"No" Frog

[elly]

Hey, I've been away from here doing intense real life stuff but now my little frog hasn't eaten for a little over a week and I'm getting concerned. Today he actually did this, and swiped a roach off a ledge.

It's probably temperature related since it's been in the high 70's/ low 80's all week and my air conditioner is currently broken. The fan is just not doing enough.

do you have any tips for getting a frog to eat? Aside from delicacies like wax worms, because the problem is that he's not even trying to strike at anything.

[elly]

I feel like I should add that I know lively bugs like crickets can draw frog attention, but that didn't work. Also shoving a bug in a frog's face doesn't work.

I finally got Julep to eat a small roach after holding it there for twenty minutes. He hopped onto the hand holding the bug once.

[Bynny Ribbit]

Do you know he last time he pooped and if it seemed normal? Just to rule out any gastrointestinal distress. The temperature doesn't seem like it should be an issue since I've seen information stating they can handle up to 90ºF according to a vet source.

Have you tried removing him from his tank and feeding him in a separate container?

[elly]

I'm pretty sure he was the one responsible for a larger-than-normal poop in the waterbowl recently.

I know they can tolerate those temperatures, but I thought maybe the drop in temp at night might cue them to hunt or something. I know warm nights have made the little frog unusually active with less of an appetite. Maybe he thinks it's spring and wants a mate.

I tried putting him over a tank with crickets but he was having none of it. If things don't change I'll try moving him to the quarantine tank and leaving bugs there.

[elly]

Vet visit: anyhow the vet says Julep has one of the worst cases of nematodes he's seen. He sent me back with a low dose of Panacur, so I get to experience giving a frog medicine by mouth. Anyone have tips on this???

I also may need to strip the tank and replace the substrate.

I'm wondering how he got them at all. The larger frog had a lot of protozoa, but not nematodes. Did one of the frogs come with nematodes? Did the pet store crickets have nematodes? What about my roach colony? Did the magnolia leaves I boiled and roasted for the tank still have eggs?

I'm not feeling great right now. I would hate to strip the whole tank only to have the feeders continue to contribute worms. I'm not happy that the medicine will probably stress the little frog out more and make him less likely to eat. At least I got him checked out before he lost a significant amount of weight.

Also, even though the big frog seems healthy I'll need to get him checked out too.

[Animallover3541]

Using a gift card or something similar like you would do when force feeding would probably be the best way to give your frog its medicine.

[Larry Wardog]

You probably got nematodes from leaves or some plant possibly or if your soil is from outside it could be that too. Those frogs are hardy so I wouldn't consider that an issue if it's not for a long period of time. Although the frog would probably adapt and adjust to the warm temps. As for the medicine I would never use a credit card just because I'd be worried of breaking the jaw of the frog. What I did was inject crickets when my Leopard Frog was sick and he ate the cricket and got all of the medicine. You can do this for whatever the frog eats most. Like my toads favorite food is a worm or waxworm. I'd inject it to one of them even a waxworm. Even though it's a fat food if the frog will take it then that's the most important thing. I think there are beneficial bugs you can release to eat the nematodes but don't quote me. You would have to strip down the tank and give new dirt to assure they are all gone. Hope this helps.

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[Larry Wardog]

One thing I read on a few websites is that isopods actually compete with nematodes for food and isopods usually win. So if you would have an abundance of isopods you will be able to choke out nematodes in theory. I use native plants I buy from nurseries and things that may have nematodes but I have an abundance of Springtails and Isopods that have successfully prevented my toads or anything else native from getting infected. For the future idk if you do this already but you can attempt keeping isopods with your frogs. I'm unsure of a survival rate of frogs from your question. Some vets will inject the frog directly as my vet did to a dumpy frog with an airborne infection and it helped the frog. He didn't feel it. The Pedyalite will work the one you suggested it gives energy. I've used it before. Sugar added to warm water helps also. Helps them poop too.

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[elly]

Thanks for the reply! I have had isopods and springtails, though they might have died. I don't remember seeing any isopods when I cleaned out the substrate. It's a shame because I'd really prefer a permanent setup but I have no idea how the nematodes got into the tank in the first place and if there's a chance they could build up again it might be better not to risk it.

My vet gave me oral medication and I'm trying to be very delicate about opening their mouths. If the frogs became very malnourished I'd try a pedialyte bath but the problem doesn't seem to be lack of energy. Hopefully after three days of meds and a short recovery period they'll feel like eating once more.

[elly]

They're eating! Fingers crossed that the crickets won't re-infect them and the medicine and my tank cleaning efforts did a thorough job of removing the nematodes.

[Bynny Ribbit]

That's great! Hopefully it's smooth sailing from here!

[elly]

Frogs have not been eating for a while again. I'm so tired