# amazon milk frog possible genetic problem



## katness (Dec 5, 2010)

About a month and a half ago I bought two baby amazon milk frogs from my local rep shop. They seemed fine , growing and eating fine, then last week one just dropped dead and then today the other one is sitting at an angle with his head tilted.when he jumps he lands upside down. Its like he's lost all balance. 

They are being kept on eco earth soil , have one of those light canopys on all day, they get a misting twice a day to keep humidity up , temps are fine. I'm just wondering what I am doing wrong , or if its a genetic problem? 


Has anyone else had any problems similar?


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## ronnyjodes (Apr 29, 2011)

Are you treating the water you're misting with? It's not possible for it to have come in to contact with chemicals or anything?


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

Sounds like MBD, this is the problem when mass interbreeding. Bloodlines get weaker with each generation. With the correct adequate care and attention, the remaining Milk can lead an almost normal life. Taking into account that you may have to furnish the interior differently to that of a normal Milk. Raised and easy access platform instead of vertical branches. A soft substrate and of course good lighting and a quality vit/calc supplement.


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## katness (Dec 5, 2010)

Thanks for the replies. yeah I have been treating the water with that reptile tap water safe stuff. 

I have also been dusting the live food with calcium powder.

it just annoys me because I paid £30 each for them and I expected them to be fairly healthy. It also upsets me when any animal dies especially when I have been giving them the appropriate conditions for a long healthy life .


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## ronnyjodes (Apr 29, 2011)

katness said:


> Thanks for the replies. yeah I have been treating the water with that reptile tap water safe stuff.
> 
> I have also been dusting the live food with calcium powder.
> 
> it just annoys me because I paid £30 each for them and I expected them to be fairly healthy. It also upsets me when any animal dies especially when I have been giving them the appropriate conditions for a long healthy life .


Dusting and gutloading was going to be my next question but James has beaten me to it. Unfortunately it isn't always down to what we do as keepers, as sad as it is sometimes things just happen. I've heard of frogs die by chemicals getting in to water supplies, MBD as James has said can be a real nightmare, I'm guessing your milks were CB but if they were WC there's the potential issue of parasites. There's a few possibilities and you may never know what the cuase of death was. I'd take James' suggestion. Take your remaining frog out of it's tank and put it in to a different one and monitor it. Make sure it's feeding and take any crickets out that are uneaten as they'll rip it to shreds if it's weak.


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## katness (Dec 5, 2010)

Thanks for the advice guys 

I think it may have been a dodgy batch of babies they are captive bred and I know that one of the other babies has a broken leg. Which to me points to a genetic in breeding problem at the suppliers end. 
Im just upset because I just wanted two healthy babies and now ive ended up with one dead one and one thats going to require extra monitoring its whole life !


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

katness said:


> Im just upset because I just wanted two healthy babies and now ive ended up with one dead one and one thats going to require extra monitoring its whole life !


Your bound to be upset but these things sadly do happen. What I would do is contact the breeder and make them aware that you lost one with the remaining currently under daily monitoring. The breeder may not even know, but I'm sorry to say that it sounds like a weak batch. What the breeder should then do it contact each person whom purchased from the batch. but I feel this may fall on deaf ears. 

With that said Kat, your Milk (under the correct conditions and care) can lead a happy, long life. As the frog grows, limbs and other abnormalities will adapt. I would stress not to breed with the frog and as time goes on, house the frog with a cage mate (same sex) as they do appreciate company and live in communal groups in the wild.

Treat the little beauty the same as you would if both Milks had been 'normal'. Think of it as your special one as he/she now relays on you to provide it the best possible start in life. It's not the frogs fault, you've just been landed with an unfortunate situation.

All the best.


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## katness (Dec 5, 2010)

*update on frog*

I have been keeping a close eye on my little one checking him every few hours and in the last 24 hours he has improved dramaticlly, he is almost back to how he was before. He has been jumping normally today, no head tilting, climbing up his plant a little, havn't seen him eat but he's looking a lot better.

could he of just had a funny turn that day? Like a mini frog stroke? 

Does this happen ? Or do you think its still an underlying genetic inbreeding problem.

thanks


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## katness (Dec 5, 2010)

Just seen him eat a mini meal worm


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## UrolithicTitan (Sep 12, 2010)

I know the situation seems to have resolved itself now, but do you treat the water you expand the coire with , as well as your water for misting?


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

That's great news and glad the little one in on the mend. It's very unlikely to have been a stroke at such an early age. The fact that you lost one of the two could be a clue but without seeking medical advice that it would be almost impossible to pin down. Just play a safe game Kat. Keep up the vits/calc, check water (as said) and provide a good quality light source. Gut load all feeders and discard using meal worms. If you want to use grubs then calci are a great way to boost intake. Introducing these into the diet can have some great long term results. Especially with bone and limb growth. I start using calci-worms one the young after 6 weeks out of the water. Providing variety can keep a diet interesting and what one food source lacks, can regain in another.

All in all Kat, sounds like things are on the up! Keep up the good work and let us know how things progress.


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## katness (Dec 5, 2010)

UrolithicTitan said:


> I know the situation seems to have resolved itself now, but do you treat the water you expand the coire with , as well as your water for misting?


Yeah treat water n leave it to stand for 24 hours before use


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## katness (Dec 5, 2010)

Terrarium Supplies said:


> That's great news and glad the little one in on the mend. It's very unlikely to have been a stroke at such an early age. The fact that you lost one of the two could be a clue but without seeking medical advice that it would be almost impossible to pin down. Just play a safe game Kat. Keep up the vits/calc, check water (as said) and provide a good quality light source. Gut load all feeders and discard using meal worms. If you want to use grubs then calci are a great way to boost intake. Introducing these into the diet can have some great long term results. Especially with bone and limb growth. I start using calci-worms one the young after 6 weeks out of the water. Providing variety can keep a diet interesting and what one food source lacks, can regain in another.
> 
> All in all Kat, sounds like things are on the up! Keep up the good work and let us know how things progress.


Thanks for the really useful advice . Im just gonna keep my eye on him still. Keep a varied diet and all the stuff you have mentioned  glad hes on the mend


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