Impaction?

[cosuperfly]

I have two FBT's ("Scuba Steve", and "Sally"). (No, I'm not sure what sex they are, but Steve is brown and Sally is green so it just made sense to name them that way.)

Scuba Steve's belly has blown up like a balloon and has been that way for about 4 days now. I don't think he's eating and he seems lethargic. I read somewhere else that he might be impacted and it seems we've been feeding crickets that are too large. Sally seems fine but she's much younger.

Short of taking Steve to a Vet - is there anything I can do at home? I'm afraid it will just stress him out further if I isolate him or clean the tank right now... And I just can't justify taking him to a vet. Would it help if I rub his tummy? Or try to poke some petroleum jelly in him?

[Alytidae]

Here are a few questions that I have just off the top of my head:

1) Is it possible that "Scuba Steve" is more of a "Scuba Stevie" and may be full of eggs?

2) What is the substrate in your tank? Is it possible that he has ingest a piece of gravel which is causing the impaction?

3) Is the frog showing other behavioral signs of impaction like shallow breathing or writhing movement?

Depending on your tank set up you may need to isolate "Scuba Steve" to keep a better watch on him. In this manner, you can check if he is able to defecate or refuses food.

Best of luck!

[John]

A photo would be nice, just to know what your definition of blown up is. It does sound like either bloat from disease or perhaps an impaction. I don't think there's much you can do at home to treat the frog as is.

[cosuperfly]

Here's a pic. I really appreciate the advice!

[Alytidae]

Wow. That is definitely blown up. I would recommend isolating the frog so you can really keep a better eye on him and soaking him in warm water (not hot). Warm water can help if it's an impaction.

[cosuperfly]

I isolated Steve last night (about 14 hours ago). He's in a small container with wet paper towel and lots of air holes in the lid. I put him on top of the tank so he could get warmth from the tank's fluorescent bulb. He's still alive and moving quickly when prompted. I think the swelling may have gone down a bit but it may just appear that way now that he's out of the water. His belly is not hard but no poops so far. I haven't offered food yet - need to go get some tiny little crickets for him and will post an update later.

Thanks SO MUCH for the advice and encouragement. ANY suggestions are appreciated!

[cosuperfly]

Good News! Steve had a poop! He's still swollen and not eating but I went ahead and put him back in the regular tank. So hopefully he's going to be ok!