Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm very worried about one of my toads. I believe it's a female and has been very lethargic for over a week. She seems to just like there and has a tough time getting around. I found her today by the water dish nose-down in the terrarium. Any suggestions? She ordinarily has a voracious appetite, which is all but gone.

Thanks in advance for any advice...

Without seeing the animal the first thing I would suspect is exposure to improperly treated or uncleaned water. Although many toads do not spend a lot of time in the water they can easy pollute it and sit for hours in their own waste.This and untreated tap water(containing chlorine and chloramins) can cause nitrogen bubbles to build up in the blood of amphibians. Syptoms of nitrogen buildup inlcude a bloated appearance, lethargy, and visible redness on the hind legs of frogs and toads(which is why this is commonly called redleg disease). There could bemany other diseases or parasites causing these symptoms, but without seeing the toad this is my best guess.

Thanks so much...is there anyway to reverse this once it's set in? Her belly is a bit pink. Legs look fine. I've cleaned their water bowl, put in filtered water and am just waiting. The other toads in the terrarium seam fine...

The best thing to do is just to improve water conditions and make sure she is eating. In very sedentary species it is also sometimes neccesary to move them out of their water dish if it is contaminated with feces or urates. With proper conditions it should clear up pretty fast and leave you with a happy, healthy toad.