Caring for Frogs
Frogs that come into care are most commonly found in suburban areas.
Some people believe that frogs are common enough and therefore not worth the time and money involved in rehabilitation. What is a common frog species today could be a critically endangered frog next year. We do not know how to breed many Australian species or what the best techniques are for various types of illnesses and injuries. So, if nothing else, the attempt to rehabilitate is a valuable exercise as it could lead to new discoveries.
In suburban areas, the most common injuries are from road accidents, domestic pets (dogs and cats), household accidents such as crushing in doors or windows and burns, attacks by native animals and gardening accidents. Frogs may also become ill after coming into contact with or ingesting pesticides, herbicides and household chemicals. Be aware that many products that contain solubilizers such as carpet sprays and room fresheners are deadly to frogs.
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| Spirometra tapeworm © FDR Project, Inc | Spirometra ulcer © FDR Project, Inc | Spotting from bacterial infection © FDR Project, Inc |
What to do if you find an injured frog
If it is obviously injured or ill, you should carefully catch it and place it in a clean container with air holes in the lid. Always wear disposable gloves or a plastic bag over your hand when handling frogs. Add a millimetre or two of clean water (rain, pond or distilled water is preferred but tap water will do if the frog is only going to be transported and then removed). If the container is translucent, place a large leaf over the frog (as a hiding spot). Do not place rocks in the container.
Place the container in a quiet but well ventilated area to reduce the animal's stress. If the frog is being transported over a distance where multiple people might be involved in handling the container, place a cloth in the bottom of the container, which has been wet but not submerged in water. Rinse the cloth several times in the sink to ensure that all traces of laundry soap are removed before it goes into the container. The container should be labelled with the exact location where the frog was found and the date and the lid should be securely sealed around the edges to prevent escapes and any interference by the curious. If you are turning over the frog to someone else for treatment, include your name and phone number so that they can obtain more details from you.
If you have not been trained in frog care, please locate a vet or someone with experience. If you are unsure of what to do you can do, contact your nearest wildlife vet or the Cairns Frog Hospital for advice. The RSPCA, Queensland Frog Society, other wildlife care organisations or biology/zoology lecturers at a local university may also be able to help you. When contacting these organisations, it is helpful if you give them a description of the frog and outline where you found it and what happened to it.
Take frogs with serious and life threatening injures to a vet. It is a good idea to telephone the surgery before you arrive, as the vet may recommend you visit a more experienced practitioner.
Assessing injuries
Severe injury types that should be directed to a vet immediately:
- broken bones - a bone is broken if a limb will not sit properly, is bent the wrong way or the bone is protruding. Frogs will still attempt to climb or hop with a break. If a frog has a fracture high in the thigh, the leg will hang down.
- partial crushing - often with broken limbs, there may be bruising or scrapes along a line of the body.
- stepped on - skin may be torn on the sides of the body and the abdomen will be very inflated as a reaction to internal organ bruising; there may be blood from the vent or even part of the colon sticking out.
- burns - depending on the source of the heat (air, water, chemical, fire), brownish or blackish colouration to the skin and rapid drying out of the skin; lesions and/or skin loss will occur later.
- eye injury - this can be merely a scratch to the surface of the eye, internal bleeding which makes the whole eye go dark or have a rainbow background, or the rupture of the eye where either external bleeding occurs or the eye is pushed out of its socket.
- deep lacerations - caused by gardening equipment, air conditioners or other mechanical devises or aggressive animal attack such as by cats or goannas; these have a tearing or sheering quality to them as opposed to round ulcers or patches of missing skin which are caused by diseases.
- prolapsed vent, stomach or internal organs - illness and poisoning can lead to the frog regurgitating its stomach which looks like a tongue sticking out of its mouth; part of the intestines sticking out of the vent is a prolapsed vent (which requires immediate surgery) and snake attacks can create puncture wounds which allow lungs or colon to pop out the side of the body.
- spinal injury - an actual misalignment may be visible along the length of the spine, particularly in the area of the hip girdle, or some limbs don't function at all and hang limp.
One type of burn
Injuries that can be dealt with by an experienced carer:
- scratches to skin or eyes which are not bleeding;
- minor breaks to toes; or
- light gashes from animal attacks such as snakes or butcherbirds (rough looking scratches but no internal damage).
Signs of disease
A frog is sick if:
- it is sitting out in the open during the day;
- suffers weight loss;
- it is lethargic;
- its eyes are cloudy or have a grey film covering them;
- it is unable to right itself if turned on its back;
- has ulcers or patches of skin missing;
- has lumps in the skin;
- its normal colour is "off" (too dark, too pale) or is blotchy or spotted;
- it is covered with slime or has messy, stringy skin build-up on the body, especially on the legs and lower back.
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| Flesh eating bacteria © FDR Project, Inc | Flesh eating fungus © FDR Project, Inc |
First aid and transport supplies:
- ice cream containers with lids that fit tightly and have air holes;
- a small foam esky with a single, 1-2cm airhole in the middle of the lid;
- household disinfectant for cleaning containers;
- disposable gloves;
- notepad, pen and tape for recording details and attaching notes;
- Betadine solution;
- small bowls or takeaway food containers;
- a supply of distilled water;
- clean face washers or cut-up tea towels that have been well rinsed;
- shipping tape to seal containers;
- a block of ice to cool the frog (if the weather is hot) or to stop bleeding.
Specific transport details
When a frog's protective skin is broken, it immediately absorbs bacterial and fungal pathogens. This means that it could be well on its way to developing an infection when you find it. The frog should be given an antibacterial bath in Betadine to clean its wounds and skin. To make the bath, pour a puddle of Betadine (about the size of a 10cent coin) in the bottom of a small bowl or takeaway container. Add clean water (tap water is okay if you do not have anything else) until liquid looks like very weak tea. Put the frog in the bath but be sure to keep the fluid away from its eyes and nostrils. Use a spoon to pour some of the bath over its back so that most of the body skin is cleansed. The frog should not be left in the bath any longer than four minutes.
You can use a block of ice to slow bleeding and to keep a frog cool (if the weather temperature reaches above 32 deg.) However, the block should be placed outside the container. The correct procedure is to put the ice block in the bottom of a foam esky and place the container with the frog inside on top of the ice. Make sure the container has a wet cloth and a secure lid. If there is a risk that the frog will get too cold, place a thin cloth over the ice block (under the frog container).
Last updated: 20 April 2006