# Frogs & Toads > Aquatic Clawed Frogs >  Treating a Bloated Frog

## SwimminSteve

One of my frogs has come down with bloat. She began retaining fluid about a month ago and I have been treating her daily with epsom salt soaks (1tsp/1gallon water) since then. She actually appears worse. I'm not really up on the science of these soaks, but it seems to me that when I put her in the soak she starts to look even more bloated. Then it goes down for a bit once she is returned to the tank. 
I have seven other frogs (from same tank) that are not bloated which makes me think that she may have some congenital organ problem going on. She is an albino female about a year old. 
I want to try the aspiration method before the bloat gets any worse. I've done a lot of reading on it, but I'd like to hear if someone has tried it before. I have access to sterile syringes and needles, but I don't know what size needle is recommended. I would imagine a 27 or a 30 gauge. Is there more to it than the aspiration itself? Should I do antibiotics or put a topical medication on the injection site?
I appreciate the help  :Smile:

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## Murray of the Deep

> One of my frogs has come down with bloat. She began retaining fluid about a month ago and I have been treating her daily with epsom salt soaks (1tsp/1gallon water) since then. She actually appears worse. I'm not really up on the science of these soaks, but it seems to me that when I put her in the soak she starts to look even more bloated. Then it goes down for a bit once she is returned to the tank. 
> I have seven other frogs (from same tank) that are not bloated which makes me think that she may have some congenital organ problem going on. She is an albino female about a year old. 
> I want to try the aspiration method before the bloat gets any worse. I've done a lot of reading on it, but I'd like to hear if someone has tried it before. I have access to sterile syringes and needles, but I don't know what size needle is recommended. I would imagine a 27 or a 30 gauge. Is there more to it than the aspiration itself? Should I do antibiotics or put a topical medication on the injection site?
> I appreciate the help


hey steve , i suggest bring it to a vet quickly and also it's hard to cure bloated frog , bring it to a vet before it dies pm me if you have question.

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## SwimminSteve

Well I just finished aspirating some fluid from Bindi the frog. Honestly I think it went very well. That being said it was quite stressful for both the frog and I so I do not recommend it unless you have tried other methods and feel confident with the procedure.
Basically what I did was use moist paper towels to keep her from drying out. Then, with her on her back, I inserted the slightly bent needle (bevel side up) just under the skin of her inguinal thigh area. I removed 3cc of greenish/yellow fluid. Then I applied a dab of neosporin to the injection site. I did all of this in the span of about 4 minutes. Then I put her in a recovery container with shallow water and added stress coat. After about an hour in the recovery container she was eager to get out so I returned her to the tank where she is swimming normally. 

For anyone that is going to try this in the future:

Things I would do differently:
I would use a larger needle to speed things up. I used a 30g but a 27g would have been easier. 
I would do it on the floor in case she got away from me she wouldn't fall.
I would have a second person to help.

Things that worked well:
I used some left over styrofoam packaging to contain her during the procedure. It was a block of styrofoam with a frog-sized cut out at the top. This made it easier to restrain her and keep her legs tucked in.
I also recommend the recovery container, she might not have been able to swim in a deep tank right away. 

Things of note:
She shed some skin during the process and regurgitated in the recovery tank. 
While 3cc seems like a lot, she still has some visible fluid under the skin. 
I do NOT expect this to be a cure all. I will continue with the salt soaks and then aspirate her as needed (hopefully just once a month or so).
I am not a vet! While I do have a veterinary background and experience with needles, etc I cannot offer the same advice a vet can. Unfortunately vet care for exotics is expensive and hard to find. Like I said before, I did a ton of research on this and even read some stories from people that had tried the vet with no success. 

In this one scenario I decided it was time to make the attempt on my own. I'm still paying off vet bills for a stray kitten I found that had a broken leg and needed a $2500 surgery so the thought of bringing Bindi to a far away vet that may or may not have the answers was disheartening. 

I'll try to update on her progress. There aren't really any in depth accounts of aspiration treatment for ACF so it might be nice for someone facing this in the future to have all the info here.

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Forestcat

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## Cavewoof

I have a 20+ year old frog with bloat. I ordered amphibian ringers solution. There is no information on how to use it or what concentration is required. Does anyone know how to use this product?

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