American Toads with swollen eyes

[TechSmurf]

Howdy all. I have two young Eastern American Toads (~6 months old) that seem to have developed swollen lower eyelids/membranes in the past day or so. I just noticed when I was cleaning their tank. They have a lower substrate of coconut fiber for digging into with a layer of moss shred on top. I don't think it's from irritation as it's the same setup I've been using their whole life. Both toads are still active and perusing food as usual. I'm thinking it may be bacterial, but I haven't seen this before and I haven't had any luck Googling up an answer.

Toad #1:

Shots from both sides.

Toad #2:

His eyes are still open; he was just hunkered down at that moment. I'm going to try and get better pictures when he ventures out on his own. I didn't want to dig him out and stress him.

Any thoughts on what this looks like and how best to proceed? I found a few vets nearby to consult but I probably won't be able to get there till this weekend, and I don't want to progress.

[TechSmurf]

Good news! When I checked on them today, they both looked about the same. I took the second toad out to try and get some better photos. He was pawing at his eyes every few minutes, so I tried giving him a quick rinse with some spring water. He looked better instantly. I kept an eye on him for another few minutes and he wasn't wiping his eyes at all. I did the same for the other little guy, too. I'm going to rinse them again tonight and see how they look in the morning. Hopefully this clears up on its own now.

[GrifTheGreat]

It is either caused by irritation from something getting in the eye or an infection that was caused by some debris in the eye. If the swelling doesn't go down or worsenes then you will need to take them in.

[kueluck]

^ I agree. You don't want them to become blind since they hunt by sight. These guys depend on you for everything, please don't let them down. Also keep us posted on these guys.

[TechSmurf]

Aaaand, we're back. Both toads are much better. They were put on a regiment of two rinsings and a dab of Neosporin once a day. The first was still looking fine but I didn't want to take any chances. The second took a few days, but he's looking great now:


And here he is tonight in the hospital tank doing his favorite thing in the world: eating everything in sight.

[GrifTheGreat]

Good to hear they're doing better. Make sure not to get the Neosporin in their eyes.

[TechSmurf]

Yeah, definitely. I talked to Dr. David Frye (I saw him recommended in a few different places for herp care) and while he couldn't offer treatment for wild-caught toads, he advised me to get antibiotic eyedrops. They don't sell such a thing over the counter so I made do with Neosporin. I've been doing a dab on the top of the eye ridge and another day below the eye. I've been very careful to avoid getting it on the eye or membrane, and it's been working nicely so far.

[kueluck]

OMGOSH...........I didn't realize they were just babies. Good job on tending to their needs.