# Frogs & Toads > Toads >  Toad won't eat

## Jessifer

About a week ago I got him a dozen crickets and it seems that a lot of them have ended up dead and only a few eaten. He usually eats 2 mealworms every other day if I feed him manually. However I tried giving him a mealworm a couple times a day for the past three days and he just doesn't seem interested. It also looks like he hasn't eaten any of the crickets these past three days either so I don't think he's eaten. I like to believe he's just eating the crickets but I don't think he is. What can I do about this? How can I get him to eat again? I've had him for almost a year now so it isn't stress. Everything is normal in his tank. Someone please help me. I don't want him to starve to death  :Frown: 

Also, could it be possible that the substrate has something to do with it? I've thought about it and he seemed pretty normal in the other stuff I had before my mom got a different kind. If you look at my "is my toad young or underfed" thread, someone said that the substrate I'm using right now is a hazard. I don't think me manually feeding him is the cause, for it was working well for a bit. I'm really unsure and I just need to know what I have to do to get him to eat again.

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## Carlos

If using moss for substrate, it is an impaction hazard when catching a crickets.  I'm the one who warned about that in another post.  You should only use shredded coco like Plantation Soil or EcoEarth mixed with dechlorinated tap only.  The water dish should be cleaned daily with hot water and refilled with dechlorinated tap.  You can use distilled water for misting only to help keep glass clean; but do not spray the toad. 

Mealworms are not a good food because of their hard skin and fat content.  Canadian night crawlers are the best staple food you can offer (not dyed from bait shops).  Crickets should be sized same as distance between toads eyes and gut loaded with carrots, lettuce, and cherios cereal 24-48 hours before feeding toad.  Any non eaten cricket should be removed within 12 hours; otherwise they stress the toad or can even bite it when hungry.  If only using for toad can return to cricket bin; if feeding many frogs/toads from same bin have to discard them to prevent spreading a pathogen from enclosure to enclosure.  Need to supplement the food and can use this as guidelines:  http://www.frogforum.net/food-feeder...schedules.html.  

When was the last time your toad pooped?  There is possibility it might be impacted due to diet or moss.  If so, a bath in chin deep 27C dechlorinated tap with a couple drops of honey could help.  You can use a small critter keeper or a plastic bowl with a holed up top for bath.  Place toad gently on it and cover with a towel to reduce stress.  Leave toad in bath for 20-30 minutes and then change the honey solution to plain dechlorinated tap rinse for another 20-30 minutes.  You can repeat the same treatment daily until toad poops.  Good luck  :Smile:  !

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## Tongue Flicker

What kind of toad is it? It's normal for toads to fast if they feel stressed. Sometimes lonher than frogs do.

What substrate are you using?

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## Jessifer

He's just your normal American toad and I switched his moss substrate to EcoEarth a couple weeks ago. I only have mealworms right now but I do get him crickets sometimes. I think he's slowly getting better but he still won't eat a lot. Because I have the EcoEarth as his substrate the mealworms will quickly dig and he doesn't get them fast enough. I tried the dish but he never moves from his spot so that doesn't work either. I can't seem to find any stores that sell nightcrawlers and I don't want to catch any wild ones since they could be covered in chemicals that could harm him. I still don't know what I should do and how I can get him to eat normally again.

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