Need some help....Impaction

[DVirginiana]

Roaches have shells and with chitin...I may have two different stories about what roaches contain and whether they're digestible or not. Gee, does size have anything to do with it? Maybe people use them because they're cheaper to breed and house. I am concerned about crickets, my FB's only get small crickets and not all the time. The stores don't sell roaches and I would not buy them anyway. My frogs eat worms fine so I will rotate them. What is the difference between constipation and impaction to you? They're actually so similar that one is not better or easier than the other. I'd be dusting roaches with vitamin/calcium powder plus fiber powder. Either that, or dangle a piece of a prune in front of frog. Frogs eat insects when they are presented, frogs can't talk or complain (like my husband) they eat when food is offered, they don't know they have a choice if one is offered. My stray cats eat what I offer, they don't know when their next meal is. I feed them canned food with chicken or tuna. No wonder they keep coming every night. But, it seems like worms are safest for frogs/toads. Anything soft in the bug family. Forgot to mention: constipation can and often does lead to impaction easily, impaction is painful and can lead to bowel obstruction or potential perforation. Combine this with inactivity and well, it just gets worse. Just looking out for the frog.

What do you think pacs eat in the wild? Mostly insects, occasionally small mammals or other frogs. Rarely worms. Their systems are evolved to eat this sort of prey. ALL insects have a chitinous exoskeleton (not a shell), even your crickets. With the exception of removing wings or legs, this cannot be removed. The roaches are not cheaper or easier to house than nightcrawlers; people use them because they are safe feeders, especially if the owner is watching for problems like this one. A frog should be watched for signs of impaction even if it's on the safest possible diet.

The difference between constipation and impaction is the same as it is in a human. One is an inconvenience and the other is a serious medical condition.

Saying that someone is being irresponsible by feeding roaches because they don't know how sensitive their frogs digestive system is is like saying that everyone should eat gluten free products because they don't know if they are allergic or not. Frogs that are too sensitive to eat roaches are the abnormality; most are fine. In fact, this frog is probably not that sensitive. Like I said, this is a very common problem for pacs.
Your feeding style is not wrong, but that doesn't mean that everyone else's is incorrect. There are some dietary red flags to watch out for, but dubia roaches aren't one of them.