Pixie frog refuses to eat

[adam1111]

Hello all, I’ve have this pixie frog for about three months now. For the first couple months he would eat a lot. I mostly feed him mealworms. Once I fed him earthworms. However these past couple weeks he has been eating little to nothing. He also acts more lethargic. I’m not sure what’s wrong or what to do. I’m still fairly new and in the dark when it comes to frogs so any help would be appreciated.

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[Zoodulcis]

That’s worrisome but not fatal, My first suggestion for you is to read all of the threads on this site where other folks have had the same problem with their pixie. I have answered those questions very fully for them and you may find the answers right there. However, if after you do that, and you still have questions about your pet’s behavior and well-being, don’t hesitate to post them and I will get back to you within 24 hours.

[adam1111]

Hello, thank you for responding. And yes I have read other posts. So far I’ve gathered that a possible reason may be constipation. And I have tried the honey bath twice already. However I have not seen him poop yet. And am growing more worried the longer he doesn’t eat. He has also become somewhat lethargic. Only moving sometimes. And his eyes appear glossed over.

[Zoodulcis]

OK, so constipation may not be the problem, but until he poops we can’t be sure. When you say eyes glossed over, are you seeing something that seems to be clouding them from the inside, or a film that appears to be covering the outside. This could prove to be very diagnostic. A photo of his head would be helpful.

Did you get him from a pet source where he was in with lots of other frogs before you bought him?

[adam1111]

Thankfully he has finally pooped today. And I got him from a website called backwater reptiles. I do not know the conditions he was kept in.

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[Zoodulcis]

It’s great that he pooped!! However, the photo may confirm what I first suspected. He may have chytrid, which takes a while to develop. He appears to have skin sloughing off. Chytrid thickens the tissue of the epidermis, making it virtually impossible for the animal to stay hydrated. Dehydration can lead to constipation. If this is was it is, and only a vet can tell you for sure, the prognosis is not good. If your pet passes away and you decide to get another one, purchase from a different breeder and be sure to sterilize every single item in the enclosure, and apply a bleach solution to all interior parts of the habitat itself. This fungus is good at hiding. For more information, check out the site below.

https://www.petmd.com/reptile/conditions/skin/c_rp_am_chytridiomycosis

[adam1111]

Thank you for your response. After doing lots of my own research I also suspected some kind of bacterial or fungal infection. I have been giving him constant pedialyte and water baths for the dehydration. It seems to be helping. But he still has not eaten. Which is very concerning. I also agree that the outlook is not good. I still have no clue how this happened for he was very healthy the first couple months. It is a little discouraging for me since this is my first frog.

[Zoodulcis]

My guess is, he got it from the breeder and it took a while to manifest. Let us know if he improves, the pedialyte sounds like a good idea. Poor dude.

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