INJURED BABY AXOLOTL

[mands]

Hey guys … this is Episkey.
I call her “she” but I know she’s too young to tell. I saved Episkey from a pet store where she was housed in sand and curled up at the front of the tank with tank mates x4 her size. I know it’s not nice to support pet store breeders but I couldn’t leave her!
I’ve had her for about 6 weeks and she’s had a rough start. She wouldn’t eat for he longest time but I finally am able to get her to eat small pieces of bloodworms twice a day. She is kept in a 2.5g aquarium with a low flow betta filter and gets a daily compete water change. I couldn’t find a low flow bubbler so I have a pothos prop in her water to oxygenate.
She’s actually started doing well but I woke up to her leg like this?! She was fine last night at 12 when I went to bed.
I live in northern Ontario and no vet will see her.
I have no idea what she could have injured herself on.
Do I amputate the leg or leave it?
I am so desperate to keep her alive, I just want to see her get big and healthy
I know she’s severely under weight. She has actually put on weight since I got her. Her gills were pale and short when I got her as well.
Thank you to all that take the time to comment on her case.

 

[axolotl nerd]

Hey guys … this is Episkey.
I call her “she” but I know she’s too young to tell. I saved Episkey from a pet store where she was housed in sand and curled up at the front of the tank with tank mates x4 her size. I know it’s not nice to support pet store breeders but I couldn’t leave her!
I’ve had her for about 6 weeks and she’s had a rough start. She wouldn’t eat for he longest time but I finally am able to get her to eat small pieces of bloodworms twice a day. She is kept in a 2.5g aquarium with a low flow betta filter and gets a daily compete water change. I couldn’t find a low flow bubbler so I have a pothos prop in her water to oxygenate.
She’s actually started doing well but I woke up to her leg like this?! She was fine last night at 12 when I went to bed.
I live in northern Ontario and no vet will see her.
I have no idea what she could have injured herself on.
Do I amputate the leg or leave it?
I am so desperate to keep her alive, I just want to see her get big and healthy
I know she’s severely under weight. She has actually put on weight since I got her. Her gills were pale and short when I got her as well.
Thank you to all that take the time to comment on her case. View attachment 94895

hello.
this is going to sound harsh, but you are not at all equipped to care for this animal. if you've had her for six weeks and shes still this underweight, you aren't feeding her much at all. additionally, bloodworms are not a good staple diet. axolotls require a 20 gallon tank, MINIMUM. 2.5 gallons is nothing short of cruel. her leg looks as though it could be ammonia burn or septicemia, but it's possible she injured herself somehow. either way, her prognosis is not good. she is almost guaranteed to die, and vet intervention is needed immediately. even then she is not likely to make it. i understand seeing a sick animal and taking pity, but purchasing her only funds the death of more animals like her.
my advice;
- start feeding her red wigglers or chopped earthworms immediately.
- tub her. get a clean, large plastic tub and fill it with cool and dechlorinated water. you will need to do 100% water changes daily
- look for a vet. i know you've already tried, but it is imperative she sees one at this point.
- get an API water testing kit. this is absolutely required to own axolotls.
- invest in a real tank. a 2.5 gallon is just laughable. get a 10 gallon at the very least, but you will need a 20 gallon if she survives and grows up.

good luck. the situation is grim.

 

[mands]

hello.
this is going to sound harsh, but you are not at all equipped to care for this animal. if you've had her for six weeks and shes still this underweight, you aren't feeding her much at all. additionally, bloodworms are not a good staple diet. axolotls require a 20 gallon tank, MINIMUM. 2.5 gallons is nothing short of cruel. her leg looks as though it could be ammonia burn or septicemia, but it's possible she injured herself somehow. either way, her prognosis is not good. she is almost guaranteed to die, and vet intervention is needed immediately. even then she is not likely to make it. i understand seeing a sick animal and taking pity, but purchasing her only funds the death of more animals like her.
my advice;
- start feeding her red wigglers or chopped earthworms immediately.
- tub her. get a clean, large plastic tub and fill it with cool and dechlorinated water. you will need to do 100% water changes daily
- look for a vet. i know you've already tried, but it is imperative she sees one at this point.
- get an API water testing kit. this is absolutely required to own axolotls.
- invest in a real tank. a 2.5 gallon is just laughable. get a 10 gallon at the very least, but you will need a 20 gallon if she survives and grows up.

good luck. the situation is grim.

I can appreciate your tone given how she looks, but I have been spending 3 hours a day with her.
She was tubbed for the first month I had her with daily (sometimes twice daily) water changes. I use prime as a water conditioner.
I am well aware axolotls need a bigger tank, my older two are in a 55 gallon. She is about an inch long right now and had struggled to get to the top of the tank thus why she is in a smaller “hospital” tank right now. She has a 10g waiting for her once she can actually swim around and get some weight on.
I have tried cut up earthworms, brine shrimp and cut up pellets but she refuses to eat them. She will only eat small piece of bloodworms and this is with me putting her in a small tub and stimulating her mouth with the worms for anywhere to 2-20 mins until she chomps on it.
She has shown signs of improvement over time I’ve but in the back of my mind I have known her prognosis is grave.
I am in a very rural community and the only “exotic” vet will not see her. They laughed when I tried to book her an appointment.
I have been a long time lurker on this community and was just reaching out as a last attempt to see if anyone could offer any advice since the vet has such a shitty response for me.

 

[axolotl nerd]

I can appreciate your tone given how she looks, but I have been spending 3 hours a day with her.
She was tubbed for the first month I had her with daily (sometimes twice daily) water changes. I use prime as a water conditioner.
I am well aware axolotls need a bigger tank, my older two are in a 55 gallon. She is about an inch long right now and had struggled to get to the top of the tank thus why she is in a smaller “hospital” tank right now. She has a 10g waiting for her once she can actually swim around and get some weight on.
I have tried cut up earthworms, brine shrimp and cut up pellets but she refuses to eat them. She will only eat small piece of bloodworms and this is with me putting her in a small tub and stimulating her mouth with the worms for anywhere to 2-20 mins until she chomps on it.
She has shown signs of improvement over time I’ve but in the back of my mind I have known her prognosis is grave.
I am in a very rural community and the only “exotic” vet will not see her. They laughed when I tried to book her an appointment.
I have been a long time lurker on this community and was just reaching out as a last attempt to see if anyone could offer any advice since the vet has such a shitty response for me.

i understand now. its much better to know that you have tried other foods and she is just refusing. at this point, i think that force feeding is in order. honestly, i'm not sure she will survive the stress of that, but it's worth a shot. good to know that you also have two other adults, so you're not just someone who saw an exotic animal and decided to save it. the vet situation is understandable, it's similar in my area as well. i've heard of people having sucess with repashy grub pie to try to get them to gain weight. you may also want to try soaking earthworm pieces in bloodworm juice to see if that helps.

 

[mands]

i understand now. its much better to know that you have tried other foods and she is just refusing. at this point, i think that force feeding is in order. honestly, i'm not sure she will survive the stress of that, but it's worth a shot. good to know that you also have two other adults, so you're not just someone who saw an exotic animal and decided to save it. the vet situation is understandable, it's similar in my area as well. i've heard of people having sucess with repashy grub pie to try to get them to gain weight. you may also want to try soaking earthworm pieces in bloodworm juice to see if that helps.

Thank you for the advice … upon further research I think she had red leg septicaemia like you had potentially suggested earlier
I will pick up some repashy tonight but I know she I going to die
My heart is broken with her, we’ve had so many ups and downs our last month together, I really thought I was going to be able to see her all grown up - fat and happy!
I do appreciate the reply, I was in a panic and just typing as quick as I could to try and find some type of way to help her.
I have a feeling she will be gone within the next 48 hours, if you drink, have a lil toast to my poor girl tonight.
Thank you internet stranger

 

[wolfen]

what is the water hardness, your axolotl has multiple areas of bleeding which can be due to a lack of water minerals, are you using RO or distilled.
either use a holfreters are a similar solution ASAP even if its white chalk anything to raise the kh gh, at first I thought it might be red leg or septicaemia but she is also bleeding from gills plus obvious anaemia which can be due to soft water.
read Axolotls - Requirements & Water Conditions in Captivity and use full 100% holtfreters with 0.2g epsom salts per litre, also whilst she is tubbed use 1/2 fish dose methyline blue (just enough to tint the water light blue) to try and stave of further infection.

 

[axolotl nerd]

Thank you for the advice … upon further research I think she had red leg septicaemia like you had potentially suggested earlier
I will pick up some repashy tonight but I know she I going to die
My heart is broken with her, we’ve had so many ups and downs our last month together, I really thought I was going to be able to see her all grown up - fat and happy!
I do appreciate the reply, I was in a panic and just typing as quick as I could to try and find some type of way to help her.
I have a feeling she will be gone within the next 48 hours, if you drink, have a lil toast to my poor girl tonight.
Thank you internet stranger

ill have a glass for her memory. i suggest euthanasia with clove oil at this point

 

[Autistic Catholic]

It looks more like blood, not septicemia. I wouldn't act on any advice of euthanasia but would do what wolfen has suggested and she might recover or at least be more comfortable. There might be something funky going on with water quality due to the constant changes. Septicemia gives a much more pinkish coloration to the limbs and this is dark red like blood. Possible anemia.