Had another escape and isn't ending well, Help!

[charlamanda]

Since the last mass escape several days ago I have been hyper-vigilant checking the hood for exits. Now the cats have been giving me a problem. Since discovering the froggers outside their home, they are now aware of their presence and know that they are inside the fish tank. The cats are constantly around the frog house and jumping on top of the hood, which normally wouldn't be a problem because it's constructed of sturdy plastic and can easily support the weight of our cats and possibly several at a time. However, the back section, where the hoses and cords would be, has been covered with a screen I attached with duck tape and can definitely not support a cats weight, this has me really stressed. Before I went to bed I covered the back so if any of the cats jumped on top of the hood they couldn't push the screen in and let the frogs out..like we suspect happened the last time. We have been spritzing the cats with the misting bottle every time they get too close to the tank, hoping they will learn to stay clear of it. They hate it, but you know what they say about cats and curiosity.
I haven't been feeling well and didn't get to bed until about 6:30 am and was awakened at noon with my mother yelling that the frogs had gotten loose, I jumped out of bed in a complete panic.
When my mother got up she noticed the cats around the frog tank acting weird, she went to investigate and found a frog on the front of the tank near the top right below the hood. That's when she yelled to me and got the little fella and held him until I got up and to the living room. I decided to put all the froggers into the dining room container so I could take a head check before I really panicked. My mother noticed that one of our kitty's were really freaked and pacing in front of the stove. My mom was sure at least one of the frogs were under it. After the head count only 1 was missing and thanks to Buster we knew exactly where he/she was. Luckily I saw the frog immediately and was able to take a stick and swish the frog out which wasn't moving or "sticky" like the tree frogs are normally.
The poor thing was covered in a hair ball that had completely engulfed it and was nearly impossible to remove. I took the frog to the bathroom to wash the hair off, it took forever, I didn't want to pull it to hard because it could cut the frog. The frog hardly moved, was very light and dry(I suspect dehydrated) and really bloated, like it had puffed up like I've seen toads do. I am keeping it in a non see through container you get kitty litter in, it's been washed thoroughly, lined it with wet paper towels and put a bath bowl in with tepid water and pedialyte, I soaked him/her in it for a while before putting it and the frog in the container.
After about an hour I checked on the frog who was perched on the rim of the bath I had left him/her in when I closed the container. He/she still seemed very bloated and turned almost black. I decided to put a cricket bowl in the container with 5 crickets in it. I am hoping eating will help it to de-stress and will work out the air in, I am guessing, it's intestine/stomach.
*****Why is this frog ssooooooo bloated and what else can I do to help him/her?????
There doesn't appear to be any obvious injuries, but at some point I will cover the little terrified froglet in a triple antibiotic ointment to prevent any infection if it does have some.
For now I have him/her in a non see through container, hoping to relax the frog, re-hydrate and keep a close eye on the poor thing.
**** Should I keep the frog in it or can I return it to it's regular tank?
****What else can I or should I do??
The frog seems to be doing "OK", but I am real concerned with the bloating and have no idea what exactly happened to it. If it was eaten and spit out, batted around or stepped on..who knows, but I am real upset.
It turns out the lid had "shifted" and wasn't set into the top completely. It was open only 1/4 if that and in a small spot an inch or two wide, I can't understand how these frogs could have squeezed out through it. We suspect one of the cats jumped on the lid and the weight and landing momentum moved it ever so slightly allowing only those 2 to get out...thank god only 2 got out.
Before I go to bed tonight I am going to duck tape around the entire lid so it can't move. Any more escapes and I am going to need to be commited!!LOL

[Jace]

I'm sorry to hear about your little one. Unfortunately, no matter how great a setup we have for them, their natural instinct is to get away and that can lead to some sad stories. I am currently missing a Fire Belly toad, but after 3 days, I am not expecting a happy ending. Mine got out of an opening less than an inch wide...and it was a three inch toad. Frog Mathematics 101.

Have you checked out the Frog First Aid article to the left? I believe it has a section on rehydration that you might find useful. In the meantime, keep it separated, away from any loud distractions and stress and I am sure in a couple of days, it will act as if nothing is wrong and wonder what all the fuss is about. I would make sure it is eating well before returning it to the tank as an eating frog is a great sign. Best of luck!

[UncleChester]

Sorry to hear about your escpees (both of you).

I can't offer any first aid advice, but is there some cat free room you can put your frogs in, at least at night?

As for the tiny gaps frogs can go through, I've seen Grays squeeze themselves through holes that appear no larger than their skulls. The fleshy parts are all very squishy, I think only the bones hold them back.

[Eel Noob]

Sorry to hear about your frogs. Hope it makes a full recovery.

[Ribbitmethis]

I pulled my lepto back from the brink of death via dehydration once. He got out and had hidden behind a running computer. When I found him, he was so dried up and covered in dust bunnies I was sure he was dead. I placed him in a bowl of dechlorinated water on what I thought was stupid hope. I left him alone for a day (no touching, no food) and he perked up, but didn't eat for another week. I hope yours

[charlamanda]

Thanks everyone and sorry to hear about all your escapes stories too, it sucks. After

[charlamanda]

Thanks everyone and sorry to hear about all your escapes stories too, it sucks. After

woopies, hit return by accident...anyway, After several hours in the litter tub, this <1" froglet, who is as wide as long, seemed to peark up and look better, however still a bit bloated. He/she ate a cricket, so I put him/her back in the tank and took a few pics, 1) to Id later(with10 it's not easy, since they're so small, and 2) to post. It's difficult to see the bloating, but it's like someone filled the sides with air. It's gone down since I initially found the poor baby, but is definately obvious,well to me anyway, but I am familiar with them.Pic # 2 & 3, shows the remaining bloating the best.
****What's with the "filling up with air" thing?? Why did he/she do this???
It's really got me stumped!!
Can anyone explain to me why they puff up like this???

[charlamanda]

It didn't post the pics for some reason, so I'll try again.

[IgbyKibbits]

Charla -

We had very good luck rehydrating with clear pedialyte (1:10 dilution). Give him a little soaking pond with the diluted "pedialyte" water, and hopefully that will help. I'm so SO sorry to hear about your escapes. We have a cat as well, and the spray bottle has worked as a deterrent. She knows now if we even point the bottle in her direction, she better stop what she is doing. I agree though, maybe a "non-kitty" room if you can. Heaven knows, the minute we are out of the house or not looking, the cat knows it's a chance to do something bad without the threat of the spray bottle.

Hope the little guy makes it through. I would keep him in the quarantine tank in a very quiet room until you see some improvement/eating. It's much easier to monitor health, and treat the frog if necessary.

[charlamanda]

Thanks! The only non-kitty area is the garage and moving around a 33 gal tank and stand is definately out of the question, plus no heat, but I can move the tubs from the side of the container making it more difficult for the cats to get on the top of the tank. I completely agree that the kitty's will play when we are away, it must be programed in their DNA(wow it actually rhymes). I have been sorting out and cleaning all the remaining, unused fish tank stuff to pack away, so thats why there is a giant tub next to the fish tank, I am removing most of the stuff from underneath the tank, in the stand and what had been in the fish tank and a few things that are still in boxes from the move here. It's taking a lot of time.
The first thing I did, after removing the furball, was put the froglet in a pedialyte bath. He actually stayed in it for more than an hour and looked much better. I am fully stocked up with pedialyte, since Tiny and Baby, and it was the first thing I thought of too. I think you were the person who suggested it to me for Baby, if I am not mistaken, and the advice has come in handy over and over again..thanks!

[IgbyKibbits]

Glad I could help!

Just a quick thought that was told to me by my vet (though I don't think it would have lasted this long). When she was examining my little Quibble, she told me that frogs (as a defense mechanism) will puff up with air. Especially given his harrowing excursion and possible encounter with a kitty, I wonder if it's not a reaction to the stress?

Has it gone down at all? It's a great sign that he ate though!!! Keep him hydrated, and hopefully as he re-adjusts, he'll go back to being himself.