Reptile & Amphibian Forums

oh my gosh!! my green tree frog (Bigby) has something wrong with her. it looks like Bigby has been squished or something, its like her anus is hurt and her bowl is coming out, like when the elastic in your pants breaks and then there is nothing to keep it closed. she has a bubble of flesh about twice the size of her eye coming from it. is this common with green tree frogs? can anyone suggest anything? i dont have the money for a vet appointment right now so i need some advice bad. she looks so horrible. can vets even do anything about this with frogs? they are so delicate...

Sounds like a prolapse to me.

Prolapses can be a very scary thing for many frog owners the first time. It is characterised by what looks like your frogs "insides" hanging out of its rectum. Gross? Yes! Scary? Can be. Curable? Definitely. Prolapse is the result of either substrate swallowed wrong, a too large of a meal, or for no reason at all.

I suggest before you do anything, take your frog to the vet first to check it out. That's always the safest route.

Prolapses can occur because of large meals or food/substrate that gets digested improperly. My advice to you is to feed your frog in small quantities and do not feed it anything it cannot swallow. Use the head width method to determine food sizes.
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This is considered an emergency veterinary situation, and requires the attention of a vet. I hope something has been done in the time since you posted this, as the frog is no doubt in a great discomfort. The vet will evaluate what exactly has happened since there are different types of prolapses. Possibly, the vet will install a purse-string stitch to keep it all in for a few weeks. wtfgirl has given some excellent information on how to prevent them in the future.

"i dont have the money for a vet appointment right now so i need some advice bad. "

Quite frankly, if you don't have money for a vet then you have no business keeping live animals! It is YOUR responsibility to take an animal, no matter how small, to a vet when it needs it. No one will lie to you and tell you that an animal will never need a vet, every animal WILL need a vet at some point in time. Denying an animal proper medical treatment is animal abuse.
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...the oldest task in human history: to live on a piece of land without spoiling it."
Aldo Leopold (1938)

"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."
Calvin and Hobbes

I didn't actually read the latter past of his post, I just saw prolapse and responded accordingly.

Agreed though Colchicine, one should not be keeping animals at all if you can't give them the attention they need ie/ vet.
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well, thanks for the help. ive never heard of a prolapse before but i will change what ever i can. now, in my own defense, i have had the frog for quite a while and and recently started going back to school so my income is limited. i do feel really bad for not having the $60 to get her examined right now (not including any actual work the vet will have to do on her) but pay day is around the corner and it does seem to be getting smaller now. when i have my pets i wont give them up unless i have to, and right now giving my frog away to someone who doesnt know how to look after it and changing its environment because im short money for a few days doesnt seem like a good alternative. if i knew someone who could afford it and that would take good care of it i would give Bigby to them, i want nothing but the best for my babies, but unfortunatly this is the best they have.

Just a suggestion, maybe find out if your vet will consult on account. Then you can pay your account next pay day.

This seriously can't be left, it is cruel.
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LOL I guess I should have read all the posts before making mine LOL
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Heather

i took her to the vet the day after i found out what was wrong. thanks every one for your help, i wouldnt have known anything about it if it wasnt for you guys.

If you have been to the vet office with other animals before you can always ask if they would be willing to bill you. Some places will do this for clients and it wouldn't hurt to at least ask. Especially for something this serious. Just explain to them your situation and that you get paid soon, but you'd really like to be able to have the little guy looked at so that you don't loose him.

Good luck!! And I hope he pulls through and makes a full recovery!!!!
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Heather