Decent "exotic" pet vet in NYC? Rescued froggy health issue-

[EventHorizon]

I just took in a "fantasy frog" who definitely has some health issues. Just got "her" today... and I just found out the vet I always took my reptiles to when I had them in the city- isn't there anymore!

1- She doesn't seem to really be able to move her front legs.
2- When I was inspecting her, she seemed to have what looked like a white worm burrow into one of her hind legs.

I want to get her to a vet, but the few I called told me they don't do reptiles and were overall useless.

I had picked up a mite spray- but I just realized (of course I read everything before I use it) that it's only for reptiles, NOT amphibians. I've been told ivermectrin (sp?) could be used, I use that for my horse, however, that's more for internal parasites, and I'm not sure what the deal was with the worm. I rinsed her off with non-choranated water (warmed), and I couldn't find any sign of the worm- so either it did borrow back into her leg, or it was rinsed off. I'm not sure which one... and I wish I did.

I was thinking her inability to really move her legs may be first stages of metabolic bone disease? I picked up Rep-Cal, the Phosphorus-Free Calcium powder with D3, and with any other rep I'd mix it together and give a small dose in an oral syringe just for a head start. I don't think she was given proper lighting or vitamins at all. I have the gut load for the crickets I intend on feeding, and I have some wax worms as well. I don't know how well she'd do catching crickets, and while I know wax worms are empty calories and almost pure fat, I figure it may perk her up a little (not sure the last time she ate) I can dust them, and she's fairly underweight after she peed when I was checking her out-

Any ideas? Either for a vet, or treatment if nobody knows a good herp vet? She's quite lovely...

[BG]

I can only tell you to start helping her eat. Theres a vet in Valley Stream LI on Merrick rd . They take all animals.. It wont hurt if you gave her a dusted fuzzy with calcium and D3. Just let her clamp on and she will take it from there. As the worm goes check the first aid thread we have here for frogs. It sounds like parasites.

[EventHorizon]

For tonight I'll try the waxworms dusted... I really want to get some calcium and D3 in her- I'll pick up pinkies in the morning though.

I'll check out the first aid section right now- I must have skipped over that when I was looking at the forum subjects somehow, thank! I'll post pics as soon as I take some.

[BG]

I use this stuff for parasites Flagyl (Metronidazole). It comes in a white powder with a measuring spoon. Use very little cause its strong.

[BG]

I used the liquid calcium and liquid vitamins and mixed them and loaded them in a syringe and injected the fuzzy with it and then fed it. It worked . The vet has the calcium injections as well.

[GrifTheGreat]

I've never heard of worms burrowing into the frogs legs. That's a new parasite to me. Sounds bad though. I would do as BG has instructed. A fuzzy flooded with vitamins and calcium might help kick start your frogs recovery. Poor thing. Is this another pet store failure to add to the overwelming pile?

[EventHorizon]

I can't even get her to eat a wax worm, there's no way she'd eat a fuzzy...

Now, short term with snakes who wouldn't eat, who weren't in the condition to go without eating (they needed meds, or vitamins asap), what I would do would be tube them a little kitten food (high in protein), and add in even more vitamins, a touch of calcium, and whatever meds they were on. (I can tube feed a reptile with my eyes closed)

I know I can let some stuff be absorbed through the skin, like a mix of pedialyte and water for dehydration (would it be 50/50 like I'd do for a reptile? Then a quick rinse in dechlorinated water?) But, for the ultra ultra short term, to get the meds, vitamins and calcium into her, would a touch of wet kitten food be ok? Some protein, maybe one or two CCs of that a couple of times will help perk her up a bit more? I've seen it help perk up snakes and monitor lizards people swore were gonners in no time...

And as for where she came from- I work as a pet food rep for Blue Buffalo and I go around talking to people who want to know more about the food (thankfully it's not a sales position! , but I have a decent amount of experience with reptiles from far more other places that even though I don't work for the store, the employees usually send the people with the sick animals, who think for whatever reason a petstore worker would know what to do to me.

I have a fairly high success rate of getting people to *say* they'll bring their pet to a vet. (Who really knows if they do once they think about it a little)- but this little one was brought in all sorts of messed up. They didn't want to spend money on a vet, they didn't realize how messed up she is (like being unable to move her front legs it seems)... they told me the store they bought her from.

Now I'm familiar with that company, and I know over all, the animals come first- so sending any animal to a vet is 100% expected. If a higher boss had found that frog in the enclosure without having it vet checked and taken care of, that manager would have literally been fired. It's pretty much the only thing that will get someone instantly fired is an animal who may be suffering, not being attended to (or the animals being in a dirty tank/being neglected in any other way), and when the District Managers come in, they go over the animals with a fine tooth comb...

That said, they figured she was too much trouble, with too much possible expense for a 36$ frog. I hate that mindset.

So, I took her in, and tried to call my exotic doc pet, and low and behold, Dr. Hunziker isn't there anymore at all!

But yeah, there's no way she's eating a fuzzy, all she wants to do is sit borrowed and won't look interested in anything in front of her at all.

[GrifTheGreat]

Yes, you can use kitten food. That's what we had to do with our pacman Grif. He stopped eating out of the blue and was starving to death. The vet gave us antibiotics and some high protein soft cat food used for malnourished animals. We had to mix calcium and vitamins in with the food and squirt it into his mouth with a tube syringe. We did that every night for almost three months. Slowly we were able give him more solids (starting with worms-easier to swallow and digest- and working up to pinkies because they are high in fat and were good for restoring his fat reserves). Grif slowly gained his weight back and became more active. He started eating on his own almost as abruptly as he had stopped. Now he is very healthy and quite the chubber! It is a lot of work to nurture a frog back to health, but to me it was totally worth it. The little guy is part of my family. I just couldn't give up and watch him starve to death.

I don't know about your frog's other symptoms, but the soft cat food works great. It's easy for them to swallow and digest and you can mix the supplements right in it. Best of luck and I hope you are able to bring your gal back to health!

[EventHorizon]

Ok, that's great

It seems, from what I've been reading, and a some unofficial advice I managed to get from the vet I used when I lived upstate- who thankfully I also used to assist so he trusts what I say (He just got back from vacation this morning), a lot of what is ok for reptiles should be ok for her as well (like the amount of cat food to feed at a time and such).

He also recommended the flagyl, or Ivermectin- I think right now the flagyl would be easier for me to get my hands on- He was also saying if she's very loaded with worms, and they're all killed quickly, that it could lead to sepsis... Anyone on here have any experience with that?

I want her to have the best shot she can have, and still calling around trying to find someone who'll do exotics that I can get to- I'm fairly secure that with what I've been told I'll be able to help her, but I'd feel much better if a vet could give her an honest look over...

Now- with reptiles who aren't eating, sometimes it's a good thing to up the heat a little, sort of jumpstarts their metabolism as long as you're keeping them hydrated, and keeping them at the right humidity, and are making sure they're getting nutrition.

Not sure if that's ok with her, and I forgot to ask the vet-, would making it a little warmer be ok so long as her humidity levels remain ok? I just tried to call him back, but he stepped out on an emergency call and they're not sure when he'll be back. (He does large animals too- and farm calls you never know how long they'll take.)

[GrifTheGreat]

Ok, that's great

It seems, from what I've been reading, and a some unofficial advice I managed to get from the vet I used when I lived upstate- who thankfully I also used to assist so he trusts what I say (He just got back from vacation this morning), a lot of what is ok for reptiles should be ok for her as well (like the amount of cat food to feed at a time and such).

He also recommended the flagyl, or Ivermectin- I think right now the flagyl would be easier for me to get my hands on- He was also saying if she's very loaded with worms, and they're all killed quickly, that it could lead to sepsis... Anyone on here have any experience with that?

I want her to have the best shot she can have, and still calling around trying to find someone who'll do exotics that I can get to- I'm fairly secure that with what I've been told I'll be able to help her, but I'd feel much better if a vet could give her an honest look over...

Now- with reptiles who aren't eating, sometimes it's a good thing to up the heat a little, sort of jumpstarts their metabolism as long as you're keeping them hydrated, and keeping them at the right humidity, and are making sure they're getting nutrition.

Not sure if that's ok with her, and I forgot to ask the vet-, would making it a little warmer be ok so long as her humidity levels remain ok? I just tried to call him back, but he stepped out on an emergency call and they're not sure when he'll be back. (He does large animals too- and farm calls you never know how long they'll take.)

Yes definetly raise the heat to at least 84 degrees. If you give her a worm medicine that will kill all the worms suddenly or instantly it will put her into septic shock and may kill her. An antibiotic with the Flagyl will help. Instead of soaking her in it an oral treatment may be needed which you do by seringe. You can open her mouth with a mini credit card like the shopper cards. Getting a seringe of it premixed from a vet but it comes with directions for mixing so that should be fine. Consulting a vet is best when it comes to meds. Use the cat/dog food to force feed her. Suck it up in a seringe open her mouth and squirt it in. She'll probably love it.