Sick siren

[eve]

hey i am an idiot so forgiv me if i double posted. my 15+old siren is bloated and not eating. i dosed the tank with formalin 3 no improvement thus far. roommate is pressuring me to euthanize but i dont want to give up. too broke for vet. ??!!! i am sad she is so sick. no bloat in her arms or head or tail, just torso.

 

[edward]

Hi Eve,
There are a lot possible causes for this that shotgun treatments will not affect.
You are aware that the documented longevity for a lesser siren is 14 years?.....
This could be an issue with senescence.



Ed

 

[john]

Yes I don't know many people that have had a siren, live much longer than 14 years.But I have heard people say things similar to this happen when they get old and about to die. Sorry, I hope that she pulls through..

~John

 

[eve]

yeah, i know she's old. i just don't want to euthanize if there is hope that she has a physical blockage (gravel?) that she might pass. probly she has kidney failure. am i hoping in vain? i have euthanized amphibians with disgusting illnesses before, but bloat alone isn't as compellingly obvious as rotting skin/exploding mouth type symptoms

 

[jennifer]

Sorry about your siren. Would you say that the bloat has developed slowly or quickly (in a few days)? I have seen old newts with a slowly-developing form of bloat that must have been due to organ failure and/or old age. If it were due to a blockage, it would require a vet (surgery) to fix.

 

[eve]

the bloat has dveloped slowly, at least 2 weeks. at this point she is having problems controlling her movements. too bloated to keep from randomly floating.....very depressing.

 

[john]

I am sorry to hear that. Yes i think that the cause of this is old age/ orgin failure. Sorry.

~John