Illness and Injury
Here I will go over the different types of disease, infection, injury and other such physical obstacles that African Dwarf Frogs are commonly susceptible to.
Red-Leg
This
painful bacterial infection is the number one cause of death for ADFs,
as well as other species of frogs. It is vary contagious and normally
stems from poor water quality, but can also come about water being too
warm and stagnant. In it's earlier stages the infection causes the back
legs of a frog to turn red (hence the name) and become swollen, the
infection spreads into the rest of the body killing the frog. This
infection is in most cases fatal but can be treated with a combination
of Koizyme and Maroxy.
Dropsy
Usually known as "bloat" in non-aquatic beings, Dropsy is a disease that causes a build up of fluids in the body that causes the abdomen to swell. Maroxy can be used to treat Dropsy, though the condition is often fatal. To read more click here.
Other Infections
There are a few other types of "generic" fungal and bacterial infections that may affect ADFs. Some can appear in the form of white blotching or discoloration, through loss of weight and or loss of appetite, having trouble swimming, or other abnormal physical manifestations. Having a healthy, clean tank and being very careful about what comes in (as to avoid contamination) are the best ways to prevent these ailments from becoming an issue for your frogs. Most pet stores carry liquids such as Fin Guard, Skin Guard, or Koizyme that are made to help in preventing these infections.
* When dealing with any of the above illnesses it is essential to clean your tank thoroughly to ensure the tank is healthy again. Antibiotic fish foods and preventative liquid-solutions (such as Koizyme) are also available and are very useful. *
Injury
Frogs may get injured at some point due to many things such as accidents, rough handling, the wrong tank set up, or the wrong neighbors sharing it with them. Minor injuries will heal on their own and aren't something to be overly concerned about. In the even of a major injury, there are a few precautions one can take. Because there aren't "frog doctors" to go to when your frog is hurt, you will have to do the best job you can in helping your frog rest and revive when he has been injured. The first thing you will need to do is quarantine the injured frog in a separate container or identify and remover the cause of the injury, whether it is a sharp decoration, aggressive tank-mate, etc. There are also many types of heal-fast antibiotic solutions sold in pet stores, the way they work is similar to how polysporin works on us.
