Rough-skinned emergency

[lorna]

I was feeding all the newts tonight when one of my rough-skinned (taricha...something I can't remember cause I'm freaked man!) wouldn't take his worm. Having never turned down a meal this was a major sign something was wrong, then I noticed his tail.

The tip of his tail looks like it was scraped half-way off and the rest looks like a sock turned inside out. I took him out immediately and put him in another tank with fresh water... but what now?!!

HELP!

 

[danny]

Sorry to hear about your newts injury, have you tried reading the helpful articles here on the link?

http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/articles.shtml

 

[pin-pin]

Can you take a photo, Lorna?

How did his tail get scraped?

Isolating him is good. What other inhabitants in the tank was he with?

The Caudata.org articles are indeed very good. You might want to do a land quarentine (instead of fresh water).

 

[lorna]

Looking at links wasn't exactly in my head last night when I first noticed it. Now that I'm breathing again and he's eaten having de-stressed himself, links are my friends again-- thanks Danny!

Apples--Unfortunately I don't have the tools to upload a picture. As to how it happened I have a feeling he might have gotten it stuck in between the tank wall and a rock that I guess I didn't keep far/close enough to the wall so that something like this wouldn't happen. He was only in his tank with one other rough-skinned, who may sometimes mistake a foot for food but never inflict this kind of damage. Another group that I posted in suggested "land" quarantine so I'm about to go replace the water with a wet paper towel and then dive into these articles.

I do have another question though. The skin is just sort of flapping around. Do you think it'll fall off eventually? I have NO intention of trying to get it off myself, but I was just wondering... it's dead skin so it should right?

 

[jeff]

The wound could get infected, but its hard to say without seeing a picture. If you want you can put bactine on it. Don't use something like rubbing alchohal though, it will kill him.