RE: axolotl

Gareth C. — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 16:42:02 GMT

oh yes we have the mader book and it does thanks!

RE: axolotl

Gareth C. — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 16:36:07 GMT

thanks thats given me something to go on!

RE: axolotl

Marie Kubiak — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 16:30:16 GMT

Not one of the species I see often but I can offer vague advice based on those I have seen. Paler gills can be a normal finding in a relaxed and inactive axolotl, or anaemia in a non-specifically sick one. If feeding and behaving normally it is not likely to be of concern if generalised.

White tips however does sound more like a pathological state - it may be fungal growth, response to poor water quality/excessive water movement, localised trauma or parasitic/bacterial localised infection.

I'd be looking to review tank care, with particular focus on water flow, water quality (worth keeping water quality test kits in the practice, they are cheap from pet shops and very useful for fish and amphibians), recent changes and any alterations in behaviour. If pathological changes are suspected with no clear cause then a quick GA for gill scrape and cytology will help a lot but will depend on your available GA options (I use MS222) and confidence finding abnormalities on cytology.

http://www.axolotl.org/health.htm is actually fairly good for a laymans health guide if they turn up with something else entirely (common with the weirder species, booked in for one thing and turn up with a range of issues!). If you have Mader's reptile books then they have sections on amphibians at the back.

Marie