Young Pacman frog not eating

[mysterythought]

I can see about getting some crickets. I live in Florida so unfortunately dubia roaches aren't an option. Thank you for your reply!

[mysterythought]

Would it be worthwhile to try moving him to a plastic container smaller than his current terrarium with a thin layer of coco coir and keeping that in a darker and quieter place for a day or so before trying to feed him again? I imagine that he must be refusing to eat due to stress. I'm just wondering if the possible benefits of moving him would outweigh the risk of stressing him further. I plan to pick up some crickets tomorrow either way. Thank you for the guidance!

[Animallover3541]

That might be a good idea. You could feed him in there then, since he won't get impacted from coco fiber. Once you move him he probably won't want to eat for a bit though; keep that in mind.

[Hill111]

What worked for my guy was putting in some crickets at night time and then shutting off the lights. These guys are nocturnal so they prefer to eat at night and in the dark! I think if you stand there watching them they get nervous or something and don't want to eat

[DanDrobates]

Sometimes unknown stressors will cause frogs to go off feed. I’ll cover part of my enclosures with a black cloth to offer more privacy, up the humidity and leave them be for two days and then offer small prey items. I’ve had poor luck with worms and I opt for gut loaded crickets. Froglets can be delicate. The habitat looks great but I’d suggest swapping the metal bowl out for a plastic one. Also if done correctly tong feeding can elicit a good feeding response but it has to be done delicately. I’d save this as a last resort though and let it feed naturally. Body language and movement are good indicators of a frogs health. If it’s sitting half in the substrate looking partially puffed on its sides that’s good. But if it’s hopping all over looking for cover it’s stressed. Be patient and give it a few days with no stress in a quiet spot then try again. If nothing stimulated feeding I’d transfer it to a small container with just purified water and a little piece of cork bark or a few magnolia leaves for cover. This will eliminate any chance of impaction while feeding. Good luck

[mysterythought]

Thank you for all the suggestions! I ended up moving him to a smaller, simpler enclosure with only an inch of coco coir, a water dish, and heater. I left him alone yesterday and added crickets tonight. He immediately reacted to the crickets and has eaten one so far! I'm so relieved that he's finally gotten some food in him and I'm hopeful that he'll continue to improve.

[mysterythought]

Sadly it seems I am back to square one with my frog. He has refused to eat ever since he ate one cricket 5 days ago. Now when I add crickets he doesn't react at all, although I make sure he can see them. I wrapped the tub in black fabric the other night to reduce visibility, but he remains the same. He doesn't seem restless or stressed in that he typically remains half buried in the substrate and doesn't do a lot of moving around unless disturbed, he just refuses to eat. I'm planning to contact my local vet to find out if they have anyone skilled in working with frogs.

I'm starting to think that I must have made some unknown mistake along the way in my care of this poor frog. It's incredibly disheartening for a pet that once had such a strong appetite slowly become thinner and stop growing from refusing food, and knowing that the cause was likely something entirely preventable. I can only hope that this will just be a tough period of his youth and that he'll end up recovering and living a long and healthy life.