Feeding a malnourished Firebelly toad?

[GrifTheGreat]

Obviously your parents are not experts otherwise you would not need to be here.

Your frog needs to see a Vet ASAP!!! This is not to be taken lightly. The infection your frog has could kill him if not treated. It will begin to spread and if not treated soon it could go beyond the ability for treatment to help him.

I'm sorry, but that is the truth. These animals are extremely sensitive and it is our respincibility to care for them once we bring them into our homes. They rely on our care to help them thrive. They are not disposable pets as was stated above.

They should be taken for medical care like any other pet whether it be dog or amphibian. Tell your parents he needs a Vet. There isnt much you can do on your own. He will need antibiotics and possibly force fed. A Vet can provide feeding syringes and a Critical Care formula to force feed the frog with to nurse him back to health.

Keep us posted.

[Hoppity100]

Well put. This frog may not make it if he has that spot and is that thin. Wish an attempt was made sooner. Good luck.

[Gnag the nameless]

I hope he makes it best of luck, hopper!

I am sorry, I cannot sugarcoat this for you - I must be brutally honest: Always put your frogs before yourself. If you've no food for them, go outside and get earthworms. If you're too lazy to get crickets from the store or even earthworms from outside, you shouldn't be owning frogs. I once had to dig through my compost bin, all the way to the bottom, to find earthworms for my frogs. Oh, and I had to do it in the dark, with only a weak flashlight. It wasn't fun, wasn't easy, and it was spooky too, but I wasn't going to let my frogs starve. That's the kind of dedication a frog owner should have to his/her frogs.

If you simply forgot about the frog... I have no idea how you'd do that. I can't not think about my frogs for even 2 hours, even if I'm at school doing a test, on the computer playing a game, doing anything anywhere. Not once have I forgotten about my frogs for over 2 hours, and if you can forget about them for a week, once again, unless you really change your ways, you shouldn't be owning frogs.


Once again, I really hope your frog makes it. And I beg of you, no matter if he does or doesn't, never let something like this happen again.

[Hoppity100]

Now that I think about it, I don't know the history here: how long did owner have this frog or was it shipped this way or was it someone else's first? In any event, when a frog is getting thin to this point it needs help now. I check my frogs many times every day, as well as my other tanks. I feel bad when I see this. I feel bad when I see bettas stressed out in those little cups at all the stores and many are dying and the employees never notice! Same thing when I find hamsters without water. I've found hermits without water, too. I wonder about this frog.

[Gnag the nameless]

That concerned me too... a photo of the tank would help. In it's current condition. Not right after you cleaned it, or when you first took a photo of it, but the closest time to when the frog got sick.

I check my frogs a lot. I don't do physical examinations or disturb them, just come out at night and use a dim flashlight, looking under the water to see their underbellies [I also check the water at the same time. A tiny bit green or looking off, and I refresh it ASAP], and look from above to see their backs/heads.

I always get that stabbing, pained feeling when I see unhappy animals at pet stores. The bettas in the cups are some of the worst to see, but hamsters without water and frogs with empty water bowls or really dirty water...

[Hoppity100]

Yeah I always check my frogs and other critters. I've taken in many bettas and feel bad for the ones left behind in the cups with their fins all tattered. One day I took every cup that had an inch of water in it and added more! No one said anything and I felt better. I'd give them each a plant sprig so they have something to look at. I've asked the pet store close to me if they could take all the feeder fish out of the huge tank and put in it the bala sharks and other shark fish because they were bullying each other in their tiny tank. The store could divide the feeder goldfish among the smaller tanks but they won't do it and always give me a blank look like they don't see a problem.

[sjham16]

Well, the frog was never like this for the first 3 years I got it. I took care of it, but then one week I just forgot.
I clean the water with a filter. Maybe it is because a cricket was rotting in there that caused it...? I'm gonna clean the tank soon....

I emailed Dr. F and he replied with a couple of medicines I could use.
I used some Neosporin which he said was a sort of alternative to the meds he recommended.
I applied the Neosporin on the infected area (not on the eyes (should I apply it on the mouth??)
He seemed more active and started swimming around after I applied it! I don't know if it actually works that fast or if it even worked so...

Thanks for the support and lecture stuff! I'll try to keep you guys updated

[Hoppity100]

Oh, glad you wrote. One cricket in the water should not cause this, do you recall when you had changed water prior to the illness or dead cricket? He may have stopped eating before you forgot about him for a week? Could it have been more than a week? A topical ointment does not work fast and how would it stay on if he gets wet? Is his skin any worse? You are going to start medication? what form, liquid? I have to ask alot of questions, otherwise I won't know. Did he swim because he ate or the water was changed? I can't figure out why he swam either. Maybe you can write and give more details? Thanks