Article by Herpetologist: Amphibian Medicine ; your input needed

[findi]

Hi All,
Please check out: Amphibian Medicine – Cold “Resurrects” Hellbender and Sick Frogs
During my years with the Bronx Zoo, I have twice observed cold temperatures to revive salamanders (a Hellbender and a Greater Siren, please see photo) that seemed, by external appearances, to be quite dead. A recent paper caused me to think back on these events, and to other examples of low temperatures being used to “treat” ailing Axolotls, Leopard Frogs and other amphibians …I would greatly appreciate your own observations and thoughts on this topic. Read article here: http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatr...ne-cold-resurrects-hellbender-and-sick-frogs/
Comments and questions appreciated

Thanks, Frank

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[Hayden]

My inverts are my side project, but my real passion is breeding and raising Axolotls. I've had them for years, and, while it certainly sounded silly at first, I swear by fridging. In my experience, it helps relieve built up gas and helps them pass impacted material in their guts. It's not a "cure-all," but for Axolotls, it works very well.
I think the problem is the idea that if it works for one species, it will work for all. Unfortunately, I'm thinking the only way to determine which species it can benefit.

 

[findi]

Hi Hayden,

Thanks so much for your interesting observation. Yes, difficult to apply to all other by trial/error; I tried to find grant funds and induce vets to look into it back in my zoo years, but no long. Very interesting re passing impacted material...another reader had a similar experience with a marbled salamander, Ambystoma opacum.

I've long been fascinated by axolotls also; perhaps you might enjoy this article on the discovery of a new population and some of the others linked there (esp. re the breeding of Anderson's Salamander): http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatr...axolotl-population-found-in-mexico-city-park/

Please feel free to share axolotl observations with my readers on those articles as well, Any new info always appreciated, Best, Frank

 

[Hayden]

The craziest thing is trying to get vets to acknowledge me. I do the majority of my animal healthcare at home and I've become incredibly successful through trial and error. However, when I talk to vets about the benefits of lower temperatures on A. mexicanum, they refuse to accept fridging as anything more than a fluke or a placebo. Of course I'm coming from a biased perspective, but I've had so much more experience with these animals than most people, including veterinary professionals. Why not listen to what I have to say?

I hadn't heard about the new populations, but it made my day! Axolotls are the best pets, and some of the most wonderfully complex specimens in the animal kingdom. I haven't had much experience with A. andersoni, but I have friends who keep them.

If you have any questions about keeping axies, I'd be more than happy to help you out. They are my passion, and I'm always excited to see people taking an interest in them.

 

[zonbonzovi]

Hayden, that's too bad that you can't bend the ear of the "pros". I, too, have found "fridging" to be an effective method of treating axolotl floaters and have used it on other bloated Ambystomids & Notophthalmus viridescens. I don't really understand the why's but presume that the chemistry of cold tolerant amphibs is altered when the temp drops. Can you imagine hibernating with a full Thanksgiving dinner in your gut, haha? Mine have always stopped eating and, of course, it's easier to see what they're excreting in a container of fresh water. Just in case anyone reads this and decides to try it, I just wanted to add that it is important to acclimate them slowly to the refrigerated temps & change out the water daily(waste builds up fast!).

Frank, that's very cool about the wild population. Thanks for posting!

 

[Malhavoc's]

out oc curiosity has anyone mentioned the effects of the cold on the bacteria in the stomache? and the various ailments of the salamander? the positive effect could be less in relation to the animals temprature lowering and more to the parasites/bacterias temprature lowering thus stopping their producing making it easier for the animal to cleanse

 

[Chicken Farmer]

very interesting article. question,

i had a tiger salamander about a year ago. it had previously had been eating earth worms and it bloated. i did not feed her for over a week and it slowly went down.

i believe this happened to the other tiger, i had at the same time, all of a sudden he stopped eating worms, and didn't eat worms for at least a year. i think he bloated but not very much and i didn't notice.

around 6 months later it happened again, only more severe. it could not move and was practically dead, it could barley move its leg. and it also go a bit of white foam on it. it sadly later died that day. i have know idea how long it had been like that. i check on it probably 3-5 days before.

from what i figured out and a vet who is a relative, but she specializes in other animals, that bacteria from the worm did this.

would of "fridging" of possibly saved her?

 

[findi]

Hi all,

Thanks for the great comments and kind words. Vets I've worked with at the Bx Zoo have theorized that (as some of you have suggested), the value of cold has to do with both the animal's immune system working well at that temperature, and the bacteria not being able to function (similar, in a way, to when we get a fever). But many vets cannot recommend, as there have been no studies,

As to the tiger salamander, earthworms are often used a dietary staples w/o incident; of course there's always a chance of bacteria, soil pollutants, etc. but in general they are a great food for most amphibs. Very hard to diagnose causeof deathw/o an autopsy (or often even with an autopsy), unfortunately..Best, Frank