WTF Skin Infection

[elly]

Oh good, I've heard of heat treatment but I've been hesitant to recommend it to people because it seems experimental and sometimes is risky. And also, I'm not a vet. But I'm glad it seems to help here.

[Bynny Ribbit]

Oh good, I've heard of heat treatment but I've been hesitant to recommend it to people because it seems experimental and sometimes is risky. And also, I'm not a vet. But I'm glad it seems to help here.

Moochy has tolerated it very well. I've also read on a veterinary resource WTFs can handle having their temps up to 90ºF, so I figured as long as it was a few degrees below that point, it would be okay. The original source of the treatment implied making the entire tank a high temperature, but this seemed risky, so I only did the one corner of her tank. Granted, her temp tank is quite small (12Wx12Lx7.5h). It is likely still pretty warm throughout the tank, but not as hot as the one corner. Like I said, I'm giving her a break the next few days and keeping an eye on her to see if another "round" of this treatment may be prudent. Fingers crossed!

[Bynny Ribbit]

Moochy is still alive and kickin'! Her appetite is good, but her skin is still a bit ugly (but better than before) and, within the last week, she has seemed a bit bloated and somewhat lethargic.

I actually paused in specifically treating Moochy because her tankmate, Fatty, was acting off and ended up being positive with parasites. It turned out she had a type of hookworm(?) though when my vet inquired a specialist about it, they said not to worry about it? It was kind of confusing to me, but part of the reason they were talking with the specialist was to ask if this parasite was capable of becoming a dermatological problem, and apparently it's possible. So, we did a round of Panacur with Fatty and she seems to be doing better. We're now pursuing the same with Moochy since other treatments targeting bacterial/fungal problems have been ineffective. She just got her first dosage yesterday, but I'm not sure when I'll possibly see a difference.

I was pleasantly surprised today that she was wandering around when I checked on her in the wee hours of morning. The week before this, she was sleeping despite it being her awake time. It's making me hopeful. Should the Panacur not be helpful, I have to imagine Baytril might be the way to go? I know it's rather strong, but I'm a bit at a loss for helping frog. I'm considering giving her a Pedialyte soak to maybe help her bloating. I should clarify she's not super bloated like a balloon, nor does it feel like she's full of water like edema...just a soft, airy bloat, I guess? She pooped just yesterday, so I know it isn't impaction.

[BossFrog]

Thanks for keeping us posted, this is really interesting! Hope she gets better!

[Bynny Ribbit]

Thanks for keeping us posted, this is really interesting! Hope she gets better!

It has been quite the journey! I'm glad people are finding it interesting and hopefully informational.

Poor Moochy has it rough. I took her in today for her bloat and my vet is pretty sure it's septicemia considering all her other ailments, so she was prescribed the infamous Baytril for transdermal treatment. At this point, I have to imagine there's an ending coming soon. Either this treats her bloat (and hopefully a few other things) and she goes back to at least mostly normal, or it doesn't work and the bloat is actually caused by kidney disease...which there is no treatment for. It's hard to think that I've been fighting for her this long and she might end up needing to be euthanized. But Moochy is fighting, too; my vet is astonished to know that, despite everything, she is still eating and exploring her tank at night like any normal frog. Such a strong gal. Makes me hopeful! Regardless, she has two weeks of treatment to go through, so we'll see how things go.

I should also mention her left eye is being troublesome. The white mark on it has grown and the pupil doesn't dilate as much as the other one (which my vet mentioned could be due to inflammation in the eye, I think). This was one of the very first things I tried treating her for and it persisted after the two weeks I put drops in it. It didn't seem to bother her too much, but now it's something to keep an eye on.

[Bynny Ribbit]

Hello again! Just wanted to mention my other thread for Moochy here if you want to read more about her edema concerns. I didn't want to clutter this thread with it since it was focusing on her skin condition.

Although her bloating has become my main concern, it seems Baytril may be helping her skin issues?



It's definitely less bumpy, though you can still see some of the "mottling" between colors that she's had from this condition.

I know Baytril is one of those things prescribed too often when other, gentler solutions are available...but maybe it's what was needed in this case. Hopefully it will resolve most of her problems and I can put an end to medications and vet visits.

EDIT: The white stuff on her left side is calcium powder, for the curious, lol.

[elly]

I'm sorry, I hope she lives, or that it's painless.

[Bynny Ribbit]

I'm sorry, I hope she lives, or that it's painless.

Thank you for your thoughts. I'm getting less and less choked up at the thought of losing her; although she could live longer, she's had a pretty good life for 9 years. Focusing on the positive (her long life) vs. the negative (her passing away) is helping me cope. Who knows, I may be getting ahead of myself since she's still a happy frog despite her issues.