Eastern American Toad BLOATED - PLEASE HELP! I'm new!!

[TAO]

Please help. I am wintering a toad that I found in our window well nearly frozen to death. The bottom of the window well is too hard for it too dig and hibernate. Despite our efforts to keep them out, they still occasionally get in there. I have successfully wintered toads that we have found in the past, then released them in the spring, never having any obviously health issues. This current toad, has grown from about the size of a just larger than a nickel to well over a half dollar - at least doubled it's size, has been very active and enjoying its pool. I feed it small crickets and provide it water, has crushed walnut shell bedding (same bedding my daughter uses for her bearded dragon), does not hesitate to eat, is always interested in food. It also has a heating pad under the floor at one end of its enclosure.

Lately it is extremely bloated, looks like a balloon, though still eating and active, and pooping. After enquiring at our local privately owned pet store, who does have frogs, and few other amphibians, they suggested that it sound like bacterial infection. No suggestion of treatment though, so I searched the internet. Looks like most of what I found was to treat with a prescribed drug, which I cannot get. I stopped at Petco looking for fresh water fish treatment of tetracycline (from my freshwater tank days about 20 years ago) to find out it's no longer offered. I picked up Pimafix and Melafix and stopped there - haven't used it yet. Found this site and am desperate for help for this poor, bloated toad. Thank you!!!

[Lija]

Bloating is a sign of so many possible problems, the thing is what help for one problem might kill if it's not the case. So let's try to figure that out.

Would you please provide more information on a case, pictures of the toad, time frame. When you found it, how long do you have it? How the frog is behaving now when it is bloating, is it pooping, if so how, when dud he pooped last time? how often and how did it look before, when have you noticed the bloating? The more information you provide the easier it would be for us to try to help you.

[TAO]

AUUGH!! I just wrote and thought I posted... guess i did something wrong....
Again, after I posted my originally, I read on here about treating with Melafix. I made 4 oz de-chlorinated water, and dipped a toothpick in the melafix and swirled it in the water. I did this twice. I soaked the toad for one minute, then dried her, and put her in a clean container. Thereupon which she had a big poo. Then transferred her back to her freshly cleaned enclosure, she had another big poo. She looked much better, the balloon looking bloat was down. I did not retreat with Melifix thinking then she may not need it, maybe just constipated. She has not had another poo since 12/23, though eats 5-7, or more depending on how many drop in her enclosure. The crickets are tiny, pencil eraser size. She's about 2.5 inches now.

Having found her in late Oct, early Nov. She was gray, green and barely alive, and just smaller than a quarter. She is now beautiful green brown, and bright clear eyes. I will attempt to attach pics.

Perhaps I'm feeding her too much? too frequently? She's active, wants to eat, loves resting in her water.

[TAO]

[yoshimi]

She's beautiful. Does look slightly puffed like she's scared, but you'd see that happen. She's probably eating pieces of that substrate along with crickets. Try putting the crickets in a smooth sided bowl. Doesn't need to be very deep since the crickets are small. Put her near it and she should go to town as soon as she spots them. I don't know anything about that substrate, but a brick of coconut fiber dirt is fairly inexpensive. Don't forget to use dechlorinated water to expand it. Your daughter probably dusts beardie's food with a calcium/d3 supplement, which is a good idea for her during her stay with you. Particularly because she's still growing. I don't think she needs that heating pad; might be encouraging bacteria growth. Just being indoors will keep her warm enough. I'd get her some nightcrawlers too, which are easier to digest tho might take some patience for her to learn to eat. Some take to it right away, some don't. If she's a good eater, should be easy. Rinse worm in treated water, pat dry, and put her and worm on plate. Yum.
Was the water you treated with warm? That helps them go poo sometimes. I dunno about re-dosing her, so I'll let someone else comment on that. But I think what you're doing and have done is very sweet.

[TAO]

Hi Crystal, Thank you so much for your information regarding my wintering toad. I took your advice and stopped back at Wet Pets, and fortunately got to talk to one of the guys who really knows about frogs and toads. I told him what you suggested, definitely bought the coconut substrate, bought more crickets, and he's fairly sure that she was ingesting some of the crushed walnut shell bedding (it's very ground up, like sand) since she had two big poos and some of her bloat went down. I do think, now, that she's bloating in part as defense. When I changed out her enclosure tonight, she definitely bloated up when I handled her. I don't handle her because I intend to release her in the spring, don't want her getting used to me (though she is very lovely). So now she's in a freshly cleaned out enclosure complete with lots of coconut substrate, boy does that stuff expand (had my husband cut a brick in half before I soaked it (in de-chlorinated water, of course)), still a lot. I tried her out on a superworm (cut it's head off, gross), she didn't go for it, we'll stick to her crickets. Next time I feed her, I'll dust her crickets in the calcium that my daughter uses on her beardie. If I can find nightcrawlers, I'll try those on her too to give her some variety. Again, thank you for your suggestions - I feel much better about her health now. BTW - any way to tell if she's a girl or boy? I just decided to refer to her as a girl. :-)

[victorsgrace]

Sexing her could be a bit difficult, if you don't want to handle her

Normally the females grow bigger than the males, otherwise see if you can spot what's called "nuptual pads". It's what male toads and frogs use, during the mating season, to grab and hold onto the female while mating. It's small "callus" pads they grow on their thumb and infex fingers to bette grab the females. Normally they're only visible during matingseason, but on my guys they're almost always able to spot, since it's always warm inside.



Otherwise, if he/she is mature, gently lifting him/her under the armpits will povoke him/her to croak if it's a male. Ofcourse don't pick up by the armpits! Just a light squeese. This is how they grab each other during amplexus and if it's a male, he'll tell you not to "grab his stuff", so to say. But the nuptual pads are your dead-sure give away

[yoshimi]

Hi Crystal, Thank you so much for your information regarding my wintering toad. I took your advice and stopped back at Wet Pets, and fortunately got to talk to one of the guys who really knows about frogs and toads. I told him what you suggested, definitely bought the coconut substrate, bought more crickets, and he's fairly sure that she was ingesting some of the crushed walnut shell bedding (it's very ground up, like sand) since she had two big poos and some of her bloat went down. I do think, now, that she's bloating in part as defense. When I changed out her enclosure tonight, she definitely bloated up when I handled her. I don't handle her because I intend to release her in the spring, don't want her getting used to me (though she is very lovely). So now she's in a freshly cleaned out enclosure complete with lots of coconut substrate, boy does that stuff expand (had my husband cut a brick in half before I soaked it (in de-chlorinated water, of course)), still a lot. I tried her out on a superworm (cut it's head off, gross), she didn't go for it, we'll stick to her crickets. Next time I feed her, I'll dust her crickets in the calcium that my daughter uses on her beardie. If I can find nightcrawlers, I'll try those on her too to give her some variety. Again, thank you for your suggestions - I feel much better about her health now. BTW - any way to tell if she's a girl or boy? I just decided to refer to her as a girl. :-)

She looks like a girl, without a dark spot on chin. By that size, I think it'd already be there, tho maybe not. I called Banjo a "he" until I'd had her for a while and she hadn't chirped a word and had a nice clean looking throat.
I don't think they ever get used to being handled. I try not to touch her at all unless it's feeding time. Then I plop her in water dish cuz I'm paranoid about her absorbing anything from my hands, even if I think they're clean.