Illness/Sickness: Parasites /bacteria

[ceacole050505]

Hello everyone,

I am hoping someone will be able to help. Though after reading a thread last night from this forum we ate speaking to our exotic vet today.

Any of your input would be greatly appreciated though.
The attached images show tubular masses of skin that look like worms but they are not for sure. They don't move. Never have.

Two years ago we had to fridge Alfie because temperature spiked so hi he got heat stroke and we had to keep him there for a very long time. It was only there that we basically noticed these tubes but they weren't this big at all. About 30% of the size and we thought it was because he was constipated. We thought this due to the fact that after several weeks the tubes went. Looking back this may have been due to the twice daily water changes and low water temp that would not allow such bacteria or parasites to grow?

Anyway 2 years on and the temperature this summer is getting hotter quicker and we are just putting his fans on. Anyway these have come up three fold in the past three weeks....
Perhaps the raise in temperature had given an opportunity for it to thrive. The stress of temperature on Alfie as well?

Alfie is about 8 to 10 years old and apart from the heat stroke two years ago had had nothing else wrong with him. We have had him the whole time.

He lives in a 26 x 15 x 18 tank with external filter. Until yep weeks time when his custom built tank of 36 x 18 wide x 15 high arrives. We will be using an adapted water cooler to cool down his tank.


This is the link to the other persons axolotl with the same symptoms

http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...-sick-axolotl/84930-abnormal-cloaca-area.html

Thank you all for your time and hopefully your help

 

[Otterwoman]

What did the vet say?

 

[ceacole050505]

She was in theatre in all day but we have arranged for her to see him tomorrow in the afternoon! So are packing him up for a drive to the best exotic vet in.... Well the area! She has dealt with all our exotics and really goes the extra mile... Really hope she can help....

 

[Donna001]

Best of luck for tomorrow.
If it's anything like the parasite & fungus thing in the other thread then it will be treatable.
I've never seen anything like it. I know I've only kept axolotls for just over 2 months, but even in the months of research prior to purchasing my first ones I didn't see anything like your axolotl.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you and your little one.

 

[ceacole050505]

Hi there,
We took Alfie for a two hour round trip to our local vets specialist... He did not find this enjoyable!

He was an amazing boy for the vet. She has seen lot and lots of axolotl so many she has lost count. She was pleased to here he was 10as the average real age of an axolotl she meets before the site is between 6/7.the main reason the die being people not looking after there tank water right.

Anyway, unfortunately she thinks it is an underlying tumour with an infection. She said she would be very shocked if there was any parasites as we do not feed him wild food.

Site took three samples whilst he was conscious, just a nurse holding him gently upside down with his butt out of the water and his head still in and he was amazing. There was no blood.

She said that in the past alot of infections can be cleaned up with massive water changes but deepening what it is site showed my partner who is a very experienced vet nurse how to inject him if he will need injectable antibiotics but after 4days of washer changes his slight reddness is basically gone.

She said we can find out what tumor it is, do a ultra sound scan.... And maybe cut it out if it is a not bad one.

But we have a choice to make...
Given his age, the fact it is round his poo hole, he will essentially be having his poo hole cut open.
Would we do this procedure to our cat at an equivalent age? Say 15 years old?

Anyway we will get the result in a couple of days.
I hope this helps some one else at some point.

 

[Donna001]

Thank you for the update.
Glad to hear that Alfie was so good at the vets, even though he didn't enjoy the trip.
Sorry to hear that you are in quite a difficult position with having to wait for test results before making a treatment decision. That is a very difficult decision to take, but your vet should be able to give you very good advice.
I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you and Alfie.