Ill never understand my frog

[Joe9252]

So I'm close to giving up on my frog. i really don't know what to do it could perhaps be the most temperamental animal i have ever witnessed # 1 it seems he hates to be handled i have no clue how you guys ever take pics with your frogs in your hands its a struggle to even get mine outta the tank to clean it.... and then at times all it ever does is eat none stop and now for the past 3 weeks it has not eaten a thing and I've tired it all crickets, night crawlers fuzzies nothing he just won't eat... I honestly don't know what to do both temp and humidity have been perfect whats next.... I gave him a pedalite bath about and week ago and nothing changed as you can see he is a good size but it won't eat!!!!!!!!! And I'm not gonna lie one of the reasons i decided to get a pac was because i was told they were fun because they are always eating and growing and its fun to watch the grow....

Him and his new fuzzy best friend.....

[BlueisallIneed]

It's an animal that's in your care and responsibility. Seems like you wanted him for the wrong reasons. Not all frogs are the same or there personalities. If you want to " give up" you should find him a good home. If he doesnt continue to eat I would take him to a vet. He maybe stressed or sick. Also he maybe impacted. Has he gone to the bathroom?

[GrifTheGreat]

Joe Pacman frogs are tempermental animals. most do not like being handled. Even as their care giver they see if they see you as a threat like if you show anger and frustration your frog will pick up on your emotions and become stressed. You must remain calm.

There is a sticky post at the top of this section of threads called "Trouble in the enclosure" please read that thread and answer the questions. This will assist us I. figuring out what may be wrong with your Pacman.

[Joe9252]

i don't remember the last time he pooped but when i soaked him nothing happened

[GrifTheGreat]

i don't remember the last time he pooped but when i soaked him nothing happened

Answer these questions so we can assist you with your frog. http://www.frogforum.net/pacman-frog...enclosure.html

[Joe9252]

1. Size of enclosure-10 G
2. # of inhabitants - specifically other frogs and size differences-1Frog
3. Humidity-75%
4. Temperature 80
5. Water - type - for both misting and soaking dish- tap water with water conditioner added
6. Materials used for substrate-Coco Fiber
7. Enclosure set up i.e. plants (live or artificial), wood, bark and other materials. 2 heat pad located and one corner or the tank a glass lid to keep humidity water bowl in center and then fake plants off to the other side of the tank opposite heat pads
- How were things prepared prior to being put into the viv.
8. Main food source night crawlers and fuzzes
9. Vitamins and calcium? (how often) Calcium duster every other feeding
10. Lighting 15w purple night light over heated side of tank goes on @ 5pm turns off @6am
11. What is being used to maintain the temperature of the enclosure heat pads and light bulb
12. When is the last time he/she ate 3 weeks ago
13. Have you found poop lately No
14. A pic would be helpful including frog and enclosure (any including cell phone pic is fine)
15. How old is the frog had it since AUG
16. How long have you owned him/her See above
17. Is the frog wild caught or captive bred captive bred
18. Frog food- how often and if it is diverse, what other feeders are used as treats
19. How often the frog is handled Once a month when i clean tank
20. Is the enclosure kept in a high or low traffic area Med traffic in my room but I'm only in my room for a few hrs a day
21. Describe enclosure maintenance (water changes, cleaning, etc) I clean its about once a month

[IvoryReptiles]

Are the heating pads on the sides of the enclosure? If they are on the bottom, move them to the sides.
Temps should be around 82 during the day & 78 at night.

Sometimes, depending on what foods they have been fed, it takes time to digest. Pinkies should be a treat given once every 2 to 3 months.......NOT a staple food item. There are many reasons for them to fast. Hard to digest items is one, possible impaction is another. If the temps & humidity is off, or if they are stressed, it affects them and their actions.

Some of our adults will go days without eating sometimes, even though we offer nightly. Look in the holes where the frog digs in for poop sacks.

Also, Pacs are NOT normally the huggy, lovey frogs.........it's rare to get one that doesn't stress out when handled.
If you've been trying to look cool to your buddies by handling the frog often, it could be the reason for the fasting. They will withdraw when stressed.

[Joe9252]

Heat pads are at the sides of the tank and i assure you I'm not a 10 yr old i have never taken out my frog to look "cool to my buddies" I'm 26 yrs old lol.... the frog is ONLY handled when i clean the tank... I was just pointing out that i see pics of tons of people on this forum holding their frog..... mine won't even stay in my hand when i move him from his tank to a smaller one to clean....... it seems mine is very scared of people it burrows down or squirms if i get near to the tank

[DVirginiana]

In the future, feed pinkies instead of fuzzies. I've seen snakes like pythons get impacted on the fur from fuzzies, and they were designed to eat rodents as a primary food. A pacman CAN eat fuzzies, but pinkies are safer and easier to digest.
If you've had him since last August, and this is the first issue you've had with him not eating, he may be impacted. Don't try to feed mice at all for awhile; stick to crickets and nightcrawlers. Also, if it won't freak him out too much, you can try to gently feel his right side. If he is impacted, there will probably be a lump there.

As for the crazy feeding response, some of them just don't do that. I bought mine thinking it would be an 'easy' frog to keep because I wouldn't have to worry about it refusing food often. She's never had the crazy 'lunge at anything that moves' feeding response you see in youtube videos. Pacmans (most frogs for that matter) are never going to enjoy being handled. The most you can hope for is for them to trust you enough that they don't mind necessary handling, or having you hang out near their tank and watch them.

[cali]

One concept to consider would be the work done by Pavlov.
Conditioned response and habit formation.

I go through the same process when I feed my frog everytime. He (starting to think she), sits in my hand with zero issues- never tried to jump or bite. He used to hunker-down in his dugout when I reached for him, but I see that response less and less.
If he's unclear of your intentions, he may be more worried about being eaten himself than the snack that you're offering.
Whatever interaction you have with the frog- make a pattern of it.
When you remove him to feed, do it at the same time of day (might want to think of this through his eyes- by the sun's position, not the clock).
Approach the cage from the same angle. Remove anything from the cage (water bowl, hide, etc) in the same order.
Place the frog in the same location for feeding- with the same items visable to him. Offer him the same food.
Do all of this in the same amount of time. Pacman's DO have memory and CAN understand their surroundings and previous experiences.

[GrifTheGreat]

Cali makes a valid point here. Pacman Frogs do NOT like change and will become stressed if thing change in your behavior or his surroundings. keep that in mind.

You can try soaking him in a luke. warm bath of de-chlorinating water and add 4 drops of honey dissolved in the water. this provides an energy boost as well as helps them poop. Just something to try. The water should be no deeper than up to his chin.

[IvoryReptiles]

Heat pads are at the sides of the tank and i assure you I'm not a 10 yr old i have never taken out my frog to look "cool to my buddies" I'm 26 yrs old lol.... the frog is ONLY handled when i clean the tank... I was just pointing out that i see pics of tons of people on this forum holding their frog..... mine won't even stay in my hand when i move him from his tank to a smaller one to clean....... it seems mine is very scared of people it burrows down or squirms if i get near to the tank

I am SO sorry for just assuming that you did that (and believe me, age is not the deciding factor!) It's just that the way you worded it, it sounded like you tried to hold it often for recreational purposes.
We breed them and have a few that will sit still and allow us to handle them when needed, but for the most part, they do NOT appreciate being looked at, much less touched & handled.....LOL

These frogs eat mostly insects & other frogs in the wild......on occasion, they get hold of a bird. As a rule, mammalian proteins are difficult for them to digest. Avian proteins, however, are easier. Some people have fed chicks to their frogs, we prefer not to. There really are so many food items we can offer them for variety.

I'm guessing the frog may be digesting it's last meal. Check it's side if you can and feel for the lump. Try the warm soaks with a drop (and I literally mean a drop) of honey........it works as a laxative and do this for a few days in a row. It is not an instant cure. Good luck & I hope this helps!!

[Joe9252]

ill try giving it a bath in warm water pedalite and honey tonight... just wondering when you guys go to pick your frogs up how are you do it? i just don't want to do it in a way that it stresses it out because no matter what it just always seems to squirm in my hands i want to try to keep it as calm as possible yet I don't want it to bite me lol i heard it could be a pretty nasty bite... also are you placing the frog into the bath... or into a container and the pouring the water into the container after the pac is in... i know these seem like dumb questions but like i said i want to try to keep it as stress free as possible.....

[Sublime]

There's a few handling tips, one you can use your left or right hand as the scooping hand to get underneath one of his sides and the opposite hand to cup (place over) most of his body without covering the face preferrably. Also to mention the best way of doing this is at an angle where your hands aren't seen by the pacman.

Another way is using both of your hands and being in a position behind the pacman, placing hands on both sides of the pacmans lower middle region and then using your thumbs placed on the top of his back for control in case he gets jumpy. Also for maximum control with this method, pick him up with both hands but make sure his back legs are stretched back put of your hand so he can't use your hand as a platform to struggle and jump out.

Fill the container with warm water, dechlorinate, place a teaspoon or a drop of honey and stir it in or let dissolve, take some deep breaths, relax, and just pick him up. No big deal, your pacman will live through it.

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

[Joe9252]

well just gave him a bath and nothing but i felt the right side of his stomach and there is def something there..... rubbed my finger along if for about 3 mins or so.... I'm assuming this is the issue....guess there is nothing else i can do until he poops... ill just keep giving him the bath every night

[GrifTheGreat]

well just gave him a bath and nothing but i felt the right side of his stomach and there is def something there..... rubbed my finger along if for about 3 mins or so.... I'm assuming this is the issue....guess there is nothing else i can do until he poops... ill just keep giving him the bath every night

Gently massaging the right side where the poop is will help him go while he is soaking. also if you make the water slightly below his chin at about chest level and get a cup of warm de-chlorinated water and pour it slowly over his back and directly over his vent it will help stimulate a bowel movement.

Keep us posted.

[Joe9252]

well it has been almost a month and still my pac has not eaten or pooped that the have noticed. I've soaked it many times and nothing whats the next step a few weeks ago it seemed the right side of his stomach was hard and now it seems that it has moved over to its left side. In they pic you can see the left said sticks out a little more as well.... so whats my next move here because it seems the baths are not working....

[GrifTheGreat]

At this point you may consider raising his temp to 85° and keep humidity at 80%. Higher temps can stimulate appetite as well as digestion. Raising the ambient air temp to 85° not just the warm side. You can keep him at 85° for a day or 2 while you monitor him to make sure that he doesn't react strangely to the higher temps. Shouldn't happen, but just as a precaution if you never had his temp that high before.

I'm also going to recommend a visit to a Vet that specializes in amphibians to have him checked out. If he is impacted the Vet can give you some liquid laxatives that will help him poop.

Keep us posted.

[Joe9252]

how do i get my tank temps the high.... i just misted an entire water bottle and replaced my reg 15w bulb with a 45w bulb and i can only get the tank to 80 degrees with 70% humidity..... should i do another mist but with warm water not room temp? i have a glass cover and the heat light is about 2in off the top i also have 2 heat pads on the far left corner of the tank where he is burrowed right now

[Joe9252]

so i realize that a month is def a long time with out eating but how long can a pac go without eating??? I really don't understand why he won't eat