Injured Eyed Wild Caught

[Mentat]

Hello Megan! This frog still looks very skinny and the eye either has a bacterial infection or an over skin over it. To have an effect, the Melafix should be mixed per label instructions and then administer at least couple 80F baths daily for 20-30 minutes. Due to the time involved since accident this frog might need stronger antibiotics. Is there possibility you could take to a veterinary with frog or reptile experience?

Does frog react to movement from that side or does it appears blind from it?

Repta Boost is a powder product by Flukers to nourish animals that have stopped feeding. You mix with dechlorinated tap and follow the weird instructions or ask questions here to explain them. Have you tried feeding earthworms (from sport bait & tackle shops)? You can cut them from pointy end around same as frog length and they can be dusted too. Good luck !

[iheartfrogs]

Thanks for your joining us c: Most of your questions could be answered by reading previous posts in this thread.

I've got calcium dust and I plan to try earthworms when the store has small ones in stock, I don't intend to chop up any worms they're way just too cute! ;3

His doctor was very against using Melafix on wild caught frogs because she said it could easily kill them, and suggested a weak iodine bath to detoxify it's body of the Melafix.

He's probably blind on that side, he tends to keep his good eye on me, it's cute. If he's in his bath and I turn it, he'll turn in circles to keep me in his sight.



I am rather concerned about one thing you said in particular; "Due to the time involved since accident this frog might need stronger antibiotics."
If you have the time I'd like to hear more about your experiences with frog eye injuries and how you think it should look four weeks after exploding. Do you believe he isn't healing properly?

I was pleased with the improvement because it's no longer a bloody hole in his head, and he can blink his eyelid. I expected it to stay blue forever, like when human or dog eyes are blinded. I expected infection to be a part of the healing process. I like the holistic approach his doctor is taking, and have considered her recommendation of Manuka honey baths as opposed to Melafix. I have also considered going against her recommendation and applying watered down Melafix drops to his eye. A lot of people have suggested plain Polysporin. What do you think of these other treatments?

For now, I'm giving him lots of peace and quiet, because I know that won't do him any harm in the meantime~! <3

[Mentat]

I've got no personal experience with eye injuries; that's the reason recommended you take frog to a veterinary in previous post. Never head of a holistic veterinary before, so can't comment on that either. Only know that the pics show a malnourished frog with an eye injury. IMO that frog needs nourishment and special care ASAP and not a "wait and see approach." Still, it's your frog and your choice and sorry could not be of more help .

[Louis Charles Bruckner]

I am rather concerned about one thing you said in particular; "Due to the time involved since accident this frog might need stronger antibiotics."
If you have the time I'd like to hear more about your experiences with frog eye injuries and how you think it should look four weeks after exploding. Do you believe he isn't healing properly?

I was pleased with the improvement because it's no longer a bloody hole in his head, and he can blink his eyelid. I expected it to stay blue forever, like when human or dog eyes are blinded. I expected infection to be a part of the healing process. I like the holistic approach his doctor is taking, and have considered her recommendation of Manuka honey baths as opposed to Melafix. I have also considered going against her recommendation and applying watered down Melafix drops to his eye. A lot of people have suggested plain Polysporin. What do you think of these other treatments?

For now, I'm giving him lots of peace and quiet, because I know that won't do him any harm in the meantime~! <3

I for one am not opposed to the honey baths because Honey does have antibacterial properties just not as strong as melafix does.
As far as Polysporin goes that's fine as long as it is plain Polysporin without pain reliever.

Now if you do get smaller earthworms be sure that you do not get the red wiggler type. as they excrete a mucous when they are threatened and that mucus is very bad tasting to the frog.
And also make sure that they do not have any dyes or scents added.

I have also found a product that's easy to force-feed that is high-protein and has vitamins and minerals added it's called tetra freshdelica brine shrimp.
it is in a small pouch like a ketchup packet and you can inset the open end of the packet into the frogs mouth without prying it open.
and squeeze the paste in.

[iheartfrogs]

I've got no personal experience with eye injuries; that's the reason recommended you take frog to a veterinary in previous post. Never head of a holistic veterinary before, so can't comment on that either. Only know that the pics show a malnourished frog with an eye injury. IMO that frog needs nourishment and special care ASAP and not a "wait and see approach." Still, it's your frog and your choice and sorry could not be of more help .



Mentat: Green frogs don't usually eat during mating season, which lasts for months. Holistic medicine is natural as opposed to pharmaceutical. I think you may have missed a few things when you were reading ;P Don't worry. He isn't going to die.

[iheartfrogs]

I for one am not opposed to the honey baths because Honey does have antibacterial properties just not as strong as melafix does.
As far as Polysporin goes that's fine as long as it is plain Polysporin without pain reliever.

Now if you do get smaller earthworms be sure that you do not get the red wiggler type. as they excrete a mucous when they are threatened and that mucus is very bad tasting to the frog.
And also make sure that they do not have any dyes or scents added.

I have also found a product that's easy to force-feed that is high-protein and has vitamins and minerals added it's called tetra freshdelica brine shrimp.
it is in a small pouch like a ketchup packet and you can inset the open end of the packet into the frogs mouth without prying it open.
and squeeze the paste in.

Thank you very much for replying to me Louis Charles Bruckner. Both of your feeding tips were very helpful to me. I'm really glad to hear there is a way it can be done without prying his mouth open.

Another person said that I could place worms in water before feeding to make them void their bowels so the frog doesn't eat any dirt. If you check back please share your thoughts on that and thanks again!

[iheartfrogs]

Eye comparison: Week one versus week three, followed by today's honey bath picture, which doesn't really show his bad eye because he likes to keep his good eye on me. Today it has been four full weeks.

[Louis Charles Bruckner]

Another person said that I could place worms in water before feeding to make them void their bowels so the frog doesn't eat any dirt. If you check back please share your thoughts on that and thanks again!

I wouldn't do that because that will also get rid of most of the nutriments that the frog can use also.
Now placing them in water to rinse off external dirt is ok.
and dusting with a calcium+D3 is a good thing to do also.

[iheartfrogs]

A random photo dump just because he's really cute.

[iheartfrogs]

I wouldn't do that because that will also get rid of most of the nutriments that the frog can use also.
Now placing them in water to rinse off external dirt is ok.
and dusting with a calcium+D3 is a good thing to do also.

Interesting. Thank you! Would the tetra-mushy-food be a good enough source of calcium/D3 on it's own, I wonder?
Not that I plan on adding anything to it or taking dusted bugs from his diet. I'm just curious, and think it would be good to know.

I'm having lots of fun with this project.

Edit: I just want to add that I think his exploded iris looks pretty, gold flakes and squiggles everywhere.

[iheartfrogs]

(5 weeks, 1 day in) Clyde Frog pooped out a bunch of coco fiber, so I took it away. I'm a little frustrated to know that's what he's been eating. I wonder if maybe he's been eating the bits that float in the water. I'm going to experiment with some fish food...

[Louis Charles Bruckner]

don't worry.Bull frogs usually eat a lot of substrate when they're hunting food so be glad you're using Coco fiber instead of gravel.

And the reason why you're seeing only Coco fiber in his bm. is because he can't digest it.
Bullfrogs don't eat food that doesn't move they hunt live food moving so Crickets or dubia roaches or other feeders such as that.

[iheartfrogs]

don't worry.Bull frogs usually eat a lot of substrate when they're hunting food so be glad you're using Coco fiber instead of gravel.

And the reason why you're seeing only Coco fiber in his bm. is because he can't digest it.
Bullfrogs don't eat food that doesn't move they hunt live food moving so Crickets or dubia roaches or other feeders such as that.

Thanks LCB, are Bull Frogs and Green Frogs the same thing..?

I'm afraid to say that I think the reason I'm seeing coco fiber in his BMs is because that's all he's been eating. He's been force fed 3 times in 5 weeks, even though I read after the first time that they don't eat during mating season, he's very thin and I can't have him dying on me...

So here I thought that he was eating his shed or something, because he started passing regular bowel movements. This explains why the first one he passed was green though, because at the time he had moss.

I don't understand why he's eating dirt and moss and not bugs, but I imagine that if his natural life cycle goes like this: tadpole eats algae, young frog aquatic hunting, grown frog land hunting, then maybe he's young and eating dirt out of his pool because that's all he ever did before that car accident and I interrupted his natural development. That's why I'm curious to know if he'll eat fish food.

Unrelated, but he's getting a bigger tank this week with gravel substrate and water plants c:

I haven't given him crickets since the first week because they annoy him. He freaks out and scratches his eyes. I think they bullied him. Someone said if I put food in there with the frog the crickets would bite that, and not him, but it didn't seem to work and he's not interested in eating them at this time so I stopped buying them. As for Dubai roaches, with my luck I'd only lose them all in the house and infest the entire building with illegal bugs.

All I can really do right now is continue with the honey baths, feed him if I think he'll waste away, and hope that when fall sets in he'll take an interest in eating something other than dirt, and if he eats the fish food? Great! Then I'll have a.... unique frog.

Thank you for replying, it's really reassuring to get a "Don't worry."

[iheartfrogs]

Oh, and I don't usually leave bugs in with him all the time, but I tried it because he wouldn't eat while I was watching.

[BlueKiwiOca]

Unrelated, but he's getting a bigger tank this week with gravel substrate and water plants c:

PLEASE don't use gravel D: The reason most frog-keepers use coco-fiber is because if it's ingested, it can be passed easily enough.
If he's been eating the substrate, putting in gravel instead is a recipe for disaster. He'll find it very difficult to pass any gravel pieces he ingests, and may end up dying of impaction. Stick with the coco-fiber, it's tried and true, and above all, safe.

As for the species not eating during breeding season, where did you get that information? Most frogs will still continue to eat, albeit with decreased appetites.

[Louis Charles Bruckner]

If you want to use gravel in the water use large gravel that can not fit in it's mouth.
and if you must use smaller gravel silicone it to a plexi glass sheet.
I know coco fiber and water doesn't look good and will clog most filters.

[iheartfrogs]

PLEASE don't use gravel D: The reason most frog-keepers use coco-fiber is because if it's ingested, it can be passed easily enough.
If he's been eating the substrate, putting in gravel instead is a recipe for disaster. He'll find it very difficult to pass any gravel pieces he ingests, and may end up dying of impaction. Stick with the coco-fiber, it's tried and true, and above all, safe.

As for the species not eating during breeding season, where did you get that information? Most frogs will still continue to eat, albeit with decreased appetites.

Derp.

By gravel I mean stones, which is also gravel.

As for the image, it has the name of the website right on it.

Hope that helps.

& PS Please keep in mind that they are referring to wild frogs and not pet store frogs.

[iheartfrogs]

People in Newfoundland speak... differently. We are like the Ireland of Canada. Maybe that's why when I say gravel people think the small colorful pet store rocks and I think of the stones in my driveway?

I can assure you all that I'm not about to replace a substrate he's capable of eating with a more dangerous to ingest substrate that he would also be capable of eating.

[BlueKiwiOca]

I guess if you're intent on replacing the perfectly good coco-fiber with stones/gravel, just make sure the pieces are bigger than his head and not sharp at all... we don't want any injuries. But I'm sure you already knew that.

[badkelpie]

My frogs (2 green tree frogs, 2 pacific chorus frogs, 3 fire bellied toads) can't resist flying insects. See if you can catch a moth or 2 to toss in there. Might just motivate him to eat on his own.