Reptile & Amphibian Forums

my bf requested that i use this site... i really hope someone can help me because the internet does not help at all... well, i got 2 fire bellied toads in the beginning of this month, a male and a female. both were very active and ate properly and my male was even calling to the female... but now there is something wrong w/ the little guy... he is definately not very active anymore, he has stopped calling to her, he wasnt eating for about a week, and ive been told that he is bloated... i contacted a friend who was good w/ frogs and he told me to force feed the frog a couple of crickets, which i did last night.. but now im still really worried about the guy and i dont know what to do for him... please please please if there is any advice to be given i would gladly accept it!

Taken from allaboutfrogs.org:

Dropsy:
Possibly caused by bacteria, but much more likely a metabolism disorder - resulting from poor climactic maintenance or improper diet. Dropsy appears as bloating and soft dermal abnormalities around the abdominal region. The treatments sound really risky, involving puncturing the wounds if they aren't near the eye region. Even the one book I was able to find that describes this illness strongly recommends seeing a specialist for treatment.

Photos:
http://allaboutfrogs.org/info/doctor/bloat1.jpg
http://allaboutfrogs.org/info/doctor/bloat2.jpg

Good luck. I just found out my frog may have a fungal infection, I'm here to ask someone named Andy.
-----
Amanda ^_^

"Animals are reliable, many full of love, true in their affections, predictable in their actions, grateful and loyal. Difficult standards for people to live up to." ~Alfred A. Montapert

thanks so much that somebody finally replied! i just wish there was something i could do for him! he is able to still move about, so he doesnt float like that picture shows, but he chooses not to... im really not sure what to do for him... and i dont know if ill be able to take him to see a doctor .. i just hope something can be done!

First off, the frog in the picture isn't just floating, he is dead. Dropsy is often fatal. Search google for something along the lines of "cures for dropsy in frogs" or "dropsy care in frogs" etc...

I understand how it is to be unable to take a pet the the vet. I have many animals but sadly money is tight so vets are only available to us if absolutely needed. I just recently had to have a collared lizard put down, she had MBD and was having seizures.

Let me give you some advice. Clean the water really, really well. Clean all the tank furniture. Clean the gravel. Do NOT use soap unless youre 100% able to get all of it off. USE A WATER SOFTENER! This is VERY important!

Check the temperatures. If they are too low, try to raise them. They have special heating bulbs that won't disturb their sleep paterns.

I personally lost two fire-bellied toads... One to dropsy and another from a bacterial illness. I had three, so before the third passed away I found him a new home with someone more capable. Scoop is still alive to this day.

Do what you can for your guy. If you can't handle the problems, find a friend or someone who may know how to help. Other than the suggestions I gave you, all I can really say is this:

Love him and make him as comfortable as possible. Talk to him. I know it sounds odd, but pets will react to their owners' voices, whether it be a cat, dog, bird, or frog.

Feel free to e-mail me at shopunke@yahoo.com and maybe I can help you out further.
-----
Amanda ^_^

"Animals are reliable, many full of love, true in their affections, predictable in their actions, grateful and loyal. Difficult standards for people to live up to." ~Alfred A. Montapert

would my other frog be in danger of catching anything from the sick frog? should she be removed from the tank?

Yep.
-----
Amanda ^_^

"Animals are reliable, many full of love, true in their affections, predictable in their actions, grateful and loyal. Difficult standards for people to live up to." ~Alfred A. Montapert

soo... i have done my research on dropsy... it sounds right... except one thing... his legs are not swollen at all... he can still have dropsy but it has only affected his stomach right now? im wondering which treatment should i do? should i put aquarium salt in the tank? should i feed him some sort of treatment that they might have for this disease at a petstore? i have even found a website that shows you how to puncture a froggie and extract the fluid... which will be the last resort hopefully.... well, any information on this would be helpful..

I'm not sure which is best, what is the aquarium salt all about?
-----
Amanda ^_^

"Animals are reliable, many full of love, true in their affections, predictable in their actions, grateful and loyal. Difficult standards for people to live up to." ~Alfred A. Montapert

i dont know i just read a few different approaches... something about putting aquarium salt in the tank? i dont know really what i should do...