The Error of my Ways

[Joe9252]

so as some of you know my pac has been acting very odd for the past 2 weeks not eating not burrowing just sitting on top of the substrate not doing anything and I think i have realized the problem and im hoping there is a way to fix it.... It must be the water im using idk why i did this but i used reg tap water when changing the substrate the last 2 times i didnt realize it would be such an issue i norm used reg bottled poland spring and i ran out and just used tap water. My frog hasnt eaten in 2 weeks it wont take to anyfood and at this point i dont know what do to... is it a lost cause did i poison my pac what can i do i just changed out his tank but is it too late??? Please help idont wanna lose my pac what can i do to bring him back

[NetworkLabs]

Not to make you feel any worse, but you most likely poisoned it with the tap water because you didn't use a Chlorinator.
I forget the method your suppose to take because I've always remembered to dechlorinate my water. But I do recommend using a very simple habitat with just a damp paper towel and not much else, expect for something to hide under. But DON'T use REGULAR TAP WATER when dampening the paper towel! This WILL eventually KILL your frog! Sorry to hear this! Hope your Pacman get's better!

NetworkLabs

[Joe9252]

I have been reading around and it sounds like my frog may have Toxic Out Syndrome.

This is an explanation I found:

Because frogs absorb water through their skin from the substrate of the water bowl, you want to ensure that the water is changed frequently. If you leave foul water in the water, the toxins can be absorbed by the frog's skin, which can lead to this disorder. Signs of toxic out syndrome include: erratic jumping and spastic extensions of the hind limbs, listlessness, and cloudy eyes. Treatment of toxic out syndrome in frogs is by placing the frog in a shallow water dish of clean water and leaving the frog there. You'll want to replace the water every 4 hours or so until the signs go away. As long as you monitor the enclosure conditions, you can prevent the frog from toxing out

so i guess ill try this ill put him is a small kritter keeper with warm water ill do the for a few days and see how it goes

[Sunshine]

@ NetworkLabs- Pac man frogs need a substrate because they like to burrow, although paper towels make for a cleaner tank!

@Joe- I don't think there is anything you can do at this point but keep an eye on him. You could try taking him to the vet.

[Joe9252]

well i just started the soaking process guess ill do this for a few days and see what happens here are a few pics of the way i set it up... will this be ok how is the water level because he has been going crazy so far and he has only been in there for about 5 min


also i noticed he has some spots on his body are these normal?

[Sunshine]

Soaking him is a good idea! I think the water level is fine. He looks comfortable. Such a cute frog!!

[Joe9252]

How many days should I do this for?

[GrifTheGreat]

You can't leave him in there for an extended period of time Joe. The water will cool and along with it him. All you can do is prepare newsubstrate with DE-CHLORINATED WATER. He will become more stressed and that will just make him worse. Prepare new substrate clean the tank and place him back in. Keep a sharp eye on him. Buy some pedialyte that is unflavored and soak him in a 10 to 1 solution. 1 ounce of Pedialyte for every 10 ounces of water. Make sure the water you mix with the pedialyte is luke warm or room temp(72 degrees F). Need to try and flush the chemicals out of his system and get him rehydrated with fresh de-chlorinated water. It can be reversed. I would recomend doing this imediately. He can't just stay in that water.

Do as I stated and keep me posted.

[Joe9252]

ok should i do the pedialyte bath in a separate container while i redo his tank?? how long should i soak him the that solution?

[GrifTheGreat]

ok should i do the pedialyte bath in a separate container while i redo his tank?? how long should i soak him the that solution?

Yes do that while you clean his tank. Make sure he stays warm. The duration is 15 to 20. Minutes. Water needs to be as deep as what you have him in. Up to the chin. It also has vitamines so this will help with malnutrition from him not eating.

Keep me posted. I hope we caught this in time. He doesn't appear bloated and his eyes aren't foggy so we may have.

[Joe9252]

well i just did a major clean of his tank went out and got a background figured it could only help with the stress as well as some new gauges so i canbe sure of the humidity and temp he seems to be doing well went right into the corner and burrowed after i put him in.... what should i do now should i try to feed him in a few hrs or just leave him for a day to 2? also should a do more pedialyte baths?

[GrifTheGreat]

You can try to feed him if you like. I would continue with the Pedialyte Baths daily. Ill check the first aid section and post the day duration. I. Think its like 10 days. Ill post the duration.

[GrifTheGreat]

It doesn't say the day duration. I would do it for a week and see if their is a change. Keep a close eye on him.

[Joe9252]

Ok will do

[GrifTheGreat]

If he doesn't eat soon like in the next day or 2 I would try to force feed. It has been quite a while and he needs food.

Keep me posted.

[DVirginiana]

Just something to keep in mind.. Someone mentioned using a dechlorinating agent to clean tap water. If you normally use bottled water, this isn't an issue, but if you are treating tap water you also need to use a deaminating agent. Chloramines won't evaporate out with chlorine and most water systems add those now as well.

Also, keep an eye on those red spots on his back legs. Little problems can turn into big issues when a frog is already stressed by some sort of sickness. Are they like open areas, or does it seem to be up under the skin? If the skin is broken, you can use neosporin WITHOUT painkillers on them. The kind with painkillers will kill your frog. Probably best to deal with getting those toxins out of his system before you do anything else right now though.

[Joe9252]

well he seems to be doing much better he just ate 3 night crawlers tonight 1st time hes has eaten to almost 2 weeks so im very happy with that thanks for your help guys idk if im outta the danger zone with him yet but he is clearly doing much better

[Beardo]

Man, I don't know how to say this without sounding like I am insulting your intelligence, but how did you not realize that regular tap water is bad for frogs? lol....I tend to file that one under common sense, especially for someone who keeps animals.

My grandma (71 years old) heard I had frogs again the other day and I was rinsing out their tubs and she yelled at me to make sure I treated their water. And she has never owned a frog or reptile in her life. She thinks they are gross and ugly. Even not being an enthusiast, she recognized that untreated tap water = bad for frogs. Theres no excuse for that kind of negligence in this day & age. There just isn't.

[Mentat]

well he seems to be doing much better he just ate 3 night crawlers tonight 1st time hes has eaten to almost 2 weeks so im very happy with that thanks for your help guys I dont know if im outta the danger zone with him yet but he is clearly doing much better

I'm glad your frog is better! Just for your info; not all bottled water is safe. Distilled; de-ionized, etc. are not good for your frog and filtered water might still hold chloramines on it and will require a water conditioner. Spring water (if really from spring) is normally safe.

[DVirginiana]

Glad to hear he's eating again. That's the biggest thing; also good you didn't have to force feed. That can stress them out like crazy. Like Grif said, only water labeled spring water is good. Another issue with distilled water is that it has no minerals in it. I've heard that can screw around with the osmotic pressure and cause some serious problems for frogs. I think you mentioned using Poland Springs in an earlier post? That's what I use, and it works fine.

Man, I don't know how to say this without sounding like I am insulting your intelligence, but how did you not realize that regular tap water is bad for frogs? lol....I tend to file that one under common sense, especially for someone who keeps animals.

My grandma (71 years old) heard I had frogs again the other day and I was rinsing out their tubs and she yelled at me to make sure I treated their water. And she has never owned a frog or reptile in her life. She thinks they are gross and ugly. Even not being an enthusiast, she recognized that untreated tap water = bad for frogs. Theres no excuse for that kind of negligence in this day & age. There just isn't.

Try not to listen to this. It was rather rude without being informative at all. What you did is a fairly common mistake; in fact I've encountered quite a few people who have done far worse (I once knew someone who thought it was okay to clean their frog's aquarium with Windex...). I understand the dilemma of running out of spring water and wondering whether it would be worse to use tap water for a bit or allow the frog to become dehydrated. Frogs are some of the most sensitive pets you can own, and something that would be okay in small amounts or for a short period of time for other herps (like snakes) can cause one to crash or die in no time. You made a mistake, but now you know better, and luckily your frog seems to have survived.