American Toad weird symptoms. New owner, need help

[KP]

This all sounds like a typical shedding. They'll puff up to stretch and tear the old skin, so that's normal. They'll be discolored as they're between old, dingy skin and the not yet fully exposed new skin. The hiding during the process is also normal since they know they're vulnerable all the while. (I don't think I'd want to do something like that out in the open either. ) They'll also be stiff before and during a shedding again, owing to the old, relatively dry skin being shed. The substrate caking onto the old skin is very likely depending upon what it is. That you can easily make a positive change of right away to help the little guy, so not a dire emergency as long as he hasn't ingested enough to impact his gut.
Seems like he's just had a particularly arduous shed this time. Maybe change their habitat to help them avoid the caking of substrate on old skin problem but otherwise he should be fine once he's done.
He actually looks quite good in your photos. Good color, robust stockiness, bright eyes. I'd say he's ok.

Also, they'll eat less prior to a shedding and they won't eat again until after they've been done for a little while, nothing to worry about there either. And always leave them alone to eat their skin, they need it.

Almost forgot, that "something pink" hanging out of his mouth is his tongue.

[apr0705]

This all sounds like a typical shedding. They'll puff up to stretch and tear the old skin, so that's normal. They'll be discolored as they're between old, dingy skin and the not yet fully exposed new skin. The hiding during the process is also normal since they know they're vulnerable all the while. (I don't think I'd want to do something like that out in the open either. ) They'll also be stiff before and during a shedding again, owing to the old, relatively dry skin being shed. The substrate caking onto the old skin is very likely depending upon what it is. That you can easily make a positive change of right away to help the little guy, so not a dire emergency as long as he hasn't ingested enough to impact his gut.
Seems like he's just had a particularly arduous shed this time. Maybe change their habitat to help them avoid the caking of substrate on old skin problem but otherwise he should be fine once he's done.
He actually looks quite good in your photos. Good color, robust stockiness, bright eyes. I'd say he's ok.

Also, they'll eat less prior to a shedding and they won't eat again until after they've been done for a little while, nothing to worry about there either. And always leave them alone to eat their skin, they need it.

Almost forgot, that "something pink" hanging out of his mouth is his tongue.

Thank you so much KP. I'm relieved that you think my Terry is okay. So should I expect their sheds to always take 4 days to go through? because it just seemed like a long time and I was under the impression that shedding happened relatively fast, fast enough for owners to miss it. I also thought it was normal for it to come off in one piece, so when I saw that it was coming off in some pieces that concerned me. thank you again :')

[KP]

This session took longer than it reasonably should have as I noted, now don't feel bad about this, but in part because of your help, and also because it began with entanglement in the substrate which of course necessitated your loving interferance. The skin won't come off like a snake's does, in one piece. It'll always have to be done as they can reach it with their limbs and push it into their mouths, so piece-bypiece is all good. They go through a whole lot of gyrations and contortions to get it all.

[apr0705]

Aw man, now I feel bad for messing with him as much as i did hah, looks like i may have to regain his trust for a bit. one more question, I currently have a 20 gal tank that I would like to upgrade them to. do you think it would be ok to do it now, or would it be too stressful for him after all of this happening over the past few days? Should I wait to move them until he starts moving around again and eating like normal?

[KP]

Good call, I'd wait a while to let him resume normal activity before another shake-up. That shouldn't take long. But be aware that you might not have prevented him from swallowing a hazardous volume of substrate so keep an eye on his behavior and seek medical help in the event that he doesn't resume normal feeding soon.

I will say that I've never had a Toad with an impacted bowel so if others here have direct experience with this problem it would be helpful to hear from them right away, in the event you have to deal with that hardship.

[apr0705]

Thanks so much, I'll try to update this thread within the next week and let you know how it goes

[KP]

Yes, please do. I'll look forward to his progress report, thanks!

[KP]

One final note about their eating this time of year, it will decrease. Compare their apetites with each other and they should be at least somewhat similar in their lowered enthusiasm and intake since as you know it's entering the hibernation season for them if they were wild. Also the variations in season conditions from year to year can bring on an earlier or later hibernation so take that into account with regard to their feeding responses these days.

[KP]

And you're quite welcome. I'm glad I found your post so soon. As I've indicated in previous threads, I have Tree Frogs, Hyla versicolor and Hyla chrysoscelis for the last few years but my early and longest-term specialty was Toads like yours of the Anaxyrus group. All I do with them nowadays is promote their increase in and around my compound but they remain one of my most favorite little creatures to have around.

I'm sure yours will be fortunate to have you.

[KP]

The other thing I'd add is that it's really important under normal circumstances that they be left alone to shed and part of his reluctance to eat could be the measures you attempted as he was shedding, not to say that taking the clump out of his mouth wasn't the thing to do as in this case it certainly was but the bathing and removing of old skin for him may have left him more tender than usual from a shedding since the new skin comes with the same kind of heightened sensitivity we'd have from something like an abnormally abrasive exfoliation treatment at the spa or one of those microderm abrasions people get.

I know people don't like to do things au naturalle in the pet world but of all the substrates available I recommend using good, clean dirt which is what Toads of this kind live in. They burrow, and they love doing it, so if they can't burrow to their hearts content they need to be able to do that as much and as soon as you can make that possible.

You should have as much of a larger tank for them as you can find and/or afford with a good six(6) inches of soil throughout for them to get as down and dirty in as they please. Drop their food onto the surface and they'll emerge at night to hunt it like they do in the wild.

On top of the soil you can put large pieces of tree bark which they'll happily burrow under. They'll love you for all of these things.