Toad Is Sick, What Could Be Wrong?

[Clarina1980]

Very worried about my little Toad. He was wild and I saved him from a block of ice back in January. He has been thriving ever since in a viv filled with Soil and a pool of water so he can take a dip. He was not much bigger than my thumb nail but now fills my whole palm.

Took him out today and he looked a bit weird. His front legs don't seem to work and he doesn't have any balance. When I put him in his pool he flips onto his back and can't turn back over. Now he still seems to be trying to eat and he looks with it, not dozy or anything and he's kind of dragging himself around.

Any ideas?? Does this spell disaster Poor Boris!

[Louis Charles Bruckner]

Sounds like a neurological issue.
I would place him in a hospital tank with moist paper towels (de chlorinated tap water)
Keep him warm 78F
and provide a hide of some sort to keep him less stressed.

What have you been feeding.
Any changes in feeders.
I.E any wild caught feeders that might have been contaminated with a pesticide.

any changes at all.
Has a pest control company sprayed in your home.

when was the last time he ate and what.
also when was his last bowel movement and was it normal?

[Heatheranne]

Very worried about my little Toad. He was wild and I saved him from a block of ice back in January. He has been thriving ever since in a viv filled with Soil and a pool of water so he can take a dip. He was not much bigger than my thumb nail but now fills my whole palm.

Took him out today and he looked a bit weird. His front legs don't seem to work and he doesn't have any balance. When I put him in his pool he flips onto his back and can't turn back over. Now he still seems to be trying to eat and he looks with it, not dozy or anything and he's kind of dragging himself around.

Any ideas?? Does this spell disaster Poor Boris!

Do you use calcium with vitamin D 3 supplement powder to dust his food? If not, get some and start using it immediately. Lightly dust his food use a pinch in a Baggie or cup and swoosh or gently shake it. If you haven't been using it, use it daily until the symptoms resolve, then every other day. An amphibian multivitamin powder should be used and lightly dusted on his food one day a week, but not on the same day as the calcium. Be sure the calcium has vitamin D3 in it or he won't absorb it properly.

If this is the cause, it needs treated quickly now that it has progressed. Otherwise he will start having seizures and paralysis soon.

If you are using supplements we'll need to look further into why he is having these symptoms.

Do you use dechlorinator for his water?

What type of soil do you use?

Please keep us posted and we'll be happy to help.

[Clarina1980]

No change to his food although it was a new batch, small crickets from pets at home that I bought Thursday. I hadn't been dusting as the only dust I could find was for frogs and there wasn't much info about if it was suitable for Toads. I will be using the Frog stuff I have straight away.

His soil is taken from outside in his natural habitat and his water is taken from the tap and bottled, like they say to leave tap water for a while before putting fish in, I do the same for Toadie.

Only other thing is, we have floorers in and they laid some chemical on the floor. We are on a different level in the house though and couldn't smell it?

[Louis Charles Bruckner]

I agree with Heather on the supplement dusting.

Heather what do you think of a pedolite soak I don't think it has any calcium but I don't think it would hurt.
Also a higher concentration would be in order.

[Clarina1980]

Just has to add that I'm in the UK so I might not be able to get certain things. I'm not sure what pedolite is??

[Mentat]

No change to his food although it was a new batch, small crickets from pets at home that I bought Thursday. I hadn't been dusting as the only dust I could find was for frogs and there wasn't much info about if it was suitable for Toads. I will be using the Frog stuff I have straight away.

His soil is taken from outside in his natural habitat and his water is taken from the tap and bottled, like they say to leave tap water for a while before putting fish in, I do the same for Toadie.

Only other thing is, we have floorers in and they laid some chemical on the floor. We are on a different level in the house though and couldn't smell it?

Hello Clarina! Need to follow Heather's advice now! Calcium supplements for reptiles will do fine; I recommend Repashy or SuperCal but unsure if available there. Do CA 2x a week and vitamins 1x a week on different days and with skip day in between.

Pedialyte is an oral electrolyte solution for infants and children that helps prevent dehydration by replenishing vital minerals lost during diarrhea and vomiting. As long as local product is similar and unflavored it should work. Process is to make solution mixing 1 part electrolyte to 10 parts 80F dechlorinated water and soak frog to chins depth for 15 minutes. If frog is dehydrated it will help.

Think main thing right now is to get CA into frog system per Heather's instructions. Also, can you get this product or similar in there: Repta Boost Insectivore/Carnivore? If Boris stops eating it would be good to have on hand.

Need to get de-chlorinator and treat frog's bath water with it. Days of leaving water aerating for couple days ended with the use of stable chloramines. Get a plain conditioner with out aloe. ExoTerra Aquatize is made fro frogs and is good, others made for reptile or Seachem's Prime is fine.

Unless you live in area where there is absolutely no spraying by government or neighbors; would stop collecting soil and replace with shredded coco product.

When you have time recommend visit forum's care article section and read ones for toads. Might find out more about their needs in there. Good luck !

[Clarina1980]

Many thanks

[Heatheranne]

Mentat is right on. You'll have to do the calcium very soon or it will be too late. So long as it's amphibian or reptile calcium WITH vita D3, it will work.

Captive frogs and toads do not get the calcium they need in their diets so we have to supplement them. It is only properly absorbed into the body with vitamin D3 through supplementation or by UVB rays from the sun. Calcium not only helps keep their bones strong but is also affects the ability of muscles to contract, including skeletal muscles used for movement and mobility and use of the jaws for eating, heart or cardiac muscles giving the heart the ability to pump/contract and also helps with impulses through the nerves or cardiac nodes within the heart, helping to maintain proper heart rhythms, and visceral or smooth muscles in the smooth muscles such as the intestines altering their ability to contract or move food through which can lead to constipation, and lack of the blood vessels ability to regulate sodium and potassium through the vessel walls, which can alter the control of fluid control in and out of the vessels and intracellular and extracellular spaces causing swelling or edema. Basically, to make it easier to understand... Low blood calcium levels can cause numbness, tingling, twitching, tremors, uncoordinated movements, seizures, paralysis, inability to move jaw or chew, weak bones and soft jaws, cardiac dysrhythmias, swelling/edema, constipation, and I'm sure I'm missing a few. Other electrolytes needed to perform these function are sodium, potassium, and magnesium in varying smaller levels. This is why it is also important to provide a multivitamin powder supplement once a week, as per instructions of the particular mvi chosen.

It sounds a lot harder than it is. You may need to use a liquid replacement for calcium if it becomes any worse. Your symptoms are advanced and will quickly lead into metabolic bone disease and if not treated soon will lead to death of your amphibian(s).

The pedialyte soaks will indeed help with loss of sodium and potassium. You will still need the calcium right away, and to start the mvi soon too.

Please also use these supplements for your toads. It is the same for them.

I can teach you more if you'd like, but this is a good start.

[Heatheranne]

Ah yes, and the substrate and water.

Remove all of the dirt and rinse out their homes, dry them. Be sure to thoroughly rinse all chemicals or residues. Refill with coconut fiber substrate, not husk. You can also use plain, unfertilized plantation soil. Do not use any soil with perlite (little white balls) in it. This will rid the chance of any pesticides, fertilizers, insects, or parasites. It's the safest way. Change it monthly. It should only be moistened with spring water (not bottled water - it has chlorine in it) or dechlorinated tap water. Same for water for the water bowls. You can spray or mist with distilled water and it won't leave spots on your tank walls. However, distilled water has no minerals in it ... If the frogs/toads soak in it it will actually pull electrolytes out of them through their skin, causing electrolyte imbalances. Chlorine can disperse through allowing open water to sit, chloramines do not and will remain in the water unless a dechlorinator solution is used. Heavy metals also need neutralized, which can be done by the right dechlorinator solutions. Try looking in the amphibian/reptile of your pet store. Also, change their soaking water daily. I like to mix up a gallon jug of dechlorinated water in advance. I buy spring water, use it and then use the jug. I replace my jug every few months. Spring water in the US costs about $1. Not bad at all. Them you'll have a nice container to use also.