Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My waterdog is sick. In a matter of three days he's lost all of his gills. He went from eating really well one day, to eating nothing the next. He hasn't eaten in three days now.

I did a water change for him, and put some antibiotic treatment into the water. I'm afraid the little guy is going to die.

Please help me with any information on anything else I might be able to do for him.

Which is it, a waterdog or axolotl? If it's the kind of waterdog commonly kept as pets, then it's probably losing gills because it's going through metamorphosis to become a salamander. If it's an axolotl, then it's very sick. See:
http://www.caudata.org/axolotl/

if it's a necturus sp., (waterdog), then it's metamorphosing, and should be provided with land. also, some people mistake larval tiger salamanders for axolotls. if it's a larval tiger salamander, then it's also metamorphosing (it's not unusual for an animal to cease eating while metamorphosing). if it's an axolotl, then dipping it in a salt solution a few times a day, for short periods, is the best treatment. also, lowering the temperature, so that it's metabolism can slow down & it can concentrate on healing (you can actually just stick them in the fridge, in a small container [with water]). don't just use any salt solution, go to john clare's website about axolotls, or go to the website for the indiana university axolotl colony (just do a google search). also, be careful what anitbiotics you use, as some (for example, malachite green) ingredients common in fish medicine are toxic to axolotls.
-----
marla
keeper of: axolotls, catfish, ferrets, leopard geckoes, oriental fire-bellied toads, and sugar gliders