Mud Quarantine for my T. gran

[alexandra]

One of my T.grans, Maude, developed what appears to be lesions. It started with one lesion which is getting bigger (it is about a little over 1 mm in diameter and looks white in the center) and today I noticed that she is developing two new small lesions, also on her dorsal side. I am not sure if this is a bacterial or fungal infection. I will post pictures tomorrow. I set up a dirt quarantine as described in the 'Health and Illness' section on this site. I used organic potting soil and created a moisture gradient. I also started dabbing her sores with chlorine containing tap water every few hours. I thought if the sores don't get better I might try dabbing the sores with 1.5% hydrogen peroxide tomorrow.

My biggest concern is dehydration. Should I spray her once in a while or does the moisture from the soil suffice to keep her from dehydrating? How long should she be in quarantine? Has anyone used the dirt quarantine to treat T.grans?

Any advice is appreciated.

 

[jennifer]

If you use hydrogen peroxide, dab it with extreme care. Also, it is not necessarily the best choice. See:
http://www.caudata.org/forum/messages/7/37168.html
(You may want to search for other threads on the subject, and you may do even better seeking professional advice from a vet.)

I wouldn't worry about dehydration, as long as there is a very moist area in the dirt. Sals do not drink, they absorb water through the skin, so moist soil is sufficient.

The only other piece of knowledge I have to offer is that potting soil is not the same thing as top soil. Avoid potting soil that contains those little white pieces (perlite or styrofoam), as ingestion of these could occur. Also, the fertilizer put into potting soils may be a concern.

 

[joan]

I had the same thing develop on one of my Taricha. They're abcesses. I had them lanced by the vet, and he put her on a baytril solution. She healed up pretty well, and it only set me back about $50.

 

[alexandra]

Thank you for your comments.
Joan, I think I will take her to the vet.
Would you suggest to keep her dirt-quarantined until then?

 

[joan]

I kept mine on a paper towel quarantine. I don't know if it was beneficial or not. Although you will need to keep it out of the water while doing the topical baytril solutions, or it'll wash off.