Took in a Male Pacman

[illuminati]

I have been a pacman owner for a couple years now and have never had a single issue myself. A friend got one about a year ago, it's a male and it stopped eating for them. It will only take one giant food item at a time IF it will eat and it will only eat dubia roaches when that happens. It's losing weight and eating less and less for them so they asked me to take it in and see if I could get it to eat worms and roaches etc REGULARLY and get him healthy again. He is currently in a sterile tub with paper towels and misted down well.
Could it be because he is male - even though he hasn't been prepped for breeding.
Any ideas? He won't even open his mouth if I try to get him to which is the opposite reaction from my others lol.
Any help is appreciated, I did just get him an hour ago from them so I don't have much other information gathered yet.

[Lija]

Some frogs dont want to waste their energy for small prey and prefer bigger food, others are just plain lazy. That is provided they are healthy. You mentioned a frog was fed on large prey only? Is it right? He may have developed certain conditions if a prey was too big.

How about we'll start from beginning. Would you please answer to trouble in the enclosure questions here to start with pictures of the frog. Since you have another one i strongly suggest you keep your new one under quarantine conditions.

[illuminati]

I have kept reptiles much longer than frogs and have acquired fairly strict quarantine practices. Rest assured there will be 0 contact direct or indirect with this frog with any of my other amphibians or reptiles.
What the previous owners told me was that it started refusing anything but roaches a long time back, then it started refusing pretty much everything for a long time until it would eat one thing at a time because it was starving. So they told me they were feeding it bigger things. They stated it wouldn't go after small prey items anymore and would only take large dubia roaches and horn worms on rare occasion.
I have no idea on previous enclosure, I just got it a few hours ago. What I was told was that it was in a 10 gallon with eco earth and a water dish, I don't know if they treat their water or not. I treat my water for every animal I own so that is not a problem from here on out. I know nothing else of previous conditions. It is currently in a sterile/hospital tub so I can watch it with paper towel.
I have attached a picture. He has created a nest of paper towel already, paper towel will be changed daily of course.

[Lija]

That is very good that you know what the quarantine is and not a novice in exotic keeping!

I would suggest you use white papertowels though. A frog looks good, but a bit skinny.
I would do following today/tomorrow - change papertowels to a plain white and while doing so get him in a bath with unflavoured pedialyte, one part of pedialyte 5 parts of water. Cover all 4 sides of the enclosure with something to reduce his stress levels, add a plant of sorts for him to hide under and let him be for now and see how it will go. 2 days from now offer food, dubia if you said that is what he used to eat before, if he is not eating you will need to force feed him - i suggest nightcrawlers coated with reptiboost. No more then one per day for now. It is dangerous to feed big quantities of food after not eating for long time. And see how it will go, update us too, so we can suggest something different depending how it is going for you.

edit - keep a guy in a bath for about 20 min, warm water (80ish), water level up to a chin.

[illuminati]

I have some white paper towels, I will change those. I will get him covered and get some pedialyte. I need to go to the store anyway.. good excuse lol andddddd I also have a stock pile of nightcrawlers.
I appreciate the help for sure and if anyone else has suggestions I am open to them! It's new to me to have eating issues with a pacman hahahaha. I will keep you updated.
I am sorry I don't have more information on the previous enclosure. They gave him to me for free in hopes I could save him and I didn't want to pry more than the basics because they already felt pretty bad about him not eating.
My goal is just to do what ever I can to get him back to fatness and health.

[Lija]

My goal is just to do what ever I can to get him back to fatness and health.

That is an attitude i respect!
im sure you will succeed!

[flybyferns]

This is a great thread !!!!!!!

[Mentat]

... get him in a bath with unflavoured pedialyte, one part of pedialyte 5 parts of water... edit - keep a guy in a bath for about 20 min, warm water (80ish), water level up to a chin.

Hi Lija ! Noticed you recommended a solution 2X the normal 1:10 Pedialyte to water mix. Is there a particular reason for it, or just the concentration you are using now? What would be a max concentration level? Thank you !

OP: If frog is unresponsive to smaller items; you might want to try making/offering frog food sausages once it starts eating and digestive system is working OK. Literally you buy human sausage casings and fill them with food (amphibian pellets, supplements, dubias, night crawlers, etc.) to make a nice larger prey for stubborn frog. Good luck !

[Hypnotic]

That is a fantastic idea Carlos.

[illuminati]

Hi Lija ! Noticed you recommended a solution 2X the normal 1:10 Pedialyte to water mix. Is there a particular reason for it, or just the concentration you are using now? What would be a max concentration level? Thank you !

OP: If frog is unresponsive to smaller items; you might want to try making/offering frog food sausages once it starts eating and digestive system is working OK. Literally you buy human sausage casings and fill them with food (amphibian pellets, supplements, dubias, night crawlers, etc.) to make a nice larger prey for stubborn frog. Good luck !

Dear everything that is holy LOL! That is an awesome idea I might have to try on my other frog that NEVER stops eating lol. Just to give it a shot.
Hopefully this guy starts eating soon. He is stubborn I have tried to get him to open up and only succeeded once which .. is just amazing. I left him alone and didn't prod too much he is already fairly upset as it is, let him chill out for a couple days before he gets poked at again with food.

[Lija]

Hi Lija ! Noticed you recommended a solution 2X the normal 1:10 Pedialyte to water mix. Is there a particular reason for it, or just the concentration you are using now? What would be a max concentration level? Thank you !

OP: If frog is unresponsive to smaller items; you might want to try making/offering frog food sausages once it starts eating and digestive system is working OK. Literally you buy human sausage casings and fill them with food (amphibian pellets, supplements, dubias, night crawlers, etc.) to make a nice larger prey for stubborn frog. Good luck !

awesome idea!

As for concentration you can do undiluted pedialyte or ringer's, depending on severity of the problem, but i dont like to go that extreme. I use this scheme - 1:1-1:4 in severe cases, 1:5-1:8 in moderate, 1:8- 1:10 for the rest.
Right now i had a lab make me special amphibian ringeri solution that i use.

[GrifTheGreat]

Has the frog ever been dewormed?

[Mentat]

...As for concentration you can do undiluted pedialyte or ringer's, depending on severity of the problem, but i dont like to go that extreme. I use this scheme - 1:1-1:4 in severe cases, 1:5-1:8 in moderate, 1:8- 1:10 for the rest.
Right now i had a lab make me special amphibian ringeri solution that i use.

Awesome ! Secret formula or can you share ?

[Lija]

Very very secret formula ..... But since you are a nice guy i guess i should share

Amphibian Ringer’s Solution (200–250 mOsm)
6.6 g NaCl


0.15 g KCl


0.15 g CaCl2


0.2 g NaHCO3


Add the reagents to 1 L of distilled water. The solution may be stored for up to 7 d, or longer if it is autoclaved and stored in sterile containers.


An alternative formulation consists of 6.5 g NaCl, 0.42 g KCl, and 0.25 g CaCl2 added to 1 L of distilled water. Up to 10 g of glucose may be added to either formulation, but this reduces the shelf life of unsterilized solution to 24 h.


Source: Wright (2006).

[illuminati]

I don't know that the frog has ever been dewormed before or not, if I had to guess I would say probably not. I do know it came from a breeder not a pet store and he pooped and it looks ok..
I have read some stuff about deworming them... just in case that needs to happen.
The friends I got it from actually liked mine so much they researched and go their own.. of the same morph lol. So I keep looking at mine and going and looking at him and thinking how good he will look when he is better because... I have a healthy one and it's gorgeous hahaha.

[illuminati]

** Just wanted to update **
He is now eating earthworms on his own with no force at all. Drop them in front of him and he is gonna eat it. Pretty happy about that.

[PacMan1]

Great hes finally eating and maybe u could try crickets my pac man stopped eating for a bit he had a diet of mealworms and wax worms. I finally went out and bought some crickets for him and he seemed to react nicely to them and hopped around chasing them so now i use crickets which are gut loaded. so if worst comes to worst u could possibly try giving him crickets. Just trying to throw something out there that maybe help