Eye infection, not eating right

[cecilia]

hey guys my red eyed tree frog just got an eye infection, he got a piece of sand stuck in his eye and now he has a hard time opening it and its really irritated. it has a ball of puss over the eye when he opens it and hes always rubbing it...after this incident i took the sand out of his terrarium, and now im just waiting on the infection to heal. i have medicatrion for cuts and abrasions, that is safe to use on eyes it goes in thier misting and drinking water, but its not working fast enough because now he has a lack of appetite and its not from the meds, ive took him off of them and tested... hes getting soo skinny and getting really sick does anyone have any ideas???

 

[pollywog]

Wash the affected eye twice a day with cool, clear water, and keep the frog in a sterile set-up so it does not get dirt in the eye. Then as always time is the greatest healer

 

[cecilia]

ok thanks but what about the eating problem?

 

[cecilia]

need any ideas on how to get him to eat...hes soo small i dont want to hurt him by force feeding him unless thiers a gentler way

 

[pollywog]

If an animal is under stress then they will normaly refuse to eat, how long has it been now? Try offering something different to the usual diet and dust it well as the stronger smell of the dust may encourage it to feed. It is possible to force feed but this should only be seen as a last resort.

 

[john]

I would go straight to the vet. If you have the money do it. Its not that expensive. Mabye $30. It would be worth it for the frog. Why did you have it on sand? They need high humidity. Sand is the worst substrate for any lizard, exspecially an amphibian. When you quarantine is over, use a coco-fiber substrate. For now, use wet paper towel on the botton of the tank. That will be good. As for the eating, try holding him and holding a cricket or worm infront of his face and see if he eats. Be patient, it might take awhile. Dont touch the food to his mouth or face, it will probably scare him into not eating it.

 

[cecilia]

umm for one this is lethbridge were talking about, our vets only specialize in farm animals...lol...right now i have him in moss for a substrate...the reason i put sand in his aquarium is because i was reading up on it and someone said that was the best thing they ever did for thier frogs....yeah bad idea....if i absolutely have to i will force feed him but only if there is no other way......ps its been about 1 week since hes last eaten, and everytime i give him new crickets, he just stares at them...or goes back to sleep....i know he hasnt ate because i have counted the crickets...

 

[cecilia]

umm never mind dont even bother replying he died in the wee hours this morning....;( cries out loud

 

[andrew]

my condolences.

 

[john]

Im sry to hear that. My condolences as well.