Please help !!!!

[jewels1981]

i have a african black clawed frog (albino) it is a she and she has dropsy i been told there is nothing i can do for her and that it was cause from un healthy water this cant be so i have a wonderful natural enviroment for her with great filtration can someone advise me on anything i can do to turn this around ..like maybe putting her in a new tank with all new decorations and water or anything please help she is my baby >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

[Paul Rust]

Did a vet diagnose Dropsy and if so did the vet try and treat it? Dropsy is a symptom not a disease and indicates further problems. As you know it causes bloating from the heavy accumulation of serous body fluids in the animal's belly. Dropsy is brought on by improper body metabolism. The problem is that this can be caused by many things like stress, poor housing conditions, parasites, bacterial infections, and many others. The bad news is that by the time you notice Dropsy it is probably too late to save the animal. If the bloating is bad a vet can relieve the pressure with a sterile needle but the underlying ailment needs to be treated. Until you know what is causing the problem you can't treat it, there are just too many things it can be. It needs to be seen by a vet experienced with amphibians. I know this isn't what you wanted to hear but I can't recommend treatment if I don't know what is causing the Dropsy. I'm sorry.

[tgampper]

Paul is correct. There isn't much you can do for dropsy until you determine the cause. Unfortunately, pet shops do not keep their tanks and facilities clean or they will mix frogs and fish together, which isn't a great idea. Most of the instances I have seen with bloat is poor husbandry. It looks like you are doing everything right, but it is the frog's past life that needs to be addressed.

There are two kinds of bloat:

1) "Hard" bloat is where the frog suddenly appears floating on top of the water. This frog needs to be rmoved to a "hospital" tank and treated immediately. This is caused by an internal bacteria and in most cases fatal, which I know you don't want to hear. Maracyn Plus can be used to treat, just follow instructions. Add a quarter-teaspoon of salt per gallon of water along with the medication. Clawed frogs are very salt tolerant. Salt baths should be no longer than 20 minutes.

2) The second kind of bloat is the "soft, squishy" type. This is caused by poor metabolism and can be relieved by the needle technique by a vet. This type of bloat may also fatal due to kidney failure. Try a salt bath - one teaspoon of salt per gallon of water until the symptoms go away.

I am very sorry to hear that your frog is sick. Good luck!