Blind baby toad mom

[amyjane]

HI there! I found this forum, because I just found a blind baby toad and am trying to help it eat something, but it seems to have no urge to eat...i am not sure how long it will live. I wish I knew how to help it better...I would appreciate any suggestions!

[Jace]

Unfortunately, frogs and toads are dependent on sight to interact and hunt for food. A blind toad's chance of survival are slim. You could try forcefeeding (which can be difficult depending on the size of it), but it can cause lots of stress to both you and it. Hoepfully another member has a suggestion, but this might not have a happy ending for the toad. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news...

[pixiefrogman]

How do you know it's blind?

[amyjane]

well, I am pretty certain it is blind. One eye is completely flat and closed. The other eye is always open and is askew...cross eyed, i guess. But the frog doesn't respond to anything placed in front of his eye, not even light or dark. Yeah...I'm sure it won't end well, but I'll keep trying to get him to eat. I haven't been force feeding him, but I have been smashing up frog food pellets in water and having him swim in the water hoping that maybe some food/water will get in his mouth and he'll learn to eat like that. Does that seem like a good plan?

[Jace]

Toads are more terrestrial than aquatic; they will have a brief soak in the water, but they seldom stay there for too long. As well, frogs and toads need live, moving food. How big is the toad? Something you can try is this: find a small container that the toad can fit into so it is not squished but still has turning around room. Fill the container with appropriate sized crickets (rule of thumb-chose a cricket size that is no bigger than the width of the frog/toads head). Maybe the sense of something moving around it will kick in the instinct to lunge and eat; the small container size and limited moving room might increase the chance of it actually getting something into its mouth. Other than that, I am not sure what to suggest. Sorry I can't be of more help.

[amyjane]

Thanks so much for the advice! That seems like a really good idea... I have some tiny crickets in with it now, but maybe if they were in a smaller space it would give him a better chance of catching one. ...poor little guy.

[Jace]

I recently came into possession of a really small toad myself so I understand the concern for your little one. Luckily, Enoch has use of both his eyes and is a very hearty eater. I included a couple of pics to show how tiny he is. Best of luck to you-please keep us posted on how the little guy does.

[pixiefrogman]

If I were you I'd let him go. I hate to say it but if you let him go he will probably die, which is best for him.

[amyjane]

yeah, you are probably right TJ... Well, he is in "sleeping" with my 3 year old daughter next to her bed. She really likes the little guy. But I think we are going to find a place to release it tomorrow. We have some horsetail reeds in a planter where he might be safe and have access to little bugs. The first two nights we had him, we put him outside at night to see if he would go away and maybe find his home, but he was right in the same place the next morning! I found an interesting article on PubMed about a cruel study they did in the 1960s with these same toads (Gulf Coast Toads) where they had 2 groups relocated 200+meters from where they were found. 1 group were blinded (eyes sewn shut!) and the other group had their olfactory senses taken away (so they couldnt smell). And the blinded group found their way back, but the group with no sense of smell couldn't find their way back... so I wonder if my toad has problems beyond just his blindness... Anyways, I think you are right TJ. He doesn't need to live in a cage for his short sweet life...