My boyfriend and I own 8 fire bellied toads currently and they have been in a decent sized tank for about 7 years now without issue. The other day I changed the moss for the first time and I did so incorrectly which we believe led one of our toads to get a severe skin irritation. My boyfriend fixed the moss correctly on Sunday but her skin is a dark green and she has refused to eat for seven days as of today. The last she has eaten was last Tuesday the day I incorrectly changed the moss in their tank. No other toad has expressed any irritation or dark green color but I am very worried about her. Her name is Baby and I read around that you could force feed toads but I don't know if it is too soon to attempt that or too late. Also, I am unaware how to force feed toads so if someone could help me with following proper procedure on that I would be grateful.
A week off feed is normal for most reptiles & amphibians this winter season. A week may actually be a good fast for them since they tend to overeat. My FBTs are currently on a once every 4 day feeding regimen since I give them worms which can be fattening and cause bloating if fed too much.
What kind of moss are you using? Sphagnum moss is known to cause impaction in pacmans, tree frogs and even leopard geckos if they accidentally ingest a few strands upon chasing down a prey item.
Color changing is normal in FBTs. I read somewhere that it is indicative of either stress or low humidity level. I had one of my FBTs hold that dark color for about a week then go back to normal. Sometimes some healthy, unstressed FBTs just take on a darker coloration than most.
Lastly, never force feed an animal unless she looks really weak/flimsy/skinny. Force feeding can only lead to more stress and more off feeds.
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