# Red Eyed Tree Frog - Gooey Bum



## chris354724 (Jul 6, 2008)

Hey,

My baby RETF has some type of gooey substance sticking to its bottom. No idea what it is, anyone had any experience of this?


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## pollywog (Oct 6, 2005)

gooey substance? your going to have to elaborate on that


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## Tehanu (Nov 12, 2006)

What colour is it and does it seem to be attached?


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## chris354724 (Jul 6, 2008)

its attached to its bum. like jelly. i managed to remove some but theres still some there. Hope the crickets havent bit some of its bum off.


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## Tehanu (Nov 12, 2006)

I'm extremely concerned that this is a prolapse. 

If it's attached to his bum, coming out of the cloaca (bumhole!) and isnt easy to move it sounds more than likely that it was a prolapse.

If this is true and you have managed to remove some of it your frog might be in a very very bad situation.

I'd suggest removing the animal to a sterile container with nothing it can catch it on and no crickets whatsoever. 
Try bathing him in a dilute sugar solution, get some tupperware add about a centimeter worth of water and then a teaspoonful of sugar. This will at least keep it moist and if it is a prolapse this could help it reabsorb by itself. Do this for an hour or two at most and check him every 5-10 mins.


You didnt say what colour it is. 
When you removed some did anything happen or did just a jelly like substance come off quite easily?
If you look at it quite closely now is it clearish beige with tiny veins in it or completely clear?

It may be I'm panicing over something much less harmful, I hope so!
Lotte***


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## jesuslovestheladies (Apr 30, 2008)

a runny poo perhaps...


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## pollywog (Oct 6, 2005)

This is what a prolapse looks like:








As said if it is a prolapse bathing the frog in a sugar water solution can help. I personally mix it up to 4 Oz of spring water with the amount of sugar you can pick up on the first cm of the tip of a tee-spoon handle, adults I bath overnight and normally by morning it will have righted itself but if your frog is only young I'd go with Lotte's time recomendation. In order to bath it your best putting it in a shallow tub so it can't climb all the way out of the water but make sure the waters only shallow as they can drown themselves.


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## jesuslovestheladies (Apr 30, 2008)

wuerg nurgh wurgh... barfs... that gross... why the hell does that happen? dont tell me its possible to literally crap out your guts...


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## chris354724 (Jul 6, 2008)

ok ill try that. its not as gruesome as that but may be the beginning of that.

i seen the veigns in it but it was a lighter colour.


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## mad4frogs (Aug 8, 2006)

Its a bit like the human equivalent to piles :lol2: Its caused by the frog straining when going to the loo. Ive had a couple of redeyes with the problem. First time I sprayed the site with water to keep moist and then left the frog alone, sprayed couple of times per day, and it made its way back in and the second time it wouldnt go back in by itself so I bathed in sugar water same as pollywog stated and all was well by the morning 

If it is this problem then whatever you do dont pull at it...its attached


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## Tehanu (Nov 12, 2006)

I've seen a fair few prolapses that were very pale in colour, if the amphib is anaemic or otherwise ill it can have a very pale prolapse. Otherwise if the prolapse is mostly fluid filled, blood supply can be constricted in the first place, so it doesnt swell with blood like you'd expect to see as in Andrew's pic, but again, appear very pale.

Chris, if you can definitely see veins in it, no matter what colour it is, it's part of his insides and is potentially now damaged. 
I think the only real answer to this is to take him to a herps trained vet and they can hopefully sort it out. 

Best of luck
Lotte***


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## Tehanu (Nov 12, 2006)

Hi Chris, I hope you get back to check this as I'm desperate to know if your little guy is ok?

Lotte***


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## chris354724 (Jul 6, 2008)

im sorry but he died. i think it was my fault as i had removed some of it before i knew what it was.

I tried seperating it in the tank with sugar water but by the morning it was floating in the water.

The nice guy at worcester reptiles will replace it but i need to know a. why this can happen? b. is it likely to happen again? c. best way to protect this from happening?

At least i know what to do now but thats too late for the little guy 

thanks for your concern.

Chris


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## Tehanu (Nov 12, 2006)

Hey Chris,

Gutted to hear it mate, but I honestly think the best thing from this is that you admitted and came back to tell us how it went. At the very least, other people with a similar problem may be helped by reading this.

Cloacal prolases can happen in amphibians for a number of different reasons, the most usual;
-impaction or just constipation, if the amphib has been accidently eating substrate or foods with hard exoskeletons it's possible for them to get a bit blocked up and then when they strain to try and get it sorted, same as humans and other animals they accidently force their bits and bobs out!
-Metabolic Bone Diseases or general calcium deficiency. Animals need calcium for properly functioning muscles as well as good bone structure, amphibians with poor calcium levels can have weak muscles and therefore their cloaca can simply slip out and prolapse.

It's likely that your little RETF had a calcium problem and therefore if you do get a new one from the same shop, make sure you keep a close eye on it, give it a well supplimented variety of foods and watch for any tell tale MBD signs, soft joints, broken limbs, rubber jaw etc.

Again, I'm really sorry this happened to you and your frog, best wishes in the future and you're welcome to contact me for more information if you ever need it 
Lotte***


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## chris354724 (Jul 6, 2008)

cheers lotte you know what you're talking about. ill keep an eye on it when it arrives. what else can i feed it apart from hatchling crickets?

ta

chris


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