Eating troubles....

[Cameron Graham]

Hey there all. I have had my pacman for just over a year now. When I got it it was about the size of a toonie (1.5 inches) ... Now it has grown up to 4 inches across.. It stopped growing in Sept, and appetite slowed down. I assumed it was maybe a male and done growing. Although it's name is Esmerelda...lol. Was feeding it once or twice a week usually with Repashy Meat Pie. It is at work on my desk, so the mixed up food with all nutrition in it seemed like a good choice. But as the fall progressed it ate less and less until it stopped all together at Christmas time. Its daytime temp is 85 and night time is 79 so it should not be trying to hibernate... But that seems to be its desire. In January I have broken down and force fed an adult mouse the last three weeks once each week to get something in there.
It seems alert, and not really loosing weight, but what do you recommend to get it eating again...

I offered crickets... it just ignored them, offered the usual Repashy food on a fork... nothing...
Spray it regularly. Cage does not dry out... Any ideas....

Here are pics of her/him today after I sprayed the tank this am... and made it mad force feeding it...

[DVirginiana]

Wow, pacs should never eat adult mice, much less one every week. First off, a week isn't that long for an adult to be off food. Two weeks isn't even anything to get really worried about as long as they aren't losing weight. Secondly, he won't be hungry to take crickets if you've force-fed him an adult mouse after only a week.
Force-feeding is incredibly stressful and should only be done if the frog is losing weight to the point of looking severely malnourished. Just stop force-feeding, wait a couple weeks, feed normally, and don't give him any more mice (adult or otherwise). If he goes off food in the future, please look for advice online before forcefeeding or assist-feeding.

Also, your frog looks very puffed up and swollen. You may want to soak him in lukewarm, treated water with 5-7 drops of honey mixed into it.

[Cameron Graham]

Wow, pacs should never eat adult mice, much less one every week. First off, a week isn't that long for an adult to be off food. Two weeks isn't even anything to get really worried about as long as they aren't losing weight. Secondly, he won't be hungry to take crickets if you've force-fed him an adult mouse after only a week.
Force-feeding is incredibly stressful and should only be done if the frog is losing weight to the point of looking severely malnourished. Just stop force-feeding, wait a couple weeks, feed normally, and don't give him any more mice (adult or otherwise). If he goes off food in the future, please look for advice online before forcefeeding or assist-feeding.

Also, your frog looks very puffed up and swollen. You may want to soak him in lukewarm, treated water with 5-7 drops of honey mixed into it.

Thank you for your reply. It is just puffed up with air because it was mad at me from spraying the tank, and feeding it. It is usually not that way. I did read many posts on forums about Pacman frogs not eating. And it was in that research that I found the instruction to use a plastic spoon to open mouth very carefully and insert the head of the mouse. Then leave the frog to decide if it is going to eat it... She/he opened mouth without too much trouble at all, and I only put the head just into mouth and then left it alone. Each time, the frog has chosen to eat it after a moment or two. A fair number of care sheets I found recommended mice as food as long as they were previously frozen and sure to be clean and free of parasites. I was surprised to hear that was a bad idea. I will give the frog some more time. I was just afraid when the pattern of eating dropping from 2 times a week to not interested. I did not want to leave it too long and find the system somehow shut down and difficult to get going again. I can certainly give the frog longer before intervention. Other than crickets, and worms which I have tried, are there any other foods that people have found to be of particular interest to the Pacman frogs?

[DVirginiana]

Dubia roaches are also a good feeder. Nightcrawlers are probably the best overall though IMO.

Yeah, pacs should never have any more than a pinkie mouse about once a month. The high fat content can eventually cause fatty liver and blindness. It is also more difficult for them to digest mammal tissues, so if you have a frog with a weak system, such as one that really needs to be force-fed, it's harder for them to digest a mouse than something like a nightcrawler.
Your technique for force-feeding was correct though, so if you ever have to do it in the future (nightcrawlers work well for this, as the frog will keep eating after part of it is in the mouth; it's like a reflex) you know how.

Sorry if my first reply sounded a bit harsh; you clearly did some research. I just shouldn't get on forums when I first wake up lol.