Pacman frog shedding, but not eating?

[WakaWaka]

Hi, I just got my Pacman frog 3-4 weeks ago so I'm still learning about these "little" guys. I used to have fire belly toads and they used to shed so i know what it looks like, but do pacmans not eat when their shedding? He has only ate about 3 mealworms in 2 days and I'm a little concerned about him.

[Mentat]

Well, mealworms are not the best food for a Pacman frog; Canadian Night Crawlers (not dyed from a bait shop) are way better as the staple food. Please answer the below questions to see if there is something amiss, thank you !

“Trouble in the Frog Enclosure”

The following information will be very helpful if provided when requesting assistance with either your frog or enclosure. To help with your questions, please utilize the below list and post the information in the proper forum area to get advice from FF members that keep the same frog. This will allow for little confusion and a faster more informed response.

1. Size of enclosure
2. # of inhabitants - specifically other frogs and size differences
3. Humidity
4. Temperature
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 and other materials.
- 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 being used to maintain the temperature of the enclosure
12. When is the last time he/she ate
13. Have you found poop lately
14. A pic would be helpful including frog and enclosure (any including cell phone pic is fine)
15. Describe frog's symptoms and/or recent physical changes; to include it's ventral/belly area.
16. How old is the frog
17. How long have you owned him/her
18. Is the frog wild caught or captive bred
19. Frog food- how often and if it is diverse, what other feeders are used as treats
20. How often the frog is handled
21. Is the enclosure kept in a high or low traffic area
22. Describe enclosure maintenance (water changes, cleaning, etc)

by Lynn(Flybyferns) and GrifTheGreat.

[limnologist]

My frogs never ate when they were shedding. How big is he? As long as he's still tubby, I wouldn't worry.

[WakaWaka]

My frogs never ate when they were shedding. How big is he? As long as he's still tubby, I wouldn't worry.

He looks like he normally would, he is about 3-4 inches (i haven't laid him on a ruler). But its good to hear that this is normal. Another thing that i have a question about is him pooping. I haven't found poop in the enclosure sense i got him, maybe he's berrying it? Or he could be pooping in his water dish and i don't notice? And in reply to Carlos, he has a very varied diet so I don't think it would be that.

[WakaWaka]

1. Size of enclosure- a 5 gallon fish tank
2. # of inhabitants - specifically other frogs and size differences- Just him.
3. Humidity-About 80 every day
4. Temperature- 75 to 80 degrees, it is summer here in Canada so its a OK temp for him.
5. Water - type - for both misting and soaking dish- ​Well water or reverse osmosis water.
6. Materials used for substrate-Ecomed Eco Earth (duh)
7. Enclosure set up i.e. plants (live or artificial), wood, bark and other materials.
- How were things prepared prior to being put into the viv.- He has 2 hanging plants and 1 normal that he likes to hide under, a house and the water dish.
8. Main food source- The diet is varied.
9. Vitamins and calcium? (how often)-Calsium everyday with vitamins every week.
10. Lighting- Normal daylight from the window.
11. What is being used to maintain the temperature of the enclosure,-Nothing as of right now, but in the winter he will be heated with a heat lamp.
12. When is the last time he/she ate- This morning but very little.
13. Have you found poop lately-Not sense I got him
14. A pic would be helpful including frog and enclosure (any including cell phone pic is fine)
15. Describe frog's symptoms and/or recent physical changes; to include it's ventral/belly area.
16. How old is the frog-Maybe 6 months
17. How long have you owned him/her- About 3-4 weeks
18. Is the frog wild caught or captive bred-From local petsmart
19. Frog food- how often and if it is diverse, what other feeders are used as treats- Hornworms or freeze dried incects.
20. How often the frog is handled- Rarely
21. Is the enclosure kept in a high or low traffic area?- low
22. Describe enclosure maintenance (water changes, cleaning, etc)- ​Water changes almost every day and full change probably every month.

[limnologist]

Well, my frogs only pooped once every few weeks. When did you get him? Sometimes they do nothing but hide for a few weeks after you first get them, then thypey get used to their surroundings and start acting normal.

[WakaWaka]

Well, my frogs only pooped once every few weeks. When did you get him? Sometimes they do nothing but hide for a few weeks after you first get them, then thypey get used to their surroundings and start acting normal.

Like I said i got him 3-4 weeks ago, he hides all day then I see him out at night. I read that a nice warm bath would help?

[DVirginiana]

He may be burying it; if it was in the water dish and broke apart you'd smell it, trust me. Feel gently for a lump on the frog's right side. If there isn't one, then he probably doesn't need to poo. If there is, you can do a soak in lukewarm treated water with a few drops of honey mixed up in it.

[Mentat]

75-80F is not good long term; recommend bring day temp to 84F (29C) to prevent chronic damage to kidney and Lymph Hearts. By the time edema shows up the damage to organs is irreversible. A few degree drop at night is OK.

Well water should be treated with either Seachem Prime or ExoTerra Aquatize to neutralize any heavy metals present. R/O water should not be used with frogs unless to mist the enclosure. Same as distilled water it will draw minerals and vitamins away from the frog body.

Recommend mix your substrate with dechlorinated well water. The water dish should be cleaned daily with hot water and refilled; even if it looks clean.

Poop in water dish can't be missed. Some Pacmans do bury it in their hole; but then move to a new area. If frog moves; check out last hole for a couple inch long cigar shaped smelly poop. If right side shows a lump and feels hard, frog might be constipated. If so; prepare an 80F (27C) bath (dechlorinated water with 3-4 drops of honey) in a small critter keeper or plastic bowl with holed out top. Fill to frog's chin level and cover with towel so frog relaxes and to hold temp for 20 minutes. Then dump out solution and refill with plain dechlorinated water for another 20 minutes. Return frog to enclosure and repeat daily until frog poops.

CA should not be used daily unless it's a product designed for it (i.e. Repashy's Calcium Plus). Here are some supplement tables to use as an example: http://www.frogforum.net/food-feeder...schedules.html.

Recommend main staple diet be Night Crawlers. You can use other items (i.e. gut loaded crickets) as treats. All beetle worms (mealworms, super worms, etc.) have a hard exoskeleton that can cause impaction.

Hope this helps and do read this care article if you haven't: Frog Forum - Pacman and Horned Frogs - Ceratophrys - Care and Breeding. Good luck !