help with my new ADF!

[Kirstin Schafer]

Hi,

So I just recently got an african dwarf frog. This morning I noticed he was starting to shed and I read that this is normal. However, I just checked on him and his skin is still hanging on his leg. He's just been dragging it around. Is it normal for the skin to not come completely off? Should I pull it off for him?

Thanks!
~Kirstin

[Jenste]

Sometimes it comes off all in one clump, and sometimes it will tear in the middle of shedding and come off in pieces....

This becomes a problem if you notice any reddening of the skin, bloating, floating, flipping over, lack of appetite, or lack of response.

It could also indicate a problem with the water in the tank, so to narrow that down I am going to post a few questions that will really help us narrow down on how to help you and your frog.

1) how big is the tank? (gallon size/dimensions)
2) when did you set it up?
3) did you cycle the tank? If so, how and for how long?
4) what type of substrate do you have? (nothing, sand, gravel, rocks etc), what kind of decorations/plants/hiding places?
5) what do you feed your frog and how often?
6) how do you clean the tank and what do you treat the water with?
7) what temperature is the water?
8) any recent changes to the tank?

Lastly,
Welcome to the forum Kirstin!

[Kirstin Schafer]

Hi, thanks for replying!
The skin actually came off in the middle of the night and he looks fine now. My tank is 2.5 gallons and I set it up this past monday. I have gravel right now but I just bought sand because I read that is better for the frog. I also have a heater keeping the water around 75 degrees.

I am having trouble with getting him to eat however. At first I was trying pellets and freeze dried blood worms and he would not eat them. I just bought frozen ones and tried those but he really didn't seem to interesting in them either. Any advice?

Thanks!
~Kirstin

[Jenste]

Best advice is to have patience.
This is quite a change for him and it is very normal for frogs to go off their food when stressed. They can go with out eating for a couple of weeks after large amounts of stress.

Another thing to do - be consistent. Stick with one type of food until he is eating regularly from you for a few months. I recommend HBH frog and tadpole bites or Reptomin sticks. If you offer too many types too soon, you can actually make the frog overly picky (like a spoiled child). Get him used to eating what is healthy and then you can treat him with the frozen blood worms. I recommend avoiding freeze dried foods all together. They can cause constipation and bloating.

[Kirstin Schafer]

ok I have something called Frog,Newt & Tadpole bits..Is that basically the same thing?

[Jenste]

Yup that should be just fine. He may be a little picky at first but when he gets hungry, trust me he will eat. Have patience new froggy mom

[Kirstin Schafer]

okay thanks so much for your help! I appreciate it