VERY severely injured ACF, warning - graphic photos

[Jenste]

NOT FOR THE WEAK STOMACH!

A few hours ago I sold one of my females to a member on here, go to feed them their dinner and find the same female trapped inside a piece of aquarium decor - a piece that has been in with my frogs over 2 years now

She had struggled so hard to free herself that she has literally ripped off most of her stomach skin and severely bruised/tore the surrounding area. When I first raced in to get her I thought she was dead - - right now she must be in so much pain it would shock me if she made it.

Needless to say she now cannot be sold...but what can I do for the poor thing??

She has already been isolated into a quarantine treatment tank with aquarium salt and stress coat in the new fresh clean water....and put into a quiet corner for her to rest.

here is the decor she got stuck in - as you can see it is fairly rough/bumpy but not sharp





and....here is her belly - sorry for the bad picture but I was holding her in a 3 gallon container of water above my head to take a picture. The center of her belly has the skin completely gone - -and the red/pink surrounding areas is actually hanging in tatters off her





It's been hard enough rehoming my frogs and trying to find good homes for them - - but when one is finally found THIS has to happen?

[mattman0182]

Hurts to look at the pic. I really wish i was capable of giving you some advice :/.

[tgampper]

She has already been isolated into a quarantine treatment tank with aquarium salt and stress coat in the new fresh clean water....and put into a quiet corner for her to rest.

You are doing the right thing by keeping her isolated and in a salt bath. The Stress Coat has aloe to heal the wound (use 1ml per gallon). I hope that all goes well for her.

[Jenste]

Thanks Terry and Mattman I feel absolutely awful about it.

The few moments it took to free her were heart wrenching because I could see the wound.

[ramie22]

How is she doing?

[Poly]

Yeah, how is she? Very sorry to hear what happened, so sad!!

[SkeletalFrog]

It's hard to see how deep the wound is from that photo - is the dark area we're seeing damaged skin, the underlying muscle layer, or actual contents of the abdominal cavity? If the latter, I'd recommend either surgery to close the wound or euthanasia. If the former two, the current method should be enough, though I might add some antibiotics to the mix as a preventative.

[John]

If this were any other amphibian I would say she's doomed, but Xenopus are like the terminator. I would be surprised if she doesn't live. Fingers crossed.

[Jenste]

Thank you everyone!

Amazingly she is still holding on, but it seems just barely. She is very unresponsive to me being in the tank and only moves a bit if I touch her foot.

The dark center of the wound is actually torn abdominal muscle ...

If you look at the photo, just to the right of the wound you can see a large piece of skin hanging...

She looks like she is going through an awful shedding but it is just falling off her in thick tatters underneath....

I am so worried about infection on top of everything, I am striving to keep her water as clean as can be but she has become so listless I am wondering if she is suffering...

I have never euthanized a frog and am nauseous to contemplate it...but when last year one of my frogs was injured by a snail I was unable to find an amphibian vet even in the nearby states.... they all sounded ok until I mentioned it was an aquatic species and then they told me they don't take in those.

[SkeletalFrog]

My recommendation would be to buy some MS-222 (aka Tricaine or Aquacalm), available at many specialist aquarium stores. If she starts to go downhill further, mix up 1 gram per L of water and add 1.5 grams of baking soda (to counter the acidity of MS-222). That should gently put her to sleep. Clove oil works too, but I've never used it myself.

[flybyferns]

JENNA,
I'm so sorry , It is heart breaking!
I SO hope she will hangs in there !!!!
Is there a vet you could call ?


scroll to the bottom of the page - link below ? vet help/locators

Amphibian Care >> Amphibian and Reptile Information >> Links and Resources

[tgampper]

It is sad that you are considering euthanasia It is a really tough situation to make. MS-222 seems to be the most humane method. If you download the RSPCA guide on Xenopus, there is a section on euthanasia on pages 56-59. You can download the guide at
http://www.rspca.org.uk/ImageLocator...46624&mode=prd

[Jenste]

Euthanasia is an extreme last resort consideration.

She is still alive but barely responsive to stimulus. The surroundings of the wound are red with white edges...I am fearful of infection.


And thank you guys for the links and tips on how to due it humanely if it seems to come to the point that I am only holding off the inevitable. I pray I never have to but I want to know how to do it as gently as possible if I have to

[tgampper]

jenna:

I know that euthanasia is a tough choice and it's something we avoid doing. Hopefully, the wound is not as bad as it looks. I suggest adding tetracycline to fight off any bacterial infection. We are all praying that she will recover soon.

One thing for sure, Xenopus are tough.

[Jenste]

She is still holding on, bless her! She was moving a bit more today which has me hopeful. The wound still looks awful but some of the redness seems to have gone down.

[Jenste]

Fresh water and crossed fingers seem to be doing their job - - she is still here, more alert and looking better. I will try and get an updated picture of her stomach and will try to see if I can get her to eat a worm today (would be the first time she has eaten since her ordeal on Sunday)

[Jenste]

Still ugly but definitely an improvement.

[tgampper]

Wow! What an improvement. I think she will pull through. Just give her a little more TLC

[MonsterPyxie]

Maybe the frog was trying to rub off some of the shedding skin, got stuck, freaked out, and tore itself apart trying to get away?


Hopefully the frog pulls through. seems horrible.

[artes]

Have you tried Melafix?