Force Feeding was a FAIL. (PICS) Esme seems to be shedding??

[WalkerBait]

I tried taking Esme out of her terrarium today, placed her in a container with damp (dechlorinated) paper towels, and tried the credit card force feed. She has absolute lockjaw, wouldn't open that mouth of hers at all. She kept turning away from me. Although, I have to say, after that, she looks more alert than she has in a long while (over a month) She seems quite lethargic lately.. and I don't just mean staying buried, but eyes aren't always open either. Sometimes she literally looks dead! I don't know what I did wrong with the force feeding, but she still hasn't eaten and now it's been a whole month. I noticed she looks like she's shedding and she's kind of hard on her back near her rear. I'm not sure what that means but I took some photos in the hopes that someone can help me. I am really attached to Esme now and I don't want her to die
I just adopted another bird and I have been wondering if the Cockatoo noise is too much for her? There's really nowhere in the house I can put her that would be completely immune from that though?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[mchell43]

Hi yes they look like that before a shed, how old is she? I know they slow down in the winter and can go 3 months without food. was she eating ok and pooping Ok before? Try not to worry I have had problems with my year and a half year old , he goes ages without pooping, has done since I got him. Had him over a year and have learnt not to worry so much now, as I was stressing him out at first with the honey baths. He is just one of those frogs that can go 3-4 wks without pooping . I dont know if it is just the angle of the pic but I can see a lump on her back, do you have a rep/phib specialist vet nearby?

[WalkerBait]

Hi yes they look like that before a shed, how old is she? I know they slow down in the winter and can go 3 months without food. was she eating ok and pooping Ok before? Try not to worry I have had problems with my year and a half year old , he goes ages without pooping, has done since I got him. Had him over a year and have learnt not to worry so much now, as I was stressing him out at first with the honey baths. He is just one of those frogs that can go 3-4 wks without pooping . I dont know if it is just the angle of the pic but I can see a lump on her back, do you have a rep/phib specialist vet nearby?

Hi, thanks for answering. I do not have any rep vets around here. I'm guessing the closest one is on the other side of the province. I just googled it and yes that's true, very very far from me.. like 2000km.

I felt something that was like a lump on her back, what could it be?

ETA: I'm trying to not worry but everyone told me they can only go just over a month without eating so I'm stressing ! I guess just keep trying to feed her every day?? It's warmer here now, not a cold snap anymore, so her temps are closer to 80.

[GrifTheGreat]

She looks dry. Your substrate needs to be moist. When you squeeze it it should drip a little. This prevents the soil from drying quickly and helps hydrate the frog. You need to find an Unflavored Electrolyte Replacement like Pedialyte. Bathe the frog in a dechlorinated bath of 80° water and unflavored Pedialyte. Ratio is 10 to 1 so for every 10 ounces of dechlorinated water add 1 ounce unflavored Pedialyte. Bathe the frog in this solution for 20 to 30 minutes. Then return the frog home.

Note that the water should be no deeper than up to the frog's chin.

[mchell43]

Hi, thanks for answering. I do not have any rep vets around here. I'm guessing the closest one is on the other side of the province. I just googled it and yes that's true, very very far from me.. like 2000km.

I felt something that was like a lump on her back, what could it be?

ETA: I'm trying to not worry but everyone told me they can only go just over a month without eating so I'm stressing ! I guess just keep trying to feed her every day?? It's warmer here now, not a cold snap anymore, so her temps are closer to 80.

Is she under 1? They can go up to 3 months without but I know thats adults. The lump could be nothing some pets get lumps and bumps and worry us silly. If you are stressed they sense that and force feeding does stress them more. Have you tried offering different foods , I know they can be very fussy and go off food they used to love. How long have you had her?

[WalkerBait]

She looks dry. Your substrate needs to be moist. When you squeeze it it should drip a little. This prevents the soil from drying quickly and helps hydrate the frog. You need to find an Unflavored Electrolyte Replacement like Pedialyte. Bathe the frog in a dechlorinated bath of 80° water and unflavored Pedialyte. Ratio is 10 to 1 so for every 10 ounces of dechlorinated water add 1 ounce unflavored Pedialyte. Bathe the frog in this solution for 20 to 30 minutes. Then return the frog home.

Note that the water should be no deeper than up to the frog's chin.

I will look for Pedialyte tomorrow when I go to town. I did try the honey soak the other day, and it seemed to perk her up a bit, but maybe the water was too cold for her. Thank you. I think she does look dry too. I do add water to the substrate quite often and I mist her at least once a day to keep the humidity up.

Is she under 1? They can go up to 3 months without but I know thats adults. The lump could be nothing some pets get lumps and bumps and worry us silly. If you are stressed they sense that and force feeding does stress them more. Have you tried offering different foods , I know they can be very fussy and go off food they used to love. How long have you had her?

She is around 1.5 years old, as far as I know. I have one more mouse for her in the freezer, perhaps I should defrost that out tomorrow ? Or try some crickets? She sure loved her worms before all this happened, she gobbled them up without a problem.. Though the pet store had only been feeding her one large mouse per week.

[GrifTheGreat]

I will look for Pedialyte tomorrow when I go to town. I did try the honey soak the other day, and it seemed to perk her up a bit, but maybe the water was too cold for her. Thank you. I think she does look dry too. I do add water to the substrate quite often and I mist her at least once a day to keep the humidity up.



She is around 1.5 years old, as far as I know. I have one more mouse for her in the freezer, perhaps I should defrost that out tomorrow ? Or try some crickets? She sure loved her worms before all this happened, she gobbled them up without a problem.. Though the pet store had only been feeding her one large mouse per week.

Make sure that its 80°F not celcius. Honey just adds a boost and helps them poop, but she needs electrolytes.

[danfrog]

Just want to add that shedding is a relatively quick process, and when complete the frog is nice and clean looking. Kinda slides all the skin toward the mouth and eats it. There is usually none to minimal amounts of excess skin. If there is excess skin its usually on the bottom of the frog, and comes off easily on the frogs next soak.

[danfrog]

Oh and as for not eating. Keep an eye out for weight loss. Its winter time and these guys will slow down their metabolism and go into a semi hibernation mode. Keep offering food, I doubt that your frog will turn down a mouse even in its winter state. I'm worried about the frogs lump on its lower back. Has it ever been dropped?

[danfrog]

Have you been using calcium D3 and multivitamins when she was eating good?

[danfrog]

I just noticed you said your temps are closer to 80. These frogs need a day time temp of 81-84 degrees and a night time temp of 77-78ish.

[Drayvan]

Just to add, she looks a good weight in the pictures. My male went almost 4 months last winter with only eating 2-3 locusts without losing any weight. They can go a long time as long as they're healthy before hand. Fingers crossed she starts eating again soon for you, although mine is just starting to go off his food again due to the Winter.

[WalkerBait]

Thank you all for helping and responding. Seriously!


I don't think she has ever been dropped, not that I know of! I fixed her substrate, now it is much more moist. I think I was unintentionally letting it dry out too much. Because it was cold I guess I figured I'd rather her be a little on the dry side and cold than wet and cold.

For the record, I have a tall oil filled, radiator heater on HIGH sitting as close to her terrarium (4 inches away) as safely possible. I have her heat light on 24/7 now and the temp has hit 80 but not over. I know it's because it's winter.. but I can't get her temps any higher! This is Northern BC! I don't even know how the pet store did it! All they had for her was a bright fluorescent bulb facing at her probably all the time or at least all day.

I tried feeding her again tonight and she refused it. I will defrost her last mouse tomorrow and try that. Though it grosses me out terribly. Maybe I defrosted it wrong last time, and that's why she didn't like it? Anyone have defrosting tips?


Sorry for seeming like I'm panicked.. I just want her to go back to normal, eating and pooping like a normal frog. lol

[DesertHeat]

Defrosting should be done at room temp or in a cup of warm (but not hot) water. Never use a microwave.

When I defrost them I put them in the fridge for 24 hrs and then set them out to come up to room temp about an hour before feeding.

Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk

[Mentat]

Agree with Colleen/Jerrod that this frog could benefit from rehydration with a baby electrolyte solution. Not sure about bump in back; only x-ray could tell what is going on. Could be CA deficiency, frog being skinny, or combination of both.

[danfrog]

Don't be afraid of putting another heat lamp on top. I used two for my 12x12x12. One was on a timer for the day cycle and had a 40 watt energy saving white light bulb. And the other one was attached to the hygrotherm and was a 40 watt red incandescent bulb. It came on and off as needed to maintain the programmed heat levels.

[mchell43]

Thank you all for helping and responding. Seriously!


I don't think she has ever been dropped, not that I know of! I fixed her substrate, now it is much more moist. I think I was unintentionally letting it dry out too much. Because it was cold I guess I figured I'd rather her be a little on the dry side and cold than wet and cold.

For the record, I have a tall oil filled, radiator heater on HIGH sitting as close to her terrarium (4 inches away) as safely possible. I have her heat light on 24/7 now and the temp has hit 80 but not over. I know it's because it's winter.. but I can't get her temps any higher! This is Northern BC! I don't even know how the pet store did it! All they had for her was a bright fluorescent bulb facing at her probably all the time or at least all day.

I tried feeding her again tonight and she refused it. I will defrost her last mouse tomorrow and try that. Though it grosses me out terribly. Maybe I defrosted it wrong last time, and that's why she didn't like it? Anyone have defrosting tips?


Sorry for seeming like I'm panicked.. I just want her to go back to normal, eating and pooping like a normal frog. lol

Hi again, bulbs will tend to dry out her inviroment too much, can you get a heat mat to put under her tank? best to get those temps up a little

[GrifTheGreat]

Do not place a heat pad under the tank. They burrow to cool off and placing a heat mat under the tank will harm the frog.

[Mentat]

Agree with Colleen/Jerrod; heat mats or heat tape should only be placed in a frog's enclosure sides. Recommended enclosure temperatures are air temperatures taken close to substrate for a ground frog. An enclosure with a bottom installed heat pad, could have substrate a few degrees warmer than the recommended air temperature .

[mchell43]

Im in the UK and If I put my heat mat on the side it would do no good temp wise. I have had mine under my Exo terra glass tank on thermostat, for over a year and it has never harmed my frog. Most the time I move it when he moves, so its not all the way under him anyway. There is a gap between heat mat and viv ,as its not a flat viv anyway. Im checking all my rep temps 3 times+ a day as it is.So sometimes it is needed in cold climates as long as you check temps , no issue .