Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've been keeping some D. tinctorius and D. azureus for about a year now. All are captive bred. I nave noticed that one of the tinc's and one of the azureus have a "limp". That is, one of their front legs seems to not work properly. The frogs tend to hold this leg up when they can, and don't like to put alot of pressure on it. Also, when a fruit fly happens to crawl on their heads, they can't quite seen to reach it to get it off, and just seem to end up batting at the air helplessly. However, the "healthy" frogs flick flies off their heads with no problem. The problem is subtle in the azureus, and I didn't notice it right away, but I definately noticed it in the tinc when I got it (it was a freebie). The limp seems to impair their ability to get food to a slight degree, but they manage and are only slightly smaller than the healthy frogs.

Is this spindly leg, or is something else going on? Are there different degrees of severity with spindly leg, where it might not be noticed at first? Does this have any impact to their ability to breed and produce healthy offspring?

Thanks.

Spindly leg is a phenomenon that is noticeable when the tadpoles morph out. It's fatal, since their legs don't emerge properly and they can't function as frogs. I don't know what's going on with your frogs, but it isn't spindly leg syndrome at this point. I'd check this out with a herp vet if you have one in your vicinity and have the faculties to do it. It could be another problem, or perhaps nothing at all except an individually clumsy or inattentive frog that is already full of flies. Frogs have individual "personalities," even among the same specie. Some are just more sharp than others about hunting. I'm looking forward to some better suggestions, but that's the best I can do for now.
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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

4 D. auratus blue
5 D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
5 D. imitator
6 D. leucomelas
4 D. pumilio Bastimentos
4 D. fantasticus
4 P. terribilis
4 D. reticulatus
4 D. castaneoticus

Spindly leg comes in many degrees and it is possible to have a frog with malformed front leg or legs survive. This is fairly commen.
However for the issue to become apparent at this stage makes it unlikely that spindly is the issue.
What supplements are you using and how often are you using them?

Ed

I'm supplementing with 1:1 ratio of Rep-Cal Calcium w/ D3: Herptivite. I dust the flies every time I feed. Let me clarify that the tinc had this condition when I got him, and despite being alittle clumsy with that leg, it eating and growing well. The azureus I've only had about 6-8 months, and were purchased as froglets at a show. I noticed the condition in the one azureus a couple of months ago, but like I said, it appears to be more subtle than in the tinc (so I may not have noticed it when he was young). The azureus is also a bit clumsy but is growing well. They just don't lean on the one front leg with too much pressure. The upper portion of the "bad" leg in the tinc is thinner than the other leg, but I can't reaaly tell in the azureus.

Can there be mild cases of spindly leg? Could there be any other diseases/conditions that would cause this?

It is possible that it is a mild case of spindly leg syndrome (sls) however it could also be due to improper supplementation before you recieved the animal as well as other potential causes (which may need a vet to deal with). The condition is probably permanent and will continue to affect the animals mobility.
As sls has also been linked genetically, I would suggest not breeding the frogs.

In general, most vitamin supplementation regimens should not be on a daily basis as the potential for toxicity from hypervitaminosis exists. A good rule of the thumb is to alternate the vitamin-mineral supplement with a straight calcium carbonate supplement.

Ed

Thanks for the advice, I didn't know that there may be a genetic link with sls. I was concerned about potential toxicity from the vitamin/calcium mix - are you recommending one day multivitamin, next day calcium, and so on for every feeding day? I saw a post recently where someone recommended 2 days of just multivitamin and then one day of calcium. Any thoughts on that?

My suggestion with the multivitamin is based on what I do at work when we feed. It has worked for over ten years now.

The thing to remember is that the minimal RDA requirement as well and the maximal RDA requirements are not known for these animals. I suggest a slightly more frequent supplementation as the insects relatively quickly groom the powder off and this allows a better opportunity to insure that there is sufficient supplementation.

Ed