Sick FBT

[maranda]

We have 2 fire belly toads. Today we found one on its back, struggling. We flipped it back over and it is seeming very lethargic and one eye seems cloudy. It's color (top and bottom) is still good. It isn't time to feed it again until morning, so I don't know if it is eating or not. We are located in a very small town without access to an exotic animal vet. The other frog is active and fine. Could it have inhaled some water while upside down?

[Jace]

Sorry to hear about your toad. My first suggestion to you would be to quarantine your toad away from your healthy one. A simple setup consisting of a secure small plastic critter cage, filled with paper towel, a small plant for cover and a small, low filled water dish will suffice. This will allow you to better observe him/her and be able to feed it separately and see if it is actually eating or not. Not being able to see the toad or observe it, it will be hard to say exactly what is wrong. Are you able to take a picture of it, especially the eye? My second question is the feeding: are you dusting the crickets at least twice a week with a calcium and vitamin supplement (once a week for each)? As well, what kind of setup do you have your toads in? Hopefully we will be able to help you and your toad.

[maranda]

I will post a pic this morning. My toads are in a 10 gallon aquarium with aquarium gravel and fairly large moss covered rocks for land and about 1/2 inch of water in the bottom which I change weekly. I am feeding the crickets Fluker's Orange Cube Complete Cricket Diet. According to the label it has all the calcium, vitamin, etc., that the frogs need.The picture on the left, you can see how it's eye is kind of foggy looking, it is a little swollen looking too.

[Jace]

The eye does look cloudy and swollen. Without access to a vet, I would definitely recommend separating the two toads so you can observe the sick toad and keep the hospital setup in pristine conditions. Your tank setup sounds okay, though I would be careful using aquarium gravel. Some of the rocks in the pics look rather small, and I have had toads almost swallow gravel in their enthusiasm to eat. Without a vet at hand and medications, there is not much you can do except try and get your toad to eat and keep everything around it as clean as possible. FBTs are pretty tough and usually pull through minor issues without medical attention. The toad is a good weight, so it just might have the grits to tough this out. Unless someone else has something to offer, I am not sure what more I can tell you. Best of luck and keep me posted.

[maranda]

thanks for the advice! She (I don't know if it is male or female but I hate "it") has been a bit more active today, she did eat, not a cricket but a bit of earthworm. Hopefully she will tough it out. I will keep you posted.

[Firebelly love]

I don't know what to say other than, I hope your toad makes it.

[maranda]

Update: The toad is still alive, in a separate tank. I have gotten her some tiny crickets that may be easier for her to eat because she still isn't eating well. When I cleaned her tank today she almost seems like her balance is off, she managed to flip onto her back once and I had to turn her over. In the small container I used to house her while I cleaned the tank, she sort of spun in circles till she calmed down. She insists on laying in the water with her head cocked up at an odd angle. Here are pictures of my hospital setup and a close up of the toad. On a side note, I don't think I am a big fan of the coconut husk mulch. It is kind of messy.

[Jace]

In a hospital tank, I use paper towel, a small water dish and something for coverage-usually a spare silk plant I have. The paper towel makes it easier not only to clean, but to see how many crickets I have put in there and also to monitor bowel movements. I would remove the coconut husk not only because it is messy, but because you want as sterile a setup as possible. Have you ever given her crickets dusted with calcium powder? I realize the cricket food you give is all-inclusive, but I always dusted my crickets once a week wtih a powder to just make sure they were getting as much calcium as possible. I did not do this at first, and I lost one toad with similar symptoms to yours. I was later told it was a calcium and/or vitamin deficiency despite the quality food I was giving my crickets.

[maranda]

She (it?) is still hanging on. She hasn't eaten in several days. I tried to feed her a freeze dried blood worm with some tweezers and couldn't get her to open her mouth. If she isn't eating it doesn't matter what I give the crickets to eat because it won't do her any good, so this morning I dusted the frog with calcium powder. I figured it couldn't hurt, maybe she could get a little in the water she is drinking. Her eyes seem clearer this afternoon and she was plenty active when I was trying to hold her in my hand and feed her because she wanted me to let her go. At this point I wish she would just get better or die because I don't like thinking she is suffering.

[Jace]

Have you tried offering her a mealworm or two? Most toads find mealworms hard to resist and if you only offer a couple, then you don't have to worry about impaction. Lightly dust the mealworms with calcium and let them wiggle around in front of her. Hopefully it will entice her to eat something.

[maranda]

Poor Daedalus is still hanging in there. She seems better, her eye is no longer cloudy and she is a bit more active, but still isn't eating or having bowel movements. She currently has access to crickets and mealworms. She is showing no interest at all in the cricket and has dragged 2 mealworms into the water and drowned them, but won't eat them. I also talked to the folks in my local pet store and the nearest vet who deals with reptiles and amphibians is 95 miles away.

[Firebelly love]

Hang on little toad!

[maranda]

Poor Daedalus is still alive, although I don't think she has eaten anything for at least 3 weeks. Other than that, all her symptoms are gone. She is still in quarantine. Should I return her to the aquarium with the other 2 frogs and see what happens or leave her where she is to die? How long can she go without eating before she starves to death? I feel like I have done everything I can and am not making any progress. I can't stand to see her in this small quarantine tank all alone and not making any progress. Any ideas?

[maranda]

I just wanted to let you all know that the poor thing finally died Monday night. I don't know if she died from whatever was making her sick or if she starved to death, but from the very first post on this thread she never ate anything. I am having great luck with the other two, they are healthy and fat, and have started croaking at night.