Swollen Axolotl Cloaca/Butt/Anus– 4 Causes And Treatments

Swollen Axolotl Cloaca

A common health issue that owners come across is Axolotl swelling in the butt/anus/cloaca area. Normally, swollen axolotl cloaca or swollen butt can be due to constipation which can be treated. Whereas, the worst case scenario is prolapsed cloaca.

This article will help you determine the cause of your swollen axolotl cloaca and recommend how to treat it.

For the purposes of this article, we will be referring to the swelling area as either one of the following terms – anus, bum, butt, or cloaca as they all mean the same thing.

Causes For Swollen Axolotl Cloaca/Butt/Anus

Possible causes for swollen axolotl cloaca, butt or anus area include:

  • Male reproductive organs enlarged, ready for mating
  • Constipation
  • Prolapse
  • Oedema

Understanding what’s caused your axolotl’s swelling is essential, so you can apply the correct treatment (if necessary).

Male Reproductive Organs

axolotl swollen cloaca
Axolotl’s male organs vs female organs

In many cases, the swollen axolotl cloaca/butt/anus is just the male axolotl reaching sexual maturity and his organs fully forming. Another reason for the male axolotl’s organs becoming enlarged is to produce sperm for the female to collect.

The male axolotl cloaca can become swollen for any of the following completely normal reasons:

  • The have reach maturity which will result in their genitals fully forming. Axolotls reach maturity around 1 year old
  • There is a female present in the tank at the time. The male cloaca can swell up a couple weeks before the female lay eggs
  • They are showing off. Even if there are no females present in the tank, the males like to be ready and show off what they got

If the axolotl is eating, pooping and behaving as normal but they are a male and their cloaca is swollen more than normal, you should check for spermatophores, also known as “sperm packets” in the tank. If you see the sperm packets, there is nothing to worry about, it’s just the male trying to mate.

To learn more about the axolotl breeding process, head over here Axolotl Breeding And Egg Hatching Process Explained In 8 Steps

What Does Axolotl Spermatophores Look Like?

Spermatophores

The spermatophores are also known as packet of sperm and are attached to the top of a cone of jelly. The male Axolotl deposits between 5 and 25 of these cone jellies in the tank for the female to pick up in her cloaca.

Constipation

Axolotl Swollen Butt From Constipation

The most common cause for swollen Axolotl butt/anus/cloaca is constipation as a result of overfeeding.

Symptoms

If your Axolotl is constipated, look for the following symptoms:

  • Throwing up
  • Bloating in the belly or swollen cloaca
  • Back legs were sticking out sideways as a result of the swollen cloaca
  • Butt floating up or having hard time staying on the bottom of the tank

Causes

Often, axolotls become constipated because of ingesting sand/gravel; being overfed; ingesting rocks or other tank decorations.

Treatment

If your axolotl is constipated and has swollen cloaca as a result, this can be considered a severe case of constipation that requires fridging. But what does fridging achieve? The cold temperature will slow down your axolotl’s metabolism to a near stop, improve their immune system and help them pass whatever is lodged inside of them. Whilst fridging the axolotl, you shouldn’t be feeding them until they pass the mass.

Prevention

Once your axolotl is well enough, you also want to think about making some preventable changes such as:

  • Sand eater. If your axolotl eats sand that leads to constipation, you should think about swapping sand substrate for slate tiles. Another recommended change is to introduce a feeding dish such as an exo terra feeding dish made for terrariums
  • Diet. If you only feed them live food, try swapping between live and carnivore pellets. Do you feed only earthworms? Some axolotl owners have shared their experience of earthworms causing constipation in axolotls. Think about adding frozen bloodworms every once and a while for variety of diet
  • Frequency and size of meals. If you’re feeding your axolotl too often and foods that are too big, they will become constipated again. An adult axolotl shouldn’t be fed every day, they should be fed 2-3 times a week.

To read the full guide on constipated axolotl, head over here Constipated Axolotl? What Causes It and How To Treat

Prolapsed Axolotl Cloaca

axolotl swollen cloaca
Prolapsed Cloaca

One cause for swollen axolotl cloaca/butt/anus that every owner dread is the prolapsed cloaca. This is a very common situation that most owners have to face at one point or another.

What does a prolapsed cloaca look like? With a prolapsed axolotl cloaca, the cloaca protrudes through the anus, and is dragged about behind the animal. The prolapsed cloaca is often red-ish in color.

Cause

The causes for prolapsed axolotl cloaca can be any of the following – dehydration, constipation, straining to expel eggs and trauma caused by scent marking (rubbing the cloaca along the substrate).

Treatments

Axolotl cloaca prolapse needs to be treated immediately. This can be done by placing the axolotl in a shallow bath of sugar water. The amount of sugar should be 1 tablespoon per 3 ounces of water. The sugar will draw fluids from the cloaca, allowing the animal to withdraw the organ. You can help the process by using a Vaseline-coated cotton swab.

Should you be feeding your axolotl when treating? No. Food should be withheld for 7 days. Not feeding your axolotl for 7 to 10 days won’t do them any harm. The reason that you shouldn’t feed is because passing waste will only put strain on the surrounding tissue whilst still healing and will very likely result in another prolapse.

After the 7 days have passed, offer food in smaller portions than usual. This should continue for 2 weeks, after which things can resume as normal.

It’s important to note that prolapse can also heal on its own. However, you need to ensure that the water quality is perfect, so it doesn’t result in a secondary infection.

If the problem persists even after treating with sugar water, you will need to seek a vet that can manually reduce the prolapse under anaesthetic.

You should never ignore a prolapsed cloaca. If left untreated, the prolapsed tissue dries out and becomes necrotic and will likely result in death.

Oedema

Another possible cause for your swollen axolotl butt/anus/cloaca is oedema. Oedema is build-up of fluid.

To treat oedema, you will need to take your axolotl to the vet where they will perform enemas which should help the swelling go down. The vet might also advise to give your axolotl salt baths to help with the swelling.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that salt baths can be quite harsh on your axolotl, so you might want to try tea baths first.

For the gull guide on tea baths and salt baths, head over here

Final Thoughts

A common issue that owners have to deal with is swollen axolotl butt, also known as cloaca or anus area. The first thing to do is check if your axolotl is male and has just reached sexual maturity. When the male reaches 1 years old, their cloaca starts protruding. This is completely normal and nothing to worry about.

On the other hand, health problems associated with swollen axolotl cloaca include constipation, prolapse and oedema.

It’s essential to determine what’s causing the swelling, so you know what treatment is needed. If you know the root cause and have taken the recommended steps but the swelling persists, you should contact a vet for further advice.

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ

When Should Axolotls Be Euthanized?

Axolotls should be euthanized if they have a fatal disease such as myxobolus cerebralis or an injury they can’t recover from.

How Do You Euthanise An Axolotl?

The most humane and safe way to euthanize an axolotl that is too sick to recover, is to contact a vet to do it. Another humane method to euthanize your axolotl is by following the steps below:

  • Fill a bucket with 2 litres of tank water
  • Place the axolotl in the bucket
  • Add 2-3ml of clove oil (make sure you’re using pure clove oil) to a 100 ml bottle of water and then give it a good shake
  • Add 5ml of the clove solution to the bucket every 5 min for 3-4 doses
  • Then add 10 ml of solution every 5 min until it’s all been added to the bucket
  • Leave the axolotl in the clove oil for an hour or two after to ensure its passed away

References

https://www.vin.com/apputil/content/defaultadv1.aspx?id=7259254&pid=14365&print=1

unusualpetsguide

My name is Iliyana and I'm a passionate animal lover and pet owner. As there is significantly less information online about unusual and exotic pets, I decided to found this website and recruit expert writers to help pet owners.

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