Sally is bloated like a sausage

[Sallyhorshu]

Hello Everyone,

I haven't posted since Sally was sick the last time and that was over 2.5 years ago. Her black spots just disappeared and that was that.
Things have been great and now I have 2 curious kids and they think that she is so cool and neat to watch.

Within the last week, she has become very bloated. I've done some reading on the forum and it appears that a salt bath could provide her some comfort as I believe this is water retention and not due to a blockage. She eats regularly and poops. She's resembles a fat little link sausage and her skin is very tight which I believe it from water trapped in her body tissue.
Unfortunately, I can't take her to a vet - I was recently laid off from my job. I was hoping to gain some expertise and try to remedy her symptoms and get her back to full health.
I'll I can really offer her is trying the salt bath and hoping that some of the water can be drawn from her. Has anyone done this recently? I can use all the help I can get.

Thanks for any and all - replies.

Eric

 

[Bellabelloo]

What is Sally? Are you able to add some photo's of her and her set up too

 

[Mortimer]

I found this on axolotl.org:

"Physical problems, such as fluid build-up (edema and ascites), and abnormal cell growth (tumours), are sometimes encountered by the hobbyist. Some of these physical problems are the result of genetic abnormalities and there is usually little that can be done aside from letting nature take its course. Some books recommend draining the fluid with a hypodermic needle but this should only be done by a vet. Fluid build-up can be caused by heart damage, kidney problems, nutritional deficiencies, and even old age. There's not a lot that can be done in such cases, and drained fluid usually builds up again."

I'd worry about giving a salt bath if she has really bad edema. Could that make it worse?

Sorry I can't be more helpful....hopefully others chime in soon.

 

[Sallyhorshu]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for your concern. Sally is a Tiger Salamaner. I don't have any photos at the moment but will work on it soon.

I'm still thinking salt bath, has anyone done it what proportions do I need to use?

Thanks,

E.

 

[Jan]

Have a look at this article on bloat and pertinent articles that are linked: Caudata Culture Articles - Illness Part 1

 

[Linus]

Did you ever change the setup from the last time Sally was sick, or is it still semi-aquatic like the picture in your old thread? Too wet of conditions can lead to various problems.

 

[Sallyhorshu]

Hi Everyone,

Jan - thank you for the excellent article on bloat. I found it very interesting and helpful. Unfortunately, Sally passed away before I could try the ringers solution. I wanted to know what caused the bloating - constipation/compaction or fluid retention, so I made a very small incision just under her breastbone and an enormous amount of clear liquid was released, just like the article mentioned. After this was done her body was completely back to normal, it was all water/fluid. I'm guessing that she must have had a kidney problem and wasn't able to pass water for one reason or another. I guess I'm not a very good owner, but I'd like to be a much better one with your help.

Kaiseric - Yes, my setup is/was the same. Water for a 1/3 of the tank and 2/3 dry land with rocks, bamboo plants and a cave dwelling she lived in. In my mind, not that its right, but I was trying to create something of a riperian or a pond bank type of environment. I'm not so sure that the cause of her bloat is directly related to the tank setup. From what I could tell she thrived in this environment for about 7 years. She would hunt down crickets on land just like some prehistoric dino and then every morning go for a swim in the water. She shed every so often and I thought it was a pretty neat little setup for her and she was healthy most of the time. However something was wrong some where otherwise why did she die? - I feel that I may not have provided the best diet for her and that may be worth discussing. I welcome your input and direction on this - same with yours Jan.

I fed her grasshoppers and crickets and other insects that I would find outside in my yard. I did this for as long as I owned her. When winter came and these insects were not available I used feeder crickets from the pet store. Should I have dusted these crickets with calcium? I did it a few times but once spring/summer hit I figured that she was getting food that she would be eating in the wild and stopped dusting. I also saw that if I fed her more than every 2 to 3 weeks she would get very fat. Not bloated just fat.
Could she have developed kidney problems from a lack of calcium and also due to her eating schedule?
I'm open to any and all suggestions and criticism. I can take it.

Thanks again for your help on this, I really appreciate the input and knowledge the website provides.

Best regards,

E.

 

[Linus]

My bet is on inadequate setup, quite frankly, as I believe was pointed out in the last thread you created when Sally was sick. "Pond bank" isn't the habitat of an adult, fully-terrestrial tiger salamander. This is not even close to a proper setup for a tiger salamander. I'll also wager that the water area wasn't filtered.

This is the image I am referring to that you posted in your last thread:

This is advice you were given in your last thread, and i'm quoting:

Yes, a tiger will continue eating until severely debilitated.

Black spots developing on the skin are not 'normal'... something is going on. Where I've seen/heard of this condition has generally been in association with improper husbandry and in particular....in an overly wet, or aquatic environment. Improper husbandry causes stress and can set-up conditions for a number of problems including infections.

I would strongly recommend changing the environment immediately. The set-up you have is not natural and in my opinion could be contributing to the problem. As others have recommended, you want a terrestrial set-up for this highly fossorial animal - not aquatic. Also, the size of gravel you have could be ingested as the tiger lunges for food - this could lead to intestinal impaction and fatal obstruction. Please refer to the Care Sheet that was referenced.

If one animal has the spots and the other does not (perhaps yet), I would quarantine the one in a hospital tank set-up using moistened paper toweling as substrate. You will see if you read the threads that Jennewt cited, that with medical treatment, the spots can resolve.

Caudata Culture Articles - Tiger Salamander 101

Please read that and change your setup for the other tiger, if its still around. You already came to the best caudate resource, why not follow the advice given? Sorry if this sounds harsh, maybe you need to hear it?

 

[Jan]

E. - I very much agree with Linus. Appropriate care requires proper husbandry.