My woodhouse toad's left hip seems to be dislocated. It seems limp and it appears as if she doesn't use it when she tries to hop. She cannot get around as well as she used to. It kinda just hangs behind her when in the water when she is trying to swim. When sitting it does not look symmetric to her other leg. When I touch it she does move it and she can move it against gently supplied force. Does anybody know what I can do, if anything. I won't be taking her into the vet or anything like that. If it seems as if she is not able to live as she used to I am considering euthanizing her (God forbid). I'm having a hard time downloading pics but will post some if I can.
I was able to past 3 pics on a word document and upload it. I had to shrink the pics down pretty small so they would fit but you should be able to open make them larger to see her leg/hip joint.
A little more background...I have 2 toads. My son caught a bunch and gave some to his friends. He talked me into keeping 2. Ours are the only toads still alive so I think we've done a pretty good job. They are about a year old. I think I have a male and a female. They really seem to have personality, like they will hop over to the glass when we enter the room, etc. One thing I didn't do was dust feeder crickets with calcium and other minerals, nor did I have UVB lighting for them. My local pet store reptile expert (not Petsmart or some commercial pet store, so I think he is pretty legit) suggested that the toad may have metabolic bone disease (MBD). I feel bad because I have really gotten attached to these toads. I have them in 24" x 14" terrarium. I have partitioned off about 1/3 with water with a filter. I know what your gonna say, "water for a toad, toads don't need that much water." Well my toads think they're frogs. Anyway the dry land part is coconut substrate with coconut fiber mixed in. I have a cave in there for them that they hide in. The female buried herself in the substrate most of the winter.
It seems like the female is getting around a little bit better. Last night when feeding her she did get up on all 4s and getting in pouncing mode before she ate. Before she was just laying on her belly and letting the insects come to her. She also hopping a little bit better but nothing like she was. I'm hoping the dislocation will resolve on itself (wishful thinking maybe) but none-the-less I won't be euthanizing her like I was once thinking about. My son is trying to get me to set up a small pond in the back yard and putting her there. The original plan was to take her to the local high school which has a pond that they use for science classes. I think she will continue to grow and thrive as long as I give her a safe place to live.
Hey, sorry no one got to this earlier.
Unless she's been injured or fallen off something, MBD seems a likely candidate. I think there may be a product that might be helpful - reptile rescue? Some name like that. But in general, getting calcium in her would be a very good idea though at this stage if it is MBD it's pretty far progressed and hard to reverse. Muscle weakness and dislocation is a bad sign.
Also, toads need water, you're right! I wouldn't give them deep water but they need a water dish at least. Do you dechlorinate it?
I use distilled water, and thanks for the suggestion of reptile rescue. I did get a uvb light and have been dusting every meal for about 2 weeks now. Thanks again. Hoping for the best.
I'm glad you're getting her some calcium. One thing, though, distilled water can leach minerals from a frog. http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Reptile-Health/Ask-A-Vet/Herps-And-Distilled-Water/
Distilled water is basically water with nothing else in it. That means that there are no dissolved salts and minerals. This is a type of water that a wild animal would never be exposed to. All water found in nature has some salt and minerals dissolved in it, and this is important for something called osmotic regulation. Suffice it to say that this term means how water passes into and out of cells and is regulated, in part, by the dissolved solids in the water. Water routinely passes in and out of cells, which is how the body regulates almost all bodily functions. So, dissolved minerals and salts are very important for normal physiological functions. Distilled water, with no dissolved salts and minerals, cannot support those normal bodily functions.
Dechlorination solution like that you'd buy for fish tanks is generally better.
My toad is doing a lot better. She is actually hopping again. Not like she used to but she can hop from lower to higher. Her leg is still limp but it appears she has gained some function of it again albeit won't be like it used to. I switched to regular mineral water...cant believe I used distilled. Thank you for your guidance, my son, myself, and toads are forever grateful.
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