,but now he's curving his back and laying sideways. I was wondering if that still sounds like constipation or shoulld I try to get a vet involved?
 
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