Worried about my froggie, help?

[nlopez]

Hi everyone. I have already learned tons just from poking around here for a bit and thank you all in advance for the great info.

I actually began researching online (and that's how I found this forum) because my new pacman has pretty large bulges in his belly, like he might not be digesting his food? He has been eating fine and regularly (2 med/large crickets per night), but this is the first that I have seen his belly so big (kind of looks like two pockets, one on each side of him). Is this normal, like if he is keeping water/food in his belly for a bit? I am semi afraid to feed him since I read that some pacmans will just keep eating as much as they are fed.

I was concerned because we did have a cold night a few nights ago and since then it seems the humidity has been hard to keep up, so I am considering a humidifier. But could the humidity inconsistencies affect his digestion also?

Being a new pacman mommy all I have been doing is worry because I want him (I believe he is a boy) to be comfortable in his new home! I hope you guys can help me (even more than reading your posts have already!) make him happy. Thanks in advance, everyone!!!

[GrifTheGreat]

What are your temps? They need heat to properly metabolize and digest their food. When they hold water or are well hydrated they appear fat. Also if your frogs eating regularly then the right side is probably full of poop and the left (being the stomach) food. If he is acting normally then he is probably fine. For feeding the best thing to do is a schedule. If he is a baby or juvinile he can be fed daily or every other day. Feed him as much as he will eat in 15 to 20 minutes so you keep track of how much he eats.

Pics would help. Different angles so we can see his side properly.

[nlopez]

Usually he is up around 75 avg, but right now he is around 70. His humidity is, like I mentioned, unfortunately becoming a bit unstable lately, but currently is at 60%.

He has not pooped since he ate yesterday, and as far as I can tell he did not poop the previous day either. He has, however, been hiding in his tunnel (he usually chooses a spot and sticks to it for a few days at a time). He rarely jumps into his water dish- since I got him he has been it maybe twice (I got him around mid-Dec), so I as unsure if it was water retention.

Also, he eats his two crickets religiously each night, eating both in a matter of minutes. I had narrowed it down to two because when I had given him three he had left the third until the following day. Unfortunately, I do not know how old he is, and so I took feeding advice (in regards to feeding daily) from what I have read in care manuals and from this wonderful and luckily knowledgeable employee at my pet store.

Here is the only picture and only angle I have of him at regular size (this is from when I just got him).



Here are the ones from just now, where I am seeing his belly inflated.

[GrifTheGreat]

In the photos his substrate looks too wet. It needs to be moist or heavily damp not mud. He looks like he has poop on his right and food on the left. He needs temps of 80 to 85 degrees during the day and 75 to 79 at night. Humidity needs to be 70 to 80%. 60% isn't ideal but not terrible since the minimum can be around 65% but not for extended periods. I assume you have a screen top yes? You can cover 1/3 to 3/4 of the top with plastic wrap to help hold in heat and humidity. Don't worry about him not pooping yet because they don't do that daily. Normal is every 3 to 5 days they will poop so that isn't an issue yet. If you're worried about him needing to poop you can soak him in warm de-chlorinated water for 10 to 15 minutes. Make sure its its luke warm so he isn't burned. You can disolve 2 to 3 drops of honey in the water to help him poop. If he doesn't go it will atleast help him move it more through his bowels.

For extra heat you may have to buy a heat lamp. Do you have a UTH (Under Tank Heater)? If so it should be placed on the side of the tank not the bottom. These are burrowing frogs and can be burned on the glass if they burrow over the UTH. Also they burrow to cool off and won't understand why they can if they burrow over the UTH. Also the UTH needs to be on the side opposite your frogs water dish so there is a warm and cool side. this gives a temp gradient in the enclosure so your frog can decide whether he wants to be warm or cool.

When buying a heat lamp you need to buy one that has a dimmer switch. The dimmer allows you to accurately control the amount of heat and light coming from the bulb. You must buy incandescent bulbs to use with these lamps NOT fluorescents. Fluorescents can't be used with a dimmer, are usually too bright, and don't put off much heat. Flukers makes a good dome lamp with a dimmer switch. When you cover your screen top with the plastic wrap leave an opening in the center of the lid as wide or wider than the lamp because the heat lamp goes in the center of the enclosure.

When buying a bulb you must select one that is no less than 25 watts /d no more than 50watts. Any less can be un affective and any higher will possibly burn and harm the frog. Select a bulb that is either infrared or a basking light. I use the spotlight kind with a concentrated beam of light so they heat up the ambient air without having to be up very high. Exo Terra and Zoo Med both make good spotlight basking bulbs. Mine are both 50 watts. I always suggest plant cover whether it be fake or live so your frog can hide from the ligh as they would naturally.

Please note that lights burn off humidity so you will mist often. Spray not just the substrate spray the walls of the enclosure as well. You may have to change out his substrate for new as his looks way too wet. When preparing the substrate wring it out to the amout of moist you need then place it in the enclosure. Moist not mud is the motto for substrate.

Keep us posted and if you have any other questions just ask. Also be sure to read the (Pacman Care Sheet) within the care articles on the forum for some very good info on keeping these frogs.

[nlopez]

Phew! I was hoping it was just food and poop. Thanks for all the wonderful info! I did not feed him last night as I thought he might not have any more room for food. Is it safe to feed him as long as he will eat? I'm concerned he will just keep eating until he pops. And, is he in pain when all filled up with poop like this? I would like to soak him to help him poop, but I know its better to touch them as little as possible, so I try to prevent it when I can.

I actually have been having some problems determining how wet to keep his substrate. I was told that keeping it wetter would help keep humidity up, which I am finding out to not be true. I think I will try the plastic wrap with holes poked in it on his screen lid, as that seems more logical to better trap heat and humidity. It would be great to not have to buy a humidifier.

I do have a UTH, but its on the side of the tank (opposite from the water dish). I was concerned about him having a warmer place to go, because the lamp I was using seemed to be sucking the humidity out of the tank as you described. It currently has a blue "daylight" bulb to simulate his 12/12 cycle, but I have not used it for 12 hours at a time since the first time because it left his terrarium REALLY dry. Also, I'm not sure this blue bulb really produces much heat, but was called a basking bulb. Is an infrared bulb preferred?

I have been misting his tank, substrate and walls, especially when the bulb had dried out his tank as I described. However, I feel like I am misting him constantly in efforts to keep up the humidity. How many times a day should I need to mist him? Hopefully covering his screen lid will help with this.

Thanks in advance for your help. Like I said, I am a new frog mommy so I have a lot of questions. And btw, the Care Sheet is extremely informative (I've read it a few times since being here already).

[GrifTheGreat]

You can use that daylight blue bulb. What is the wattage? You can buy a infrared bulb for night time and during the day if needs be. Preferably at night. You can handle your frog as long as it is only when necissary. Soak him tonight in the luke warm de-chlorinated water with honey. Only 2 to 3 drops disolved in the water. Be sure before you handle him that you wash your hands thoroughly with a very mild cleanser then rinse them with de-chlorinated water. Make sure the water you are soaking him in is no deeper than up to his chin. Hold off on feeding him til after you soak him. Be careful as he will not be used to you handling him since you don't almost at all. He may squirm and jump away. Keep us posted.