Hi all,

I have an very old Whites treefrog that has been starting to display some serious signs.

Timmy is very old, I got this frog in 1993. He's always had something wrong with his face (a hole in his face above the nostril giving him the apperence of 3 nostrils) and because of this he wouldn't sell. I thought it would regenerate but it never did. I think he'd lived in the pet store over a year when the owner decided he would dispose of him by feeding him to a snake. Now I'd wanted a White's for some time and offered to home him so I took him home (the snake got its usual frozen mouse).

Anyway I was just taking some pictures of him and I saw what looked like blood on his side (picture on the left) so I took him out to examine him, maybe a cricket had given him a good bite or something, but it wasn't bleeding, whatever it is it is subcutaneous. He seems to be in good spirits, is still ribbiting whan I play music, and exploring his cage and so on, but since he is usually nocturnal I don't know how long he's had this, it may be as long as a month even, since at daytime he pretty much stays in his coconut house.

Is this normal aging in a frog? H'es always had very translucent skin around the part where the green goes to white but I haven't seen this kind of pattern on his sides before. I think I won't buy those "bug tubs" any longer, I think those crickets stuffed in a plastic tub like that for weeks on end must make a heap of bacteria.

Unfortunately I don't think I can afford a herp vet right now because I have to go to a pain specialist at the end of the month for me that will cost $290 (1/3 of my monthly income as I am on disability for the time being). I am going to phone around herp vets for prices, maybe he just needs a shot of tetracyclin or I can dust some on a cricket. If it's something serious though I'll do what I can to take him in but I hope his liver isn't failing or anything. I'm really worried and I'm not looking forward to the day he goes to the Great Swamp in the Sky.

On the left is the first shot that made me think he was bleeding, the right is a closeup of the kind of bruisey look:



Is this normal for really old frogs? Like liver spots or vericose veins in humans?

Thanks in advance!