Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Any thoughts why my eastern newts are rotting? One has almost no lower jaw left and his front foot is now down to a stump. The other one's back leg is almost gone. It looks like their parts are rotting off and it's all happened with the last 8 days. Any ideas??? I would rather kill them then have them suffer like this. Thanks!!

yikes, i would put them in clean water and go see a vet, sounds bacterial.
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*~Ginevive~*

Realisticly, I don't think to many people are going to take their newts to the vet. I' ve heard of this happening to fire belly newts before but have not heard of the cause or treatment. I would try, as suggested above first changing the water and cleaning the tank, then treating with a combination of a tri sulfur and a hole-in-the-head type fish medications. Hopelyfully someone else here can tell you how they have treated it before.

I find it sad that people do not want to pay for medical treatment for their pets. Whether it's a $2 newt or a $20000 thoroughbred horse, it still deserves vet care if needed.
If you can't afford vet care, I understand, times are tough. If the animal is just wasting away, and vet care is impossible (due to location, finances,or whatever) euthanization would be the most appropriate thing. Short term, I would get it into the Correct-PH'ed water and maybe go look at others frrom the pet store where it was purchased; if they're sickly too, it is not your fault. Too bad that animals are available to people who are unwilling to take the proper care of them! I lament!
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*~Ginevive~*

Euthanization? that'll cure'em. Let me introduce you to the real world. In the real world Vets are not gods, most wouldn't know a newt from a hole in the ground and the ones who do are going to charge you an arm and a leg. And if you walk into there office with a three dollar newt, their going to see you as an easy mark and milk it for all its worth, because they are in the business to make money and thats what they do.

Well, if there were no reptuable vets around, I would euthanize the animal if it is in such bad shape as the guy posting it said (jaw rotted off? that cannot grow back.) Tank size, water pH, food given and substrate were not given, as well as a filter that could have ripped into the newt, or a tankmate? The condition is obviously incurible, whether it be lack of the desire to vet the newt, or simple vet inavailability. I would bet the newt is dead now anyway.
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*~Ginevive~*

Maybe I should of given a little more info in my last post. I have had these guys since Oct of 2002. They are in a 10 gallon tank with a Duetto filter in about 3 inches of water. I hadn't had any problems up until this. I had 4 eastern's and am now down to 2. One is on death's door and the other is just fine. The last one that died looked almost black for about the last week before she died aside from the foot rot.I am a very attentive pet owner which is why I posted an ad for some help. I have been to the pet store for help, searched the internet and written a few people. I agree that sometimes going to the vet is a good idea but that costs alot of money. And this hobby isn't cheap as it is. I don't think a $100 vet bill would of saved them. I don't think that they could of suggested anything that I didn't already try. Maybe it is wrong to view it that a $6 newt isn't worthy of a vet visit where as I would of taken my cat with the same problem. Right or wrong I think I'm a great pet owner, even all my frinds say in their next lives they hope they come back as one of my newts.

I could probably find something to nitpick about your tank setup (more water, more water changes, less current, who knows), but most likely the animals weren't in the best shape to begin with. I got one batch of eastern newts from a pet shop once - they looked great, but all 4 were dead within a year. But other easterns I have gotten from other sources have lived many years. Bad luck I'd say.