Severe tail rot

[ahritchie]

Hi everyone, my previously healthy Chinese firebelly newt I have owned for nearly a year with no issues has suddenly become infected with a very fast moving tail rot....I assume this is the same as limb rot? I've very concerned, I just noticed his tail after getting back from a few days vacation and it's nearly gone I was thinking of starting salt baths today and moving him to a dirt tank? Or should I be getting some medication for this? It doesn't look good at all for him what are chances of survival of an infection this bad? Please help my newt. (yes, I read the illness and treatments page on Caudata Culture)

 

[Niels D]

For the meantime you should keep it as clean as possible. Using paper towels, which you can refreshed daily, helps you to do so. If you have a specialised vet in the neighbourhood you should visit it asap!

 

[Ed]

Until you can get to a vet (if you have one you use for your regular cat or dog, you should ask if they will help with the emergency treatment. You can suggest that they consult with a specialist (like Dr Wright here (Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital) or work with them yourself).. The tests you can get from any vet are going to be better than shotgun treating it with over the counter medications. In the meantime, you should be doing supportive treatments. The large open wound is going to impact the salamander's ability to osmoregulate so if you have access to amphibian ringer's solution you should use it to wet the paper towel as suggested by Niels.

Unless the newt was able to dry out it, shouldn't be from the same cause as the limb loss seen in new imports. In those cases the cause may be due to drying and damage from when the newts were collected, held and transported pre and post export.

Good luck,

Ed

 

[newtons13]

Wow! I'm sorry to see this. My guy has a rotting tail problem as well, hence why I am here, but nothing so severe as yours.
The vet trimmed it a bit, Put a stitch o the artery, and now more seems to be falling off. I cannot give oral antibiotics as he wont open up, and he wont eat the nightcrawlers injected with it either, so I am looking at injections...eek!
Good luck to you and your lil guy! If you can find a vet to take him to you should consider it, but they can be hard to find.