HELP please!!! My toad is very sick! :(

[Dragonfly]

I've had Lia since last summer. She was a baby when I got her. She has always shared her tank with a little male named Twitch Jouiner. She has been a little sick before. In the winter she got very dehydrated but after setting her in her water dish she got better. This spring she seemed to keep her one eye shut a lot. That got better but then she lost the use of her front left leg and can barely use the other front leg. She still ate though. Then she got very bloated under her chin. Then she started shedding and has not been able to finish shedding for 5 days now!!! Plus she can't eat now!! I mist her everyday cause she can't get into her water dish. I've had lots of toads throughout the years and never had this happen. Please help!!

[LilyPad]

Please fill this out so we can get a better idea of what is going on -

1-size of enclosure
2-# on inhabitants - specifically ( if there is another frog ---size differences ?)
3-humidity
4-temp
5-water - type - for both misting and soaking dish
6-materials used for substrate
7-enclosure set up i.e. plants( live or artificial) wood, bark etc -how were things prepared prior to being put into the viv
8-main food source
9-vitamins and calcium ? ( how often )
10-lighting
11-what is, specifically, being used to maintain the temperature of the enclosure
12-when is the last time he ate
13-have you found poop lately
14-a pic would be great ( including the frog ) any little cell phone pic is fine
15- how old is the frog
16-how long have you owned him
17- is the frog wild caught or captive bred
18- frog food- how often and if its diverse what other feeders are used as treats
19- about how often the frog is handled
20-is the enclosure is kept in a high or low traffic area

[Dragonfly]

1-size of enclosure (20 gallon )
2-# on inhabitants - specifically ( if there is another frog ---size differences ?) (There are 2 toads. Lia and a male toad. He is about the same size as her just a little smaller.)

3-humidity (about 60%-70%)
4-temp (about 65 degrees Fahrenheit)
5-water - type - for both misting and soaking dish( filtered tap water.)

6-materials used for substrate( coconut fibers from Eco Earth and moss)

7-enclosure set up i.e. plants( live or artificial) wood, bark etc -how were things prepared prior to being put into the viv ( one fake plant,one soaking dish,one food dish,one hide out spot. Everything was scrubbed down and rinsed off with hot water. The moss is cleaned about once a month and soaked in cold water then dried in sun.)

8-main food source ( mealworms but also eats earthworms and a few crickets and a few wax worms)

9-vitamins and calcium ? ( how often )( the mealworms and crickets eat cubes of vitamins called Flukers orange cube. The bugs also eat carrots and potatoes. That's the only vitamins.)

10-lighting (they are in a room with lots of windows)
11-what is, specifically, being used to maintain the temperature of the enclosure ( a space heater outside the cage in cold months or if still too cold they are taken to a warmer room in the house)

12-when is the last time he ate ( 7 days ago)
13-have you found poop lately (has not pooped for almost a month but pees often)

14-a pic would be great ( including the frog ) any little cell phone pic is fine



15- how old is the frog ( she is just over a year)
16-how long have you owned him( just over a year. We got her when she was very small.)

17- is the frog wild caught or captive bred ( wild caught)
18- frog food- how often and if its diverse what other feeders are used as treats ( mealworms,superworms,crickets,earthworms,waxworms)

19- about how often the frog is handled ( every other day except lately not as much cause I'm afraid of hurting her)

20-is the enclosure is kept in a high or low traffic area( low)

[Dragonfly]

[Dragonfly]

[Dragonfly]

[Dragonfly]

This is the enclosure

[LilyPad]

Lots of issues here and I'm not sure I can pin the exact cause of the illness. Hopefully someone with more experience will pop in.

Firstly, ditch the moss. The toads can eat it and it will cause impaction. Secondly, primary diet should be crickets and/or earthworms...you can get the worms at most bait shops or walmart. Just make sure they aren't dyed. Mealworms can also cause impaction, considering it's been a month since you've seen feces, they're either buried or your toad is likely impacted. Wax worms are not something I would ever feed your toad, they are like a doughnut, lots of fat and no nutrition. Thirdly, they need their foods dusted with calcium and vitamins. And finally but very importantly, the tap water needs to be dechlorinated. Filtering does not remove the chlorine. I think most people here use seachem prime.

[Dragonfly]

Thanks!! I will get on it right away!

[AlanLynch]

My toad , Lola, had many problems similar to yours. She stopped eating, no water, couldn't walk without falling over, and was super bloated. Turned out, the cage was too cold and she was going into hubernation. I moved her out of her 20 gallon and brought her to my apartment in a 12x12 exo terra. Shes been amazing ever since then.

[Dragonfly]

Thanks so much!! I will try that tonight!!

[LilyPad]

Make sure you're using dechlorinated water with the coco fiber also, not just the water dish. How is she doing? She may need a visit to the vet.

[Dragonfly]

I have been using only declorinated water now. She is the same... But tonight when my hubby gets home we are gonna move her to her own warmer aquarium.

[Dragonfly]

No vets around here accept amphibians

[TrymNois]

You said you handle her every other day, which is really bad for the toad. Try to handle it only to remove it while doing a cleaning. Toads can absorb oils on your hands through their skin. It could be the cause to it. My second guess would be the water or a combo of both.

[kueluck]

Amy has you covered on all the things to change, and if she hasn't pooped yet, warm some frog safe water, just remember, warm to you is hot to them. So warm it just above room temp and have her soak for about 30 min. Do this in a covered container so she can't get out and deep enough to come up to the bottom of her chin.

[Mentat]

I've had Lia since last summer. She was a baby when I got her. She has always shared her tank with a little male named Twitch Jouiner. She has been a little sick before. In the winter she got very dehydrated but after setting her in her water dish she got better. This spring she seemed to keep her one eye shut a lot. That got better but then she lost the use of her front left leg and can barely use the other front leg. She still ate though. Then she got very bloated under her chin. Then she started shedding and has not been able to finish shedding for 5 days now!!! Plus she can't eat now!! I mist her everyday cause she can't get into her water dish. I've had lots of toads throughout the years and never had this happen. Please help!!

Your toad is probably suffering from chronic malnutrition; CA deficiency = MBD; renal/lymph hearts issues; exposure to chloramines; and probably some opportunistic pathogens are in play too.

Amy gave you some fixes you need to correct ASAP. Myself would also suggest keeping toad in a hospital like enclosure until recovered. That is damp (dechlorinated tap) unprinted paper towel (changed every couple days) for substrate; a water dish (cleaned and filled to toads chin level with dechlorinated tap) and a silk plant.

Need to get some nutrients in her so get some Fluker's ReptaBoost and dust all it's food for a week in it. Also, give toad a daily bath in 10% unflavored Pedialyte (or similar unflavored baby electrolyte) and 90% 80F dechlorinated tap to toad's chin depth. Can use a small critter keeper or a plastic cup with holed up top. Let toad be for 20 min. and cover whole tub with a towel to help it relax. Afterwards return to enclosure (change paper towel while toad soaks) and try feeding it dusted (ReptaBoost) night crawlers (pieces cut from pointy end and same size as toad length) or gut loaded crickets. Let us know when toad eats again.

Do not use filtered water. Just treat regular tap with either Seachem Prime or ExoTerra Aquatize. Once toad has been eating for a week; stop ReptaBoost use and start a CA/vitamin rotation based on these sample schedules: http://www.frogforum.net/food-feeder...schedules.html. Good luck !

[Dragonfly]

I did as you all suggested and she finally pooped!!! Her shedding is all off now!!! Just hope she will eat tonight.

[kueluck]

For now I would feed her soft bodies things like the worms or freshly shed crickets.

[Dragonfly]

She has been eating and moving on her own now!!! She is doing way better!! So happy!