Illness/Sickness: Stressed out or something else? (Fire belly)

[loublue]

Hi. I'm worried and haven't found any answers so I'll just ask.
My newt has been swimming around frantically for several days now, with some pauses. It doesn't looks like she's just happily energetic, she looks uncomfortable/stressed. Also swimming into the glass and stuff, turning around and swimming into something else.
She does have bad eyesight but that is nothing new.

She's eating, takes her time to swallow and then she starts moving again. I was thinking she's maybe constipated and that's why but I've seen her do that before and the movement is not the same. This time it's more ''panicky''.
She has the possibility to go up on land but she does not want to. She's fully aquatic (had her for over 20 years). I also change the water on a regular basis and it's been working fine, so I can't figure out what the cause might be.

I got a new light but it has no UV and she has the option to go into shade if she wants to.

On the outside she looks completely normal. The only thing is that there is some skin left on her back feet from shedding that she has trouble getting off, this is also nothing new (I'm aware that's not a good thing but don't think it has anything to do with this since this crazy behavior started happening recently (?)).

Any theories? I feel very worried and have NO good vets around.

PS: I started a thread a while ago about spots on her skin. Those are smaller now and she hasn't suffered from it from what I could tell.

Very thankful for quick answers, maybe with links or just your thoughts.

 

[Chinadog]

If you're sure the water parameters and temperature are what she's used to and nothing else has changed it's hard to say. Maybe it's just her extreme old age, but given the trouble swallowing and the skin problems I'd say there's something wrong, but without a vet it's impossible to guess. If I were you I would add extra plants to break up her line of sight and discourage the panicked swimming. That's all I can think of I'm afraid.

 

[loublue]

If you're sure the water parameters and temperature are what she's used to and nothing else has changed it's hard to say. Maybe it's just her extreme old age, but given the trouble swallowing and the skin problems I'd say there's something wrong, but without a vet it's impossible to guess. If I were you I would add extra plants to break up her line of sight and discourage the panicked swimming. That's all I can think of I'm afraid.

Today she's behaving normal, again. She calmed down the day before yesterday as well. It seems to come in waves, possibly. I've actually recently put more plants in there, didn't think of it to help her in that way though so thanks for the suggestion. I also put one more big stone in there that goes above the surface in case she can't find her way up to the surface when she's in that ''panic mode''.
I contacted a vet through email a while ago, and from looking at the pictures he didn't think there was a problem yet apart from the fact that she was underweight at the time (like you said in my other thread).

I'm happy she seems calm today though. And with the swallowing problem, since I switched to fish instead of shrimps (mainly) it has become much easier for her, as long as I give her small pieces. We'll see if she stays this way or not I guess.