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I have a Japanese Fire Bellied Newt that I've had for 12 years now. Well, I have two but only one is sick. She stopped eating, maybe about a week ago, but I did not find this too unusual because this has happened with my two "babies" once or twice before after shedding/eating skin or if they're just being unusually fussy. But about two days ago I noticed she was very bloated in her tummy and under her little mouth. She seems to need to float near the surface. I immediately seperated her from the other and actually brought her on vacation with me because I'm so very worried about her. I've read someone who had a similar problem somewhere else on the web and she mentioned she used oxytetracycline...

If anyone recognizes this problem and has a solution for me I would be immensely greatful. These two newts are my little babies, like my children (I'm 21 and I've had them since 3rd grade) and I've already been crying, so worried she may die. My mom and aunt who are "people" nurses thought maybe she might have kidney failure cause she's so bloated. I'm hoping that's not the case and hoping there is something I can do to help her.

Please let me know if you have any thoughts/ideas/suggestions...Thank you so very much and happy holidays,
megen

Terribly sorry to hear that. Sounds like Bloat to me, but I've never treated it myself. I've seen several posts on Caudate Central (Caudata.org) about it, perhaps check there if no one here knows how to treat Bloat... Best of luck, hope you get helpful advice soon.
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1.3.0 leos, Yoda, Geo, Tang, Ginger
1.0 Blue Tongue Skink Indigo (Indy)
0.1.1 frogs Buffy the Cricket Slayer, Butrose Butrose Froggy
1.1.4 firebelly newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Juice Newton, Olivia Newton John & Helmut Newton
1.1.0 cats Gus & Mena

You've done very well to have them for 12 years! Here is an article about bloat:
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/bloatEDK.shtml
Unfortunately, the prospects are not too good. You could try keeping the animal on damp soil out of the water, that has been known to work. Antibiotics have been known to work, but only rarely. Sorry

>>I have a Japanese Fire Bellied Newt that I've had for 12 years now. Well, I have two but only one is sick. She stopped eating, maybe about a week ago, but I did not find this too unusual because this has happened with my two "babies" once or twice before after shedding/eating skin or if they're just being unusually fussy. But about two days ago I noticed she was very bloated in her tummy and under her little mouth. She seems to need to float near the surface. I immediately seperated her from the other and actually brought her on vacation with me because I'm so very worried about her. I've read someone who had a similar problem somewhere else on the web and she mentioned she used oxytetracycline...
>>
>>If anyone recognizes this problem and has a solution for me I would be immensely greatful. These two newts are my little babies, like my children (I'm 21 and I've had them since 3rd grade) and I've already been crying, so worried she may die. My mom and aunt who are "people" nurses thought maybe she might have kidney failure cause she's so bloated. I'm hoping that's not the case and hoping there is something I can do to help her.
>>
>>Please let me know if you have any thoughts/ideas/suggestions...Thank you so very much and happy holidays,
>>megen

I have had a newt but now i am working on dart frogs. My Dendrobates Auratus (green) had the same type of sickness identified as bloating disease. At first I thought it was parasites. Sadly he ended up dieing. Signs that they are about to pass on:
Changing in color
Gasping for air
Extreme Lathargicness

Updat me
AJC