Constipation Treatments

Originally Posted by Amphibious

My frog is constipated, suspected impaction. It's not acting unhealthy, but there is a large lump on the right side. I know it's supposed to get firm before they relieve themselves, but it's really hard. You can look at her from above and there is obvious asymmetry because of the lump. I'm taking her to the vet. In the meantime, I'm looking for ways to help/fix it without a vet. I've tried the honey soaks, and my frog was obviously trying to pass the feces but unable. Is there any sort of supplement or technique that will be helpful in the time between now and when we visit the vet?

How long do you have to wait and how long has it been since the last bowel movement?

You should only do a honey soak once every 5 to 7 days. You can just do warm water soaks in the meantime. You can buy Fluker's Repta-Aid. Its a nutrition supplement for malnurished and dehydrated/sick reptiles and amphibians. I use it when Grif is mildly constipated. It comes with a dosage guide by weight and a seringe to administer the mixture oraly. Grif usually goes within the next day or 2 if soaked in warm water. You can try that. If you don't want to use the Repta-Aid you can continue to do warm soaks daily until your vet trip. Also while soaking you can gentley massage your frogs right side to help move the fecies. This must be done very gentley.

Keep me posted.

I did only do one honey soak, followed up with warm-water soaks. I'm going to call tomorrow, so I'm not sure yet. It's been a while, I'm gonna say about a month since the last time I actually saw it. I waited only because I really thought that it would just pass because of her diet and substrate (worms & eco-earth.)

Originally Posted by Amphibious

I did only do one honey soak, followed up with warm-water soaks. I'm going to call tomorrow, so I'm not sure yet. It's been a while, I'm gonna say about a month since the last time I actually saw it. I waited only because I really thought that it would just pass because of her diet and substrate (worms & eco-earth.)

Sometimes they need a little help. Atleast once a month I have to give Grif a litlle help. Usually if I give her a pinky. If your frog has been eating normally and hadn't really passed any stool for a month he/she would probably have already died. Sometimes they bury it and you kind of have to did for it where they burrow. Id dp soaks for Grif and Loki once or twice a week with warm water. Feel the right side right near the vent. You want to gently massage all the way down the frogs side to the ventm sometimes it helps to do both sides at the same time. You don't want to actually put pressure. Its like rubbing. Also be sure the water is up to your frogs chin. You can fill it to where its almost there but not quite so tha you can pour some over your frogs back too so the water runs down over his/her vent. Do this until he/she gets seen by a vet if he/she doesn't pass it by then that is.

Keep me posted.

The water should be about 80 degrees or just under it. Around 78F.

A good way I've found to try and deal with impaction without worrying about accidentally harming the frog is to make sure the frog has the option to move away at any point. If you are pressing too hard or hurting something, your frog should just jump away. Trevor is exceptionally calm(lazy) though, so this might not work if you have a frog that normally tries to shy away from your hands or get away from you.

Another thing I've learned works is a sort of enema. I've had to do this a couple times, as Trevor almost never goes on his own. It is routinely two to three weeks between times (he is illegal to keep at my college apartment, so my parents are taking care of him till the summer. It's about weekly when I can monitor things) and I'm starting to believe he's got some sort of disorder or that his system was damaged by the really bad moss impaction he had when I got him from the petstore (it isn't his diet either; he eats dusted crickets and dubia roaches. Won't even glance at mice.) Anyway, when it gets really bad, I can take the spray bottle I usually use for misting, and put it at the cloaca (NOT inside, but you can gently pull the skin around the edges to make sure the water goes in) and spray one or two times on very low pressure. This is kind of my failsafe when soaking and massaging won't help. It's never not worked.
Again, this has the potential to hurt the frog, so make sure it can move away freely. They won't just sit there if something starts to bother them.

It seems like frogs that get constipated or have impaction issues tend to keep having them, so it's good to try and find something that works since a vet visit every time just isn't practical, especially if you keep a lot of other animals.
Good luck, and keep us updated!

That's similar to what I said about pouring the warm water over the vent except with a little pressure added. I find pouring water over the vent also helps. Grif only has trouble with certain foods and seems to like the massaging part.

I agree that a vet trip should be avaoided if possible due to cost, but sometimes there is no other option.

Originally Posted by GrifTheGreat

Sometimes they need a little help. Atleast once a month I have to give Grif a litlle help. Usually if I give her a pinky. If your frog has been eating normally and hadn't really passed any stool for a month he/she would probably have already died. Sometimes they bury it and you kind of have to did for it where they burrow. Id dp soaks for Grif and Loki once or twice a week with warm water. Feel the right side right near the vent. You want to gently massage all the way down the frogs side to the ventm sometimes it helps to do both sides at the same time. You don't want to actually put pressure. Its like rubbing. Also be sure the water is up to your frogs chin. You can fill it to where its almost there but not quite so tha you can pour some over your frogs back too so the water runs down over his/her vent. Do this until he/she gets seen by a vet if he/she doesn't pass it by then that is.

Keep me posted.

The water should be about 80 degrees or just under it. Around 78F.

I will try running water over her vent. I have been doing a little massaging during soaks. I don't know if she likes it, but she certainly tolerates it well. She's very docile towards me. She tried to bite my fathers hand when he took care of her though. I found that interesting.
Anyway, I will do another soak with massaging. Hopefully I can get her to pass it without going to the vet.

To DVirginiana: I'm hesitant about the enema.

Originally Posted by Amphibious

I will try running water over her vent. I have been doing a little massaging during soaks. I don't know if she likes it, but she certainly tolerates it well. She's very docile towards me. She tried to bite my fathers hand when he took care of her though. I found that interesting.
Anyway, I will do another soak with massaging. Hopefully I can get her to pass it without going to the vet.

To DVirginiana: I'm hesitant about the enema.

They know who their owner is. So that is probably why she tried to bite your father. Do the soaks and keep humidity high in the tanks. Humidity and warmth also help since theire digestive system functions with heat.

Originally Posted by Amphibious

I will try running water over her vent. I have been doing a little massaging during soaks. I don't know if she likes it, but she certainly tolerates it well. She's very docile towards me. She tried to bite my fathers hand when he took care of her though. I found that interesting.
Anyway, I will do another soak with massaging. Hopefully I can get her to pass it without going to the vet.

To DVirginiana: I'm hesitant about the enema.

Yeah, that's always my last resort, but with the small zoo we have there just isn't money to take a frog to the vet, so I've got to improvise sometimes. It's the emergency treatment :P

Guess I'm gonna have to try the enema; The amphibian vet, as it turns out, has passed away.

Originally Posted by Amphibious

Guess I'm gonna have to try the enema; The amphibian vet, as it turns out, has passed away.

That's terrible I hope your little one passes the poop. Have you tried the Repta-Aid?

It is. As I heard it he was a great veterinarian and a real nice guy. I have not yet, but I'm gonna run up to the pet store tomorrow. With the fact that my frog isn't malnourished, is there any-worry of vitamin overload with the Repta-Aid?

Originally Posted by Amphibious

It is. As I heard it he was a great veterinarian and a real nice guy. I have not yet, but I'm gonna run up to the pet store tomorrow. With the fact that my frog isn't malnourished, is there any-worry of vitamin overload with the Repta-Aid?

Possibly not. I have not had any issues with vitamin overload. Trust me my chubby Grif is no where near malnurished. It would be like giving him a multivitamin dose. You can use less than directed by the dosage/weight guide. It is worth a try. If you are worried about the overload problem you can skip a couple doses of your normal dustings. The Repta-Aid contains fiber among other vitamines and minerals. The only other thing is Laxatives, but with out a vet to give proper dosage I wouldn't recomend it. I really hope he passes the impaction.

Exactly. I wouldn't want to risk poisoning. Thank you very much, I do too. And thanks for all the help; I feel like all my thread titles might as well be "GrifTheGreat! I have a question!"

No problem! I'm always glad to help if I can.

The other night she was out of her hole, looking around for food it seemed. I let her totally gorge herself. Then she hunkered down for a day or so. When I woke up this morning she had a new hole and there was a little surprise in the old one.
Guess things are alright!

Originally Posted by Amphibious

The other night she was out of her hole, looking around for food it seemed. I let her totally gorge herself. Then she hunkered down for a day or so. When I woke up this morning she had a new hole and there was a little surprise in the old one.
Guess things are alright!

If she pooped all is well. I would still keep a close eye on her for a couple days.

I'm glad she's ok