I know this does not belong in these types of forums, but..

[IxionInc]

Yeah, I know this is a gaming forum, but still, I need a daunting question answered.

I had a Fire-bellied toad once, and he was living long and healthy, but one day he had this weird white bone looking thing ground out of his rump. The next day he died.

We fed him on Mealworms.

We had some kind of moss in the tank.

We had gravel in the tank as well.

Does anybody know what killed him? I need to know, because now one of my others is doing the same thing. I need to know if I can save him, or if it's time to prepare for the worst.

[katklaw]

Hi Ixion

 

I found this info on the web that might be helpful...........or not

 

It is risky to house any type of these toads with other species, as they secrete toxins from glands behind the head. In some individuals there is a spot of color, such as green or brown, where these glands are located. For this reason, it is extremely important that any water in the habitat is changed every few days or is filtered as the toxin will build up in the water and can harm the toads. Many species do not seem to be bothered by the toxins if the primary water source is filtered properly

 

http://www.int-res.com/articles/esr2005/1/n001p011.pdf - has info on white spot tail disease

[dezdimona]

googled this!

 

Common Diseases and Conditions

Although fire-bellied toads are generally healthy creatures, there are several different health problems that may affect them. Having a general understanding of how these and other problems develop and knowing what the treatment entails will help you to avoid them and to be prepared in the event that they occur.

Poisoning

Fire-bellied toads have delicate, permeable skin that makes them very susceptible to contaminants. Toads can be poisoned in a variety of ways, including:

Cleansers: When cleaning your toad’s cage, don’t use soaps or other cleansers. If residue is left behind, it could be dangerous to the animal. When using a bleach solution to wash tank furnishings, rinse thoroughly so that no traces remain.

Air fresheners: Avoid using air deodorizers and sprays in the same room in which your toad is kept. The sprays can enter and contaminate your toad’s enclosure.

Handling: Human hands are a potential source of harmful chemicals. Handling your fire-bellied toad is generally not advisable, but always rinse your hands with water before handling your toad or touching things inside its cage.

Wastes: Toads can be poisoned by the waste they excrete. When wastes build up in a concentrated source, such as a water bowl that hasn’t been changed for a while, amphibians can essentially poison themselves.

Bacterial Infections

When a toad is weakened by improper care, a bacterial infection may start to develop. Symptoms of an infection include lethargy, bloating, skin discoloration, clouded eyes, paralysis, and/or twitching. If your fire-bellied toad exhibits these symptoms, bring it to a veterinarian, who is likely to prescribe antibiotics to treat the condition.

 

 

Red-leg disease, an infection named for the reddening of the skin that accompanies it, is particularly common in fire-bellies and toads in general. The redness often occurs on the underside of the legs and is the product of broken capillaries that result from the infection. The red legs are usually accompanied by other common symptoms of other bacterial infections.

 

 

Bacterial infections can be difficult to diagnose before they progress a great deal within a host, so the best course of action is to prevent environmental conditions that make one more likely. Keep your toad’s enclosure clean, change its water frequently, and keep stressors to a minimum.

 

 

Overheating

Although fire-bellied toads do best if their enclosures are slightly warmer than typical room temperatures, they are at risk for heat stress in temperatures above 83°F (28.3°C). Signs of heat stress include restless roaming around the cage and attempts to climb up the glass. If your toad exhibits any of these signs, cool it off immediately. You can do this by shutting off heating devices, using an air conditioner in the same room as the terrarium (but never blowing directly on the tank), or moving the terrarium to a cooler area of the house, such as a basement. If none of these methods is practical for your setup, put ice cubes in a sealed container—a deli cup or something similar—and place one or two in the enclosure. Also check your enclosure’s thermometer regularly to make sure that the temperature doesn’t rise too high.

Parasites

An assortment of microscopic parasites infest most fire-bellied toads, inhabiting their gut, lungs, muscles, skin, and blood. Captive toads can live long lives with parasitic infections, so ordinarily these are not cause for concern. However, a weakened immune system caused by stress or another health problem can allow the parasitic population to grow too large for the toad to cope with.

 

 

You may want to have your vet test a fecal sample from your toad for parasites when you first acquire it to see if it requires treatment. After that initial test, have the feces examined again if your toad appears lethargic, malnourished, or otherwise unhealthy.

[Marcus Wolfe]

Actually, this exactly the place to ask that sort of question. But www.firebelliedtoads.com would've been better.

[IxionInc]

Thanks for the help you all, but I doubt that that's what killed him. He had like this white-bone thing sticking out of where his tail would be, and I didn't know what it was. Now my other frog has it, and he's sitting in the corner of the tank, and not moving. I think he's going to die..

[dezdimona]

and we all shall one day! Sorry for your loseing them

[Sniperwhere]

Well, I looked around and one one place, there was an area saying this:

 

* Toads have poison glands which, if it is not used to your handling, as is with a newly purchased toad, they will secrete a white toxin which can cause a rash. Wash your hands after handling to prevent this.

* Do not use soap to wash any materials.

* Do not feed your toad meal worms, as these larva possess hard shells which Fire-bellied Toads have a hard time digesting. The worms can also eat through their tummys,As it has been witnessed. Most toads can digest small mealworms and grasshoppers occasionally but should not be your toad's primary source of food. Crickets and guppies are your best bet for healthy, happy toads.

* Do not feed your toads grasshoppers, as they are hard to digest and sometimes poisonous to the frogs.

* Make sure the tank is always clean, especially if you have water in it. Dirty water can cause diseases in your tank.

* Loss of appetite, bloated abdomen, laziness (this may be due to lack of nutrition.), and cloudy eyes can be signs of disease. Clean your frog's tank and contact an expert if any of those occur.

* Do not add gold fish or fish to try to keep the tank clean, as they will eat the fish. Guppys are a good food source if there are enough of them, but you must feed them crickets as well on a regular basis. They can go for 2 weeks with out eating, not suggested but they can.

* Many people can say that these frogs dont need a heat source, but they do,72-76 degrees is the best, 77-82 degrees could make them mate,(not sugested as they will eat the babies) unless you can provide more than one tank, to take the Adults out.

* You must have a cover, they will climb up the corner of the tank a try to get out.

 

http://www.wikihow.com/Care-for-Fire-Belly-Toads is where I found this.

 

My guess at how to prevent this would be to clean the tank often with de-chlorinized water and keep them away from the meal-worms. If this keeps happening, then you may have to go to someone who knows a lot about this sort of thing.

 

Still, I can't imagine how this would cause what sounds to be a loss of it's tail.

[DaCrazyBegga]

my toad has the same problem i brought him to a doc

i just hope that hes gonna be ok