sore looking toes on grey tree frog

[marylou]

Well I have finally decided the injured tree frog I found isn't a green but grey. I know so very little about these little creatures. I brought it in and have had pretty good luck nursing it back to health, but I want to give it the best chance possible before I return it back to nature. It's tiny little back was crushed flat and she wasn't using it's back legs when I first brought her in. It has been so dry here and I'm sure she was dehydrated. Well it seems she wasn't ready to give in because almost everything seems to be good after about a week. The only thing I am concerned about at this point is her right back foot. The toes look really red to me and kind of seem to want to curl under sometimes. Even looks like maybe she drags? her toes on that foot. I have been keeping moist paper towell in the bottom of the aqurium and I think maybe they look a little better. Is there a chance I am over reacting and she is fine or do I need to be doing something? No vet for 80 to 100 miles to deal with this sort of thing. And like I said I know so very little, maybe she is perfectly normal.

[LizardMama]

Can you post a pic of her? If her toes continue to do that I'd consider keeping her, she wouldn't have a chance in the wild

[marylou]

These are pics of little Bella and what I think are sore feet. This has been her temp. home for about a week now. And I do put in fresh folage dampened with spring water.

[LizardMama]

Those toes look right painful, they're really red looking. Keep a good eye on her and congrats on the green Gray Tree Frog.

[marylou]

Thanks . Any idea what it could be or what I can do? Something to soak her in? I really want to help her and don"t know where to start. What should I be watching for? Just toes getting worse?

[LizardMama]

The frog staying on the floor of the cage, not climbing well, not eating or spending some time in the water dish are some signs to keep a look out for. Keep a good eye on them toes

[kueluck]

Since she is staying on the paper towel you should use ones that are not bleached. Remember, they absorb everything through their skin and this may cause further problems. If you can not find natural paper towel try using brown paper wrapping. If using paper bags make sure there is no print or adhesive pieces in the tank.

[marylou]

Gail, thank you so much for the paper towel idea. This is something I never would have thought of. I do have brown wrapping paper left from christmas and will change it right away. I'm also thinking about trying to find a used tank. If I'm going to keep her a little longer I think she might move arround a little more if she has the room. Now if i can't use soap how should I go about cleaning it? Is used even a good idea? I looked at new and really don't have the funds for that. Like I said earlier I know very little to zero about these little ones.

[kueluck]

I've never kept amphibians in used containers so not sure what to clean them with. I think PetCo is having their $1 tank sale now so you can pick something up pretty inexpensive. Even if you can not get anything bigger at least put something in there for the frog to climb on and hide on. This will help lower the stress it's going through now.

[marylou]

I wish we had a petco or at least a national brand store arround here. I live in a small community in the middle of Indiana. Due to health I no longer drive outside of our little town but maybe I can find someone to take me or look on their web site. I have been putting in freah foliage wet with spring water in her little container. She hides but doesn't climb. Maybe I can try a fatter stick for her. Thanks again for info.

[kueluck]

You want a branch or vine at least as wide as the frog, or even a wide piece of bark laid on an incline to climb on. This way you can also see how it's using, or not using it's feet.

[mrzoggs]

my frog had a foot problem for a while. i was recomended vitamins by dr frye. mine didnt have its back crushed but its toes folded backwards and it couldnt stick to the wall. so for the past week or 2 ive put exo terra liquid vitamin suppliment in the water and its back to normal. its been climbing the walls even better than the healthy one i have. there are plenty of websites you can order it from if you cant find it around your area. i think its $7. if you cant find a website that sells it PM me and ill find one for you.

[marylou]

Thanks so much for the info. I will call around local (1 town over has a couple of mom & pop pet stores) and see what I can find. If nothing there I'll look on net. Husband took me to petco and bought her a terrrarium. We put in some plants a cork log a wet and a dry area. Bought a heating pad but I think it is to hot here. Although her foot still looks bad to me she has decided she can climb and is hanging on the wall. Do you think she would climb if it was painfull?

[mrzoggs]

i think its a good sign that shes climbing again. i would definitely try the liquid vitamin suppliment though. its the exo terra kind. black box with a frilled dragon on the front.

[kueluck]

Congratulations!! You've just been suckered into becoming a slave to the new family addition, or should I say addiction. Sounds like you've got the frog on the right path. I haven't seen any mention of food. Is she eating? Pooping? Also remember the vitamins and calcium supplements. Frog Forum - Gray Tree Frog Care and Breeding

[marylou]

Thanks for the info on the vitamins. Gotta go to next town over tomorrow and will try to find the eco terra. Forgot it today. I really want to try it and hopefully it will do the trick on her foot. The left one looks almost normal but the right although better still looks bad to me.
And ya, Im a sucker alright. Went yesteday and spent $126 wasn't happy with the terrarium. Took it back today got a 20 gallon tank. With all the goodies, bowl, cork log, foliage, vitamins (with calcium) cricket box and of course crickets wow! don't forget the rocks and substrate. I think I got everything I was told I needed except the eco terra and I forgot it. This little girls got momma and poppa by the heart. Stopped at Meijer and got corner stand to put all this stuff on and and she's worth every bit and then some.
Now back to Bella the Ball my little bellarina. She eats like every cricket as if is her last (and is pooping good too). Several days ago I was trying to tap some crickets in her box and 6 fell in. Boom, boom, she ate them all so now I am much more careful. I been giving her 3 in the morn and 3 in the eve. Does that sound right?
You guys have been so helpful I don't know how to say thanks in a way that will truly express my gratitude. I was so scared. I thought I had killed this little baby. Then I thought I had crippled her. I really don't know what happened to her feet. So thanks so much from Bella and me.

[marylou]

Bella is now in her new 20 galon home (hiding out). My question for the day is how often do I need to clean the tank? Also I bought this moss mat, because it's water only washable , the real stuff had a lot of chips and particles and I didn't want to risk getting something in het sore foot. Nowhere does it say how often I need to take this out to clean it. Does anyone else use this type of substrate?

[kueluck]

I don' t use a fabric base, I use new zealand sphagnum moss. My frogs are all tweezer feed so they don't have to hunt down the bugs in the moss. I'm going to do a planted viv for them like my toads are set up in. Then all I have to do is clean the glass. It's a personal preference when is comes to substrate and cloth bottoms.

[marylou]

Gail, thanks once again for the info. I'll look into the moss. I'm not crazy over this moss mat but seemed to be the lesser of two evils with sore toes. Bella is one remarkable little frog! Just this evening she has decided to start exploring her new environment. She is such a funny little one I've come to love her already. Her toes are looking better every day although I think she may have lost one. I called the vet I used to use for my dogs and he said it's actually not uncommon for frogs to loose their toes and to use the neosporin. ??whoda thought? Anyway I'm ecstatic! She is finally (after 2 1/2 weeks) acting like a frog and I can tell she is finally feeling better. Someone on the fourm recomended I put a small clear dish in with her with a couple crickers in it and teach her how to feed from the dish to cut down on the handling because she was showing signs of stress. What a great idea. And how funny she is hopping arround the dish trying to figure out how the get the crickets. She actually looks like she's stalking them. She finally got in the dish with a little help (I felt kinda sorry for her). I think she's going to learn though. Well thanks again to you and everyone who has give input on how to help and what to do for Bella. Hopefully as I learn I'll someday be able to help some poor comfused sole like I am now. Confused but happy 8~))

[mrzoggs]

yeah to teach mine i kept some crickets outside the bowl and some inside. then monitered how many went missing inside the bowl each night. then slowly cut down on the ones i put outside the bowl. i have the bowl sitting next to a small piece of driftwood and i always catch them sitting on the driftwood staring inside the bowl. the best bowl ive found to use is a pyrex glass bowl. a small one. i found them 3 for $1 at the dollar store. the crickets cant crawl out of them. they can hop...but they never do for some reason. the only way they have seemed to get out is when the bowl gets dirty. its not as slippery. from having calcium powder in there and it getting wet from misting.

anyways. im glad to hear everything is going better. i hope your frogs keeping taking a turn for the better. good luck!