Unexpected frog death.

[purplemuffin]

I am just heart broken. My boyfriends little sister's dwarf pyxie frog perished on new years day, and we have no idea why.

I was actually spending the night that night, the frog appeared fine and healthy and fat. Eating and pooping and behaving like always.

Next morning it was also fine. But by the afternoon the frog was in the same position under it's hide as it was that morning, but a thick layer of film covered the body. It was hard as a rock, and dead as dead can be. It was really disturbing the look at, the frog still was standing up looking alert as if it was hunting, but... looked dusty..

She never handled the frog except for cleaning--and always washed her hands extremely well with no soap! Regularly changed the water, fed it properly.

Unfortunately her father came in and threw the frog out before I could suggest a necropsy. I don't think she wanted to deal with it anymore anyway, she was just so heartbroken, this was her baby, and the only pet she could call her own.



Rest in peace, Jiraiya.







So frustrating though. I really want to know the cause. There were no obvious symptom. The only thing I can think of is maybe the frog looked fatter than usual? Could this have been dropsy and we just didn't notice since she was already a pretty fat frog? Can dropsy be caused by 'bad' substrate? She cleaned it regularly, and has always replaced it, but it had been a while--nothing extreme like waiting months and months, but maybe a week or two later than should have been for a full substrate replacement. Ugh.

[Maixx]

There's a chance he wasn't dead, that's how they hibernate, in frogs its called estivation.

Estivation is the term given to the period of Hibernation that wild African Bull Frogs usually go into during the dryer months. They create a cocoon from old skin that helps to seal in moisture whilst the frog buries itself in the ground to wait for the rainy season to come

http://www.theamphibian.co.uk/Africa..._adspersus.htm

[purplemuffin]

That was what I suspected as well, and suggested they see if it was the case. But by the time I saw it the room had begun to smell of death. I have seen estivation before, this was a dead frog.