Missing Limb

[Buck Rogers]

I hope I am posting in the right place with this, I am sure that my banded rubber frogs are Microhylids, if it is the wrong place sorry.

Anyway my question, I have 5 banded rubber frogs and because we are in Winter at the moment (and they were too young to hibernate) I have struggled to get pin head crickets and flighltess fruit flies so I have been feeding termites. Now I noticed the other day that one of the banded rubber frogs lost its right back foot. Now at first I thought it was the termites chewed it off so I panicked and cleaned their enclosure to get rid of all termites!!! But then on inspecting the missing limb it looked to clean (no wound or blood) so I can assume one of 2, either I bought her with a limb missing and only realised now (unlikely) or that she got jammed somewhere and blood flow stopped to that limb and the foot fell off. She is fine hobbling around but nothing severe, is there any thing I should put on it (F10 ointment?) and can frogs of this species re-generate limbs?

I know with research people do clip frogs toes so it it nothing drastic but being the first frogs I have kept I am neurotic.

[Kurt]

First of all Phrynomantis AKA rubber frogs ARE Microhylids, so this post is in the correct section. Keep her in a clean enviroment. An enclosred with a paper substrate works well, just make sure to keep it clean. The moment it gets soiled, change it. Has the wound healed over yet?

[Buck Rogers]

Yeah, the wound is completely healed. There is nothing oozing out of it at all and looks completely clean. Its just a stub at this point and no blood or anything else oozing from it. She is the biggest female that I have in the group and doing really well and besides the lost limb she is growing nicely and eating well. It is the actual foot and not the whole leg that is gone. I have no idea how it happened because I inspect them daily and this is the first time I am seeing this. it is really odd!

[Kurt]

Well, all I can say is keep it clean and maybe go see a vet. Other then that I have no advice to give.

[Buck Rogers]

Cool, thanks for the advice mate! I popped her into a smaller tub last night and put down some tissue paper with a water bowl and a few crickets which she ate straight away. The limb looks okay, but I would rather wait it out and make sure there are no infections. Is there a rule of thumb for how long I should keep her separated? I was thinking for a bout a week, do you concur?

[Kurt]

I keep her out for as long as it takes for her to heal and being ectothermic, that will take more then a week.

[lraulston]

Wow, first off sorry that your frog is missing a foot. Sounds like there is no infection though, which is good. She will learn to complensate for it, and as Kurt said keep her in a clean environment until all is healed if it isn't already. Strange for sure, but sounds like she will do okay.

[Buck Rogers]

Thanks for all the help everyone. I did keep her separately but put her back with the group yesterday, I know I should be more patient but I have been keeping them in a addis style tub with sphagnum moss (clean) and a small plastic hide and water bowl and gave it a good clean before I put here back. Plus the wound seems 100% healed so altough I may have jumped the gun from my experience with working with other herps (even though I admit I am a novice with amphibs) I made the judgment call.

She is the largest of the group and feeding really well on a balanced diet so that is perhaps the reason see healed so quickly.

But once again thanks for all the help, this forum is a really helpful bunch of people and I appreaciate that a lot!

[Kurt]

You're welcome.

[Buck Rogers]

Just some feedback on the subject. The female with the lost limb is doing really well and still manages to climb up the side of the tub and is eating like a champion and growing really well. Thanks to everyone for their help

[Kurt]

You're welcome and that is wonderful news!