Spring peeper, broken leg. Help needed!

[Jesse]

I just found one of my pet spring peepers with his foot twisted back and broken. The bone is sticking out and there is blood. What can I do, if anything, to help it?!

[Alexander]

I would suggest taking it to a vet.

[Jesse]

Do you think they could help? Its so small... and very squirmy...

[Alexander]

I don't know honestly. I just thought I should tell you that, since that's my best guess as to what you should do, and since no one else has responded. You could try calling the vet first to see if they can take a look at your frog's broken leg.

EDIT: I hope you're able to help your frog.

[Jesse]

Thank you. I put some neosporin on (without painkiller). Hopefully that will help. I'll call the vet and ask if they know what can be done.

[Alexander]

K. Let us know how it goes.

[Jesse]

I'll be sure to.

[Coastal Groovin]

I would cut the leg off where the bone is broken with a pair of shears for cleaning chickens. Put anti-biotic cream on the wound and keep it on clean damp paper towls until it heals. You will have to keep it since you will not be able to release it. Don't shut the lid on it again and let us know what the vet says.

[Jesse]

I never shut the lid on it though. I had opened the tank up and saw him with his leg in and awkward position. Could he have landed on it weird? I'll be sure to let you know. I thought amputating it might be necessary...

[Cassie]

It may have gotten it stuck under something in the habitat. Their bones are so fragile as it is, and the little Peepers are so tiny. Just like us, they can get injured just doing their normal thing.

I would also recommend amputation. Even if the broken bone could heal together, the chance of infection is too high to risk it. If it heals up well, it should be okay. You may need to watch it to make sure it gets enough food, but otherwise would be fine. I've found a couple of frogs that unfortunately wandered into the home and were discovered by the cats. I've seen them recover fairly well from this kind of trauma. They're tough little critters!

[Ed]

Bone infections can be extremely hard to resolve without appropriate antibiotics and unless you are careful and have the proper tools, cutting off the limb can result in splintering of the longbone which would cause more pain and increase the risk of infection.

Ed

[Cassie]

I agree. The amputation should be done by a veterinary professional, since they will have the tools to deal with the bone itself. Perhaps a vet that is capable of doing surgery on birds, since they will have the finer orthopedic tools for it.

[Jesse]

Alright, I'll find out if the vet can do it. Would they be able to put it to sleep or something while they amputate it? Because just one bad move by the frog, and the whole leg could be gone or worse.

[Ed]

Originally Posted by EasternNewtLove

Alright, I'll find out if the vet can do it. Would they be able to put it to sleep or something while they amputate it? Because just one bad move by the frog, and the whole leg could be gone or worse.

If they are set up for it, then yes. There are anesthetics that can be used with amphibians (for those interested on thier own, I suggest getting a copy of Amphibian Medicine and Captive Husbandry).

Ed

[Cassie]

Depends on whether or not they have the capability to do so, or the knowledge. I would recommend calling ahead to see if they are able to accommodate your case.

[Ed]

Originally Posted by nwmnnaturalist

Depends on whether or not they have the capability to do so, or the knowledge. I would recommend calling ahead to see if they are able to accommodate your case.

The original use of benzocaine and benzocaine hydrochloride was to anesthetize amphibians to pose them for pictures. It was discovered by accident that it also made a good euthenasia method.

There are a number of anesthetics ranging from MS-22s to inhalents. Many of these would be on hand in a good practice.

Ed

[Senad]

Personally I don't know if I'd pay alot of money for a spring peeper to take it to the vet.Even a simple procedure like that can cost alot.My firebellies newt leg got bitten off once and a bone was sticking out so I just cut the bone off and this newt was 2 inches and spring peepers are a similiar size and yes the spring peeper can be a little more squirmey.

[Jesse]

Yeah thats what I'm worried about, I feel the vet bill could be quite high and, add on to that that they are NOT very long living frogs if I recall correctly. 3 years I believe. Not that I'm trying to say that its life doesn't have value, just that it may be better to just amputate it myself...

[Cassie]

Well, call around to vet offices and see if anyone is willing to give you a deal. Even find a university or college nearby that teaches veterinary technology. It is a valuable learning opportunity for anyone in the veterinary sciences. Otherwise, you may want to consult with a exotic animal veterinarian on advice how to do the procedure yourself.

[Jesse]

I'll try to find out about colleges and I'll call around. Thanks for the help everyone. I'll be sure to keep you updated.