Need some help....Impaction

[GrifTheGreat]

Gee, pushing and adding frog more pain does not sound good either. Stop feeding roaches...switch to worms. Then frog won't have to have a near death painful experience! AKA bowel obstruction

Lol! Hoppity, You can't place fiber powder on their food, but Fluker's Repta-Aid(Repta-Boost) for dehydrated and malnourished reptiles and amphibians can be used to assist in keeping the frog regular with it's bowel movements. This emergency supplement contains alot of fiber and thus can provide what is needed to help the frog, but like all supplements can be overdosed on so it is best to only use it occasionally or only in an emergency.

There is no need to keep posting negative comments. Deedub has done nothing wrong and is not causing his frog pain. When they are impacted to the point in which it will cause death the frog will swell up before the intestines burst. It's time to leave it be and he has already stated that he is going to switch to worms.

Let it be. Thank you.

[Pluke]

I thought it was OK to feed dubias? That big brown I got back LOVES them.. finally, I have a frog that will chow them down without question. Of course, she hasn't ate any adult roaches, but the big ones before adult stage. Should I refrain? She only gets like 1 or 2 a feeding with a couple big nightcrawlers and pacman food.. this girl will eat as much as I give her, it's nice not having a picky eater for once, lol.

[GrifTheGreat]

I thought it was OK to feed dubias? That big brown I got back LOVES them.. finally, I have a frog that will chow them down without question. Of course, she hasn't ate any adult roaches, but the big ones before adult stage. Should I refrain? She only gets like 1 or 2 a feeding with a couple big nightcrawlers and pacman food.. this girl will eat as much as I give her, it's nice not having a picky eater for once, lol.

Its ok, but sometimes the adult roaches kind of constipate the frog.

[Hoppity100]

Please don't feed roaches. Think of the size of the frog's intestines. What are the digestive enzymes a frog has?

[Hoppity100]

You don't see my point: why wait until the frog has swelled up and is in pain in the first place? It does not make sense to me to feed roaches, an impaction from insects could be prevented. I think of my frogs alot and will never give them roaches. If I am negative it is because this could have been prevented, same as a frog death. I don't think its nice to cause a frog to be impacted then notice it later after frog has been hurting. I know impactions then bowel obstruction do not feel good. I know there is not a small enough NG tube out there or a vet to do surgery. I am thankful he switched to worms, mine basically get worms with small crickets as an occasional treat. I even wonder about those! Thanks for writing.

[DVirginiana]

You don't see my point: why wait until the frog has swelled up and is in pain in the first place? It does not make sense to me to feed roaches, an impaction from insects could be prevented. I think of my frogs alot and will never give them roaches. If I am negative it is because this could have been prevented, same as a frog death. I don't think its nice to cause a frog to be impacted then notice it later after frog has been hurting. I know impactions then bowel obstruction do not feel good. I know there is not a small enough NG tube out there or a vet to do surgery. I am thankful he switched to worms, mine basically get worms with small crickets as an occasional treat. I even wonder about those! Thanks for writing.

Chill out. This isn't a case of anyone being stupid or mistreating their pet. Dubia roaches are some of the most common feeders people use for pacs. Some frogs are just more sensitive to what is in their diet than others, with nightcrawlers being the best option for frogs prone to impaction. DeeDub has been pretty much going by the book; his frog just had a problem. Most of them face impaction at some point, and it's not necessarily anything the owner did. It's just a very common problem in pacs.

I have the same frogs and mine adapted to tank temp fine. I would NEVER make their temp over 80 degrees. Are you trying to cook them? Mine arrived at the store in lower temp, they have the ability to adapt. Store does not keep them at 80 degrees either.

80-85 degrees is ideal for daytime temps. Read the forum caresheet. Petstores consistently under-heat and under-mist their tropical reptiles.

Please don't feed roaches. Think of the size of the frog's intestines. What are the digestive enzymes a frog has?

It's not the size of the frog's intestines, it's the chitin content of the prey. Chitin does not digest. Think about it; when was the last time your frog passed an entire cricket? You typically see the chitinous parts of prey broken up in the poo. If a frog gets too much of this, it doesn't matter if it is from a large roach or several small roaches at once, that is what causes the problem. If it fits in the space between the eyes, that's a good rule of thumb for appropriately sized prey.

[Hoppity100]

Then why feed them something that contains chitin? I'm sticking with worms, no roaches here. I'm trying to help any frog who has to go thru needless impaction. No, my frogs got small young crickets. Does this particular roach have a shell? How big is it? If wider than space between frog eyes and with shell, I view it as not a good idea regardless of who owns the frog. If impaction is that common and they're that sensitive, it would be better to feed them something else. Or, gee, remove shell from roach. This would be like me swallowing a whole ear of corn, with the husk. I'd get impacted then have a bowel obstruction, then die. Can't imagine the pain. No one can determine which frog is sensitive, that's an easy answer to excuse feeding a roach. Sorry, but I don't get the roach idea at all. Thanks for writing though.

[Pluke]

Roaches don't have shells and have very little chitin.. impaction is rarely caused by them if ever. I have never heard of someones animal getting impacted from one. They're a huge staple in a ton of animals diets, frogs included, People use them because they're much healthier than crickets and a lot easier to breed/raise, making them cheaper than worms. Grif said an adult "can constipate" a frog, not impact it. Impactions are much much worse and can kill, I have never heard of a roach ever killing a frog because it couldn't digest it.

[Hoppity100]

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.

[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.