Problem that a Vet can't fix, need advice!

[Danielle Mammano]

Or, at least, I don't think there is much a vet can do. I have a suuuuuuuuper tiny Strawberry Pacman, maybe the size of a nickel, that I snagged for very cheap at an exotic pet store a few weeks backs. Due to his ferocious nature my boyfriend named him Bitey lol. In order to keep him as healthy as possible I only have him on damp paper towels due to a past experience where I lost a baby that small to toxic shock. Feeling he may enjoy a place to hide, I made him a little rock house out of small bits of shale. I THOUGHT it was sturdy.

Turns out he likes to climb on top of it, and caused it to collapse, and he clearly hurt his front leg in the process. I have no idea if it is broken but he won't tuck it in. He can move it, but it is obviously hurt. He seems a little shaken up and isn't moving a lot, but he is bright eyed and breathing well, I think he just scared himself. I just went to take a picture of it for you guys but he just now tucked it back into his chest.

Should I up his calcium perhaps to promote healing to any damage that may have occurred? Should I give him some sort of special bath or should I monitor him and let him alone till he de-stresses (I don't really want to pick him up again because he was so freaked out)? I almost cried for the poor little guy He did not panic when his leg got stuck so I don't think anything got twisted, he ended up pinning himself and not being able to move though, and right now he is just catching his breath in the corner of his habitat.
Lol, here he is for anyone curious, earning his name.

[flybyferns]

Increasing dietary calcium ( unless he has not had enough ?) is not needed.
You will need to take care of the injury and the provide proper substrate for him.
I will get an expert to help you.
Please stand-by.
Lynn

[GrifTheGreat]

Hello and sorry about this little mishap.

Sadly there isn't anything you can do for the leg, but you can make the frog comfortable. It's not an infection so no need for the hospital setup. Provide his original home minus the makeshift hut that calapsed.

Will he accept food from tongs? If so continue feeding him if he will eat. Keep stress as low as possible and try not to hamdle him unless absolutely necessary. Extra supplements will not really change anything.

Protein is what repairs wounds so just feed him and keep a close eye on him. You may still want to seek out a Herp Vet just to be sure all your options are covered.

P.S. You can buy huts already made that do not fall apart, but are not necessary. Fake plants with large broad leaves make excellent cover for them to hide under.

Keep us posted.

[Lija]

Grif covered it all already, i'd just add - you need to minimize his movements, so try to tong feed, give him some plant to hide under and cover all sides of his enclosure.

[Danielle Mammano]

Good news - as time went on he regained normal leg function, I think it was just sore perhaps. Since he is so small I have him in a little critter keeper so even the smallest pre-built hut won't fit inside it, lol, but I have a larger container I was saving for when he got bigger, I might just move him in there prematurely. It's unnecessarily big for him, but I'll be able to fit hiding spots in there. He will take food from tongs thankfully, so I'll be spoon feeding him till I see him moving around regularly again. There was no blood or skin breakage and he wasn't holding his leg at an impossible angle, so I am glad that he regained normal movement. I will still keep an eye on the little guy though. Thanks for the advice!

[DVirginiana]

How large is his current container? They don't need something so small that no pre-made hut would fit in it. A 5 gallon is fine for a baby.

Also, there is nothing about coco-fiber bedding that will hurt your frog. In fact, it's less likely to cause infection than paper towels (since if you skip a day changing out bedding, paper towels can start harboring bacteria). Plus the frog will like it more if it can burrow. The toxic shock in your last frog had nothing to do with cocofiber bedding; it was almost certainly due to something else. If maintained properly, it is a very safe and sanitary bedding material.