Hello,
my name is Brooke Fox. I am new to the forum. I have a sick firebelly newt and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions. I've had two firebelly newts and they've been healthy up till now. About a month ago, I started to see signs of cloudiness in one of the newt's eyes. At first I tried to treat them with tablets in the water as you would a fish with popeye, which I believe is caused from fungus. When it didn't work, I went to an exotic pet store and they gave me some eyedrops to put in the eye, and I gave the little guy about one to two eyedrops in that eye by taking it out of the water in the palm of my hand for a week (I almost never handle the newts, because I know our skin is toxic). When that didn't work, I went back to the same pet store and they told me to try gently rolling a cue tip over the eye, because it may have been caused by molting. It didn't work, so I assumed it was a cataract from old age and left it alone. But this past Friday I went out of town for the weekend, and when I came back on Sunday night I noticed cataracts in both eyes, and both newts appeared much more lethargic than usual. I put a new filter in about a week ago and I forgot to wash it off first, so I'm wondering if it emitted toxins. I really don't think that caused it thought because the eyes have been looking odd for about a month. The one with the cataracts is acting strange, laying closer to the top of the water than usual. The quick progression of the cataracts makes me think it is an internal disease that is adversely affecting the eyes. Does anyone have any ideas about what would cause it and if there is anything I can do to treat it. Thanks, I would much appreciate anyone's reply.
my name is Brooke Fox. I am new to the forum. I have a sick firebelly newt and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions. I've had two firebelly newts and they've been healthy up till now. About a month ago, I started to see signs of cloudiness in one of the newt's eyes. At first I tried to treat them with tablets in the water as you would a fish with popeye, which I believe is caused from fungus. When it didn't work, I went to an exotic pet store and they gave me some eyedrops to put in the eye, and I gave the little guy about one to two eyedrops in that eye by taking it out of the water in the palm of my hand for a week (I almost never handle the newts, because I know our skin is toxic). When that didn't work, I went back to the same pet store and they told me to try gently rolling a cue tip over the eye, because it may have been caused by molting. It didn't work, so I assumed it was a cataract from old age and left it alone. But this past Friday I went out of town for the weekend, and when I came back on Sunday night I noticed cataracts in both eyes, and both newts appeared much more lethargic than usual. I put a new filter in about a week ago and I forgot to wash it off first, so I'm wondering if it emitted toxins. I really don't think that caused it thought because the eyes have been looking odd for about a month. The one with the cataracts is acting strange, laying closer to the top of the water than usual. The quick progression of the cataracts makes me think it is an internal disease that is adversely affecting the eyes. Does anyone have any ideas about what would cause it and if there is anything I can do to treat it. Thanks, I would much appreciate anyone's reply.