help!!!! fire belly not eating :( will he live?! :(

grimfandango · #1 (**permalink**) 28-02-2008, 01:11 PM

hi, new here!

my girlfriend has 3 firebelly toads, she has them in a half water half land tank. nice and warm with good humidity. two of them are fine but recently the small green one has stopped eating and doesnt move about much at all

its been at least 2 weeks since he last ate anything, we seperated him from the other two (not sure if the other two could have been bullying him?, hes smaller than them) we took him to the vet but she said he seemed ok?! after that we tried force feeding him a little worm thing, but then read that we shouldnt really that either as it could just as easily kill him due to stress.

really dont know what to do, all he does is sit really still in the same place, think he's getting worse

can any body help, really don't think he's got long left

emmzy · #2 (**permalink**) 28-02-2008, 01:30 PM

u tried diffeent foods maybe he just doesnt like the wee worms? my fbt wont touch them, mines also has a habbit of going for a week or more without food and is still perfectly healthy also u said hes the smallest one, is the food your feeding maybe too big for him? try smaller/different beasties hope hes ok x

grimfandango · #3 (**permalink**) 28-02-2008, 01:56 PM

thanks for the help

yeah she's tried feeding him tiny crickets, she tried the worms instead to see if hed eat them. but no he didnt seem interested.

before when he was healthy he would eat great big crickets, but now he doesnt seem interested in anything

emmzy · #4 (**permalink**) 28-02-2008, 04:13 PM

right ok, try putting just him and a cricket/worm in a tank(or one of they wee tubs crickets come in) and putting a cover over it so its nice an dark and put it somewhere quiet and leave them in peace for half a hour or so and see if he eats then

berksmike · #5 (**permalink**) 28-02-2008, 04:15 PM

Have you been dusting or gut loading your foods?
Metabolic bone disease from calcium deficiency can actually affect the jaw preventing the toads from eating and you get into a viscious circle.
Was the vet a specialist herp vet?

madelene · #6 (**permalink**) 28-02-2008, 05:27 PM

What temp are you keeping them at?
Maddie

grimfandango · #7 (**permalink**) 28-02-2008, 08:58 PM

ok, temps are about 20-25c, she dusts them (crickets, meal worms, and wax worms) with vitamin and calcium supliments a couple of times a week.

not sure about gut loading, she feeds the crickets with carrot?

ok will try putting him in a tub, we tried putting him in a little tub with a cricket a few days ago but he didnt seem to be interested. but we will try and cover him up and leave him a bit with one and see what happens, hopefully he will eat something

serz · #8 (**permalink**) 28-02-2008, 09:02 PM

dont no much about FBT but good luck i have my fingers crossed for you

grimfandango · #9 (**permalink**) 28-02-2008, 10:25 PM

thanks

tried putting him in a tub with a small worm, but no luck

he went a dark brown.
put him back in with the other two tonight see if that makes a difference? changed back to his usual green colour now!?

not sure but he could be swelling up? he looks a lot rounder now? to start with we thought it could be impactation, but read somewhere that if you put them in warm water it helps them crap, and it did!

but could that still be whats wrong?

emmzy · #10 (**permalink**) 28-02-2008, 10:32 PM

the colour change is nothing but camoulflage(sp?) they go darker colour at night to hide better and if hes pooping fine its not a impaction, is he anorexic looking? as long as hes not too thin to start an adult can last a few weeks without food and when he gets hungry enough he may just start eating himself? i cant think of anything else to suggest if the vets gave him a thuro(sp?) check up and hes not showing any signs of illness apart from being off his food, sorry keep me updated tho!

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