Prolapse is too serious to deal with at home
May. 17, 2003 12:00 AM
DEAR PET DOCTOR: What appears to be clear liquid with a little blood in it is coming out of my frog's rear. I lanced it with a needle, and now he doesn't seem to have much energy. What should I do?
DEAR READER: There are a couple of things that could be wrong with your frog. Unfortunately, poking with a needle isn't the way to fix any of them - and can make things worse. It's a good idea to talk to a veterinarian before attempting a home remedy.
Unlike mammals, which have separate openings for urine and feces, amphibians void both substances through a common opening called the cloaca. The reproductive tract also empties into the cloaca.
When things go awry internally, parts of the intestine, bladder or ovary can come out of the cloaca. This is called a prolapse, a serious condition that requires immediate attention by a veterinarian.
Prolapses are often the result of a serious underlying illness, such as bacterial infections, malnutrition, parasites, neoplasia, gastrointestinal foreign bodies and poisons such as insecticides.
If you correct the prolapse without fixing the original problem, the frog is only going to get sicker.
The intestine is the most common organ to prolapse. Only a small amount may prolapse, so it looks like the frog has a tiny pink doughnut around its cloaca. If a large amount prolapses, the frog may have a red-to-maroon sausage-shaped object hanging from its cloaca. If the intestine has been prolapsed a long time, it may be black and slightly dry.
If a prolapsed intestine is healthy, the veterinarian may gently slide it back inside the frog and then place a couple of sutures to make sure it stays inside.
If the intestine is black and dry, the veterinarian may have to cut out the dead intestine and try to join the two healthy pieces of bowel back together, a process called resection. The frog then has to be treated for the cause of the prolapse.
A prolapsed bladder often appears as bubble full of clear liquid protruding from the frog's backside. The veterinarian may drain the fluid and gently ease the bladder back inside.
The ovary rarely prolapses, but when it does, a frog will have an object that looks like blackberry jam hanging from its cloaca. The only treatment is surgery to remove the ovary.
Dr. Kevin Wright is director of conservation, science and sanctuary at the Phoenix Zoo. Write to him at 455 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, AZ 85008; or DoctorKevin@thephxzoo.com.
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*Humans aren't the only species on earth... we just act like it.
".the oldest task in human history: to live on a piece of land without
spoiling it."
Aldo Leopold (1938)
