# Swollen tongue



## Middleton Mouse (May 16, 2013)

I have a male European green toad (_Bufo viridis_) that I bought as an adult at the end of 2008. 

Recently our toads have been more active and I noticed this poor chap was sitting with what looked like a swollen tongue protruding from his mouth. I removed him to a sterile faunarium using damp towel as a substrate along with providing fresh, dechlorinated water daily. I managed to get an appointment with a very good exotics vet though today was the first opportunity I had to see him (he's semi-retired and works on the one day I'm in work 8-5.30).

My vet told me he'd seen something very similar before and showed me a photograph of a (sadly expired) frog with had an extremely swollen tongue and body. A PM had revealed that the frog had a bacterial infection of the kidneys. 

At the moment Jeemy is being treated for an infection with 0.02 baytril and 0.03 dimazon to reduce the water retention in his tongue. 

At the moment wee Jeemy is still very bright and alert but obviously I'm a bit concerned about him. Despite his obvious ailment he's still keen to eat but can only do so with assistance. I am feeding him wax worms daily but he has lost some condition and is a lot skinnier than he was. At first I wondered if he'd ingested a small piece of substrate and was trying to invert his stomach but it is definately his tongue that's swollen up. 

I was just wondering if anyone had an amphibian that had suffered the same and lived to tell the tale? Also is there anything else that this might possibly be? I've another appointment in a weeks time to see how he's doing.

This is him just after returning home from the vets today.


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## Middleton Mouse (May 16, 2013)

I'm choosing to assume the lack of replies to this thread are due to the fact no one has encountered this sort of thing before.:Na_Na_Na_Na:

Jeemy is improving a bit, the swelling on his tongue has reduced enough for him to pick up food again. He can catch meal worms and wax worms (albeit with some difficulty). I'll see if I can get some updated pictures later, he's still rather skinny.


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## Mbar (Aug 12, 2007)

The lack of response is probably because you have already done the correct thing by promptly getting him to an experienced vet

Maybe it was an infection due to a cricket bite or something if so the Baytril should do the trick. You could try tong feeding some gut loaded crickets too for variety. You may have to remove their back legs if he is still having feeding difficulties.
In the picture he looks very healthy otherwise so fingers crossed for him.


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## Drayvan (Jul 7, 2010)

Never seen that before! Glad he looks like he's on the mend though, he's cute as a button too. Great little toad species  Hope he continues to improve.


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

Middleton Mouse said:


> I'm choosing to assume the lack of replies to this thread are due to the fact no one has encountered this sort of thing before.:Na_Na_Na_Na:
> 
> Jeemy is improving a bit, the swelling on his tongue has reduced enough for him to pick up food again. He can catch meal worms and wax worms (albeit with some difficulty). I'll see if I can get some updated pictures later, he's still rather skinny.


Spot on for me mate, new to me this one. MM the only tongue problem i've come across is in darts,which we specialize in,so probably won't be much help anyway mate. I guess it's known as short tongue syndrome and it is linked to vit A difficency. Note the post be orange tyrant in the link (also a vet),mentions kidneys too. Buddy I am not a vet and let's be very clear I'm not saying there is any link here bar the most obvious tongue problem,all be it different issues being shown as symptoms. But nonetheless it is interesting as vit A might not be featuring in J's diet and your vet might be able to help with this,or potentially rule this tenuous connection out. 

Dart frog spitting out Fruit flies and getting skinny! - Dendroboard

Either way, the most important thing for me is to wish ya luck dude, for your little mate,plus that wayward thought that a chat about vit A with your vet might be useful,might not,sure,but I'd always rather ask and look a fool,than not!! 

good luck kiddo

Stu


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## Middleton Mouse (May 16, 2013)

Thanks for the message Stu, Jeemy goes back to see the same vet in a couple of weeks. He's doing really well now, the swelling has reduced a lot and he's able to catch size 3 crickets for himself again. :2thumb:


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## Middleton Mouse (May 16, 2013)

Just so you can see the difference here...

This is Jeemy two days after treatment started









Apparently baytril is universaly despised by all God's creatures.









this is Jeemy today :2thumb:


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

Wicked, all credit to you !!

'Nuff said, best for the future

Stu


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