Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Have a gray tree & not sure the age *adult older* ! Well, about a week agao it pooped out a balloon sack looking thing out of it's bottom. It looks like a dime sized balloon sack with blood vessels running through it. Well, a week ago I was able to help put it back up in the frog with a Q-tip. I have seen a vet do this once on our Bearded dragon. No vet here local that deals with frogs & the next nearest is about 2 hours away. Well, when I helped the frog a week ago it did fine after that. It had 1 poop after the fixing & I thought, oh good it would stay back up in. I have been feeding very little ( small crickets) & not so often the last week. This morning there was a nice huge poop (much bigger than normal) laying on the paper towel & I found the frog with this balloon hanging out again ! Tried to put back up in & it didn't work this time. What to do PLEASE ???? Frog is very active & still fast. She is kept only on paper towels. Has 1 water bowl in with her, 1 cork bark log, & 1 fake plant. Please some advice here.

Thanks,
Jennie

What you are describing is a prolapsed rectum. I'm sorry that I don't have direct advice for frogs. I recently talked to a vet regarding a prolapse rectum in a rescue Sulcata tortoise. The vet said that it was probably due to problems with diet. In bigger animals, good vets can do surgery and sew the rectum back into place. Theoretically, if it held in place long enough, it might reattach. However, it may just come back out again.

My initial thought was that crickets might not be the best food for it right now. The hard chitinous shells might be forcing the frog to push harder to deficate. When you said it took a really big poop, it made me think it was constipated. Ensure that the frog is well hydrated right now. Dehydration can lead to constipation. I would continue to push the rectum back inside the cloaca. However, I would first put a little WATER based lubrication on it and the q-tip. Stuff made for humans is fine. I think this is the only hope you've got. If it dries out, there may be no chance. That sulcata's rectum had been prolapsed for so long, it was rock hard and had to be euthanised.

I would drop anything from the diet right now that might be difficult to digest. This means crickets and meal/super worms. I'd stick to easier to digest foods, like small earthworms/redworms, wax worms, etc. These MIGHT help provent prolapsing again during the heal process.

Now, this is not to say that crickets caused a prolapse. This is probably looking at it in the small picture. I think a good variety is key for all species. Just while it's got a chance for prolapse, skip hard to digest food. I think going back on them in the future is a good idea.

Also, this is based on my limited knowledge of prolapse. I would push it back in asap. That is all I know 100%. It would be nice for others to comment on what I've written. I'm never the all knowing. Good luck!

Dave

Sounds like good advice to me. One of my Christmas toads (Bufo variegatus)once had a slight prolapse with about 3mm of visible tissue, not as severe as the balloon you describe, and it took care of itself. Keeping sick or injured animals in a very basic, moist-paper-towel-type setup is always a good first step.