Illness/Sickness: Sick Tiger Salamander! Help!

[WHNCnature]

The Tiger Salamander used to be in a cage with one other Tiger Salamander (that looks perfectly healthy). I moved the sick one to a separate aquarium. It's been sick for about a week now.

The eyes look cloudy and the skin dull, & shriveled (wrinkles). Also the middle part of its body (skin) looks "bubbled"...see picture. Its breathing is somewhat irregular (makes little "pop" sounds sometimes). It is eating normally though (not skinny), but has a harder time grabbing onto & swallowing food. All it does is stand in a corner on its hind legs.

Any ideas on what it might have and what I can do to improve its health?

 

[Kaysie]

How damp are you keeping the tank? How warm is it?

 

[pete]

Sounds similar to this other recent case.

http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...er-help/68362-very-sick-tiger-pease-help.html

The prognosis isn't promising. Maybe there is something going around in an area. If they're new, maybe they came from a similar source.

For the moment, you can isolate him, keep it on damp paper towels that are regularly changed and keep him in a cool dark area. Maybe some others will have better advice.

 

[randallsmommy]

How is your Tiger doing?

I was the one who had the similar case and my Otis didn't make it
I really don't know what happened because my other 3 guys are fine, their temp and humidity is within range, they are in a 56 gallon tank with coco fiber for substrate. I clean their water dish every day or every other day. I am now just feeding them night crawlers with an occasional roach.

I called the vet yesterday and left a message, nobody called me back.

 

[beefsteak]

In the first picture this salamander looks dull.black and dry.
In the second picture, after 2 treatments of betadine 1:10 solution for 10 minutes, It shed after the 2nd treatment.

 

[beefsteak]

unfortunately, the problem returned after this treatment so I took a long long drive to the vet who prescribed the usual antibiotic (baytril) this only seemed to make things worse. The animal turned almost completely white, eyes remained very puffy and dark patches returned.

 

[beefsteak]

I decided that if Antibiotics made this condition worse then probiotics should help.
which they did!

This process took a long time. 5-6 months. I believe this was a yeast infection.
I can't be sure you have the same problem.Hope this helps you or anyone with this problem.

 

[henslowsparrow]

John, what types of probiotics did you use? I know of acidophilus for humans and plant enzymes for some other animals. Also, how did you administer them? Thanks.

 

[beefsteak]

Ok, it was acidophilus for humans. I sprinkled it on mainly earth worms. I got lucky since I could still get her to eat once in a while.

 

[Muppet and Alexandra]

I might have a similar situation although less severe.. does anyone know how the salamander gets the infection?

 

[Muppet and Alexandra]

Ooh and how much did you dose of the acidophilus? Just a sprinkling every meal? And how often ? Once a week?