Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So that wtf I rescued is STILL not eating on his/her own. I am getting VERY frustrated. If I get a little bit of the food in his/her mouth, he/she will swallow the rest of it, but if I didn't help, it would DIE. I have tried Crix, mealies, supers and even a pinkie. No luck. Someone PLEASE help me!! BAAAHHHH!!
~Angela
ps-he/she is the greener one, on the top

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1.0.0 Normal Leopard Gecko
0.1.0 Super Hypo-Tangerine Carrot tail
0.1.1 Whites Tree Frogs
1.0.0 Huge Black Cat
0.1.0 Cocker Spaniel
0.1.0 Brittany
0.0.1 Brother

then give her to someone who wouldnt mind...

I know you had the WTF with the tight skin thing - is this the same frog? Not eating is usually the first noticed sign of illness with frogs. Is everything in the set up right (tank size, temp, humidity, background on 3 sides, treated or spring water changed daily, plenty of hides, etc)? If not, correct what is wrong as that could be the cause. If the set up is correct, you need to get this frog to a vet (unless it's the one who has already been to the vet). Either way, it needs to be seperated from the other frog immediately as they do pass illness to each other. There are some illnesses which call for force feeding and some which do not as sometimes a frog who is immunocompromised is not eating on it's own because his body systems (such as the digestive system) are not working properly. If he is ill, force feeding will not cure him and the stress of it combined with the illness just makes things worse. Healthy, happy frogs eat and we'd need to know more about the specifics in order to help pinpoint a problem. Hope this helps a bit.
For info on WTFs and their set up, check out the link:
www.froggie.info

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Happy Frogging!!!

~Becki~

The frog with the tight skin is perfect now. She just got some antibiotics and de-wormer. I don't have any background on the tank, but I will do that as soon as I can. It doesn't have to be the fancy stuff from the pet shop, does it? Everything else is perfect.I have a big enough tank for both of them. They barely ever use the other side, so it makes me think, that for this particualr pair, it may even be too big. I do plan on getting a bigger tank, seeing as it is a 20long, but was a present from my parents for christmas, and I don't have the money at this point to buy a higher one. I am thinking at LEAST a 30 high, maybe a hex. There is plenty of fresh water, I change it every day, and it is treated. There are lots of little hiding spots, for them, and they use them everyday. As soon as I can get some money, I am going to try to warm up the cage some more tho. It is usually around 75, and it should be warmer. I have an under tank heater, and a night bulb on them. Any suggestions on what I should use?? Anyway, ALL of my herps went to the vet at the same time, and all got meds, and they are done with them now. Picasso, the frog in question, had really bad fungal lip rot and her elbow was completly open, but she has actually healed up nicely! I don't see how she could actually be SICK, seeing as she has been on antibiotics for a month, and is going on her third, of four dewormings. I think she is just not used to eating, because she was definatly not eating in the pet store, and was syringe fed that repti-aid stuff for over a month. I am just looking for some sort of trick to make her want to eat on her own. I know how to force feed, and once it's in her mouth a little, she is FINE! She eats it perfectly. Its just getting it in her mouth. I have never heard of a frog that just wants to be force fed or whatever. Perhaps I will give the vet a call tomorrow. Thanks for the help Becki, and if you could give me some tips on the background and heating, I would be very happy!
~Angela
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1.0.0 Normal Leopard Gecko
0.1.0 Super Hypo-Tangerine Carrot tail
0.1.1 Whites Tree Frogs
1.0.0 Huge Black Cat
0.1.0 Cocker Spaniel
0.1.0 Brittany
0.0.1 Brother

Okay, the background can be construction paper, anything to cover the glass to give them some security. You just don't want it to be stark white or neon pink - just nice, dark, comfy frog colors. You can use aquarium backing if you like, or even magazine clippings of plants, flowers, etc. Some of mine have the aquarium stuff and some are blue and green construction paper.
Get a day heat bulb - even a standard 40 watt household light bulb and ditch the heat pad all together. If they are only using the half of the tank the pad is on it may be because of the warmth, as you said the tank is too cool for daytime temps. Low temps can cause illness, inability to digest food properly, could even have something to do with the loss of appetite. You want a heat gradient - a basking spot on a limb and plant directly under the heat light an the warm end of tank, water bowl on opposite end of tank - this allows there to be several different temp ranges throughout the tank. You also want the temps to drop at night - constant temps are not good either. Most tanks will stay above 70 at night with no additional heat source.
As far as the one with no appetite, it could be from the lower temps or from the medications - they can cause loss of appetite. If you're seeing no vomitting and she/he is pooping regularly, I would continue to force feed until the medications are finished and hopefully then, with the warmer temps, s/he will eat voluntarily. If not, you may then want to explore other options. Try feeding 2 crix every other day to give him/her a day of rest without added stress, or a newborn pinkie can be fed and then no feeding for 4-5 days of rest. Stress is a very big factor with frogs and any measures which can be taken to reduce stress should be.
So, get some background and a day bulb ASAP and they will thank you for it. Best of luck and keep us posted and please ask any further questions you may have, hope this helps a bit.
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Happy Frogging!!!

~Becki~

Angela~
You can also use a colored bath towel or brown paper shopping bags for backgrounds as well. I actually have two of my tanks temp covered with towels and it actually seems to help keep it a little warmer as well. Like Becki said, you can use regular light bulbs for now, make sure that you have the tank far enough away from any vents or drafts too.

As for your little one not wanting to eat on it's own. Do you have it in the tank with the other? Or is it alone? If it's with the other, perhaps try separating them for a short time and give her some space of her own to roam with a few crix. Perhaps once you bring the temps up a bit and she becomes more active she will start hunting as well. I know how trying it can be ahving to force feed, I had to try it with two of my RE babies. I think you are lucky that she lets you do it! My little REs wouldn't accept it and passed. They both had facial deformities and were not well to begin with, but I tried just to see if perhaps I got some food into them and helped them gain strength, then just maybe I could get them to survive.

Hang in there and keep trying! You are being such a great froggie Mommy by taking the extra time and effort to be sure that she is getting what she needs.

Good luck and be sure to keep us posted!
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Heather

Heather~
Thank you so much. I really needed to hear that. I have had frogs for almost 10 years now, and never had one that seems to LIKE being force fed. I absolutly LOVE nursing things back to health, but this little guy is confusing. I have been doing everything I CAN to get him back on his feet in the last month. I mean, I took him to the vet, he gained about 10 grams thanks to the repti-aid stuff, his color was dark brown when I got him, but now he is a nice green,his lips and arms are completly healed up and he was even calling the other night! I am definatly going to put a towel over half of the screen to keep heat in, put a dark background on three sides, and get a new bulb. I am just so tight on money now, because I am waiting to start my new job as a reptile manager at the bestest reptile section in Omaha, and once I get money, I can move out of my parents house, and give them a room of their own, where it isn't so cold. He seems to be getting along fine with Phoebe, my other wtf, and I can't move him out, b/c my quarentine tank is eing taken up by a very expencive, baby Leopard Gecko. Hopefully, I can get my boyfriend to buy me some of the stuff I need, beacuse I don't want to lose him/her!! Thanks to you and Becki, I think he will get better! Thanks again!
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1.0.0 Normal Leopard Gecko
0.1.0 Super Hypo-Tangerine Carrot tail
0.1.1 Whites Tree Frogs
1.0.0 Huge Black Cat
0.1.0 Cocker Spaniel
0.1.0 Brittany
0.0.1 Brother

You know, I asked for advise, not critisism. Thanks for all the help.
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1.0.0 Normal Leopard Gecko
0.1.0 Super Hypo-Tangerine Carrot tail
0.1.1 Whites Tree Frogs
1.0.0 Huge Black Cat
0.1.0 Cocker Spaniel
0.1.0 Brittany
0.0.1 Brother

Criticism? I was just offering you what facts, knowledge and help I could - I thought I was giving good advice not criticism. Best of luck to you, hope you find what it is you're looking for.
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Happy Frogging!!!

~Becki~

When I looked at the post about criticism, it was in response to my post to you, then I posted a reply and go back to see it wasn;t a reply to mine afterall - sorry for my confusion, am going to read the one to me and reply to it now. Oops!
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Happy Frogging!!!

~Becki~