Amphibian and Reptile Emergencies – Prolapsed Cloaca
A prolapse of the cloaca (the organ into which the digestive and excretory systems empty, and which houses the penis) is a situation that most herp keepers face at one point or another. I have observed it most commonly in frogs, less so in salamanders and reptiles. In a prolapse, the cloaca protrudes through the anus, and is dragged about behind the animal. If untreated, the tissue dries out and becomes necrotic (basically, the tissue dies). A veterinarian may be able to remove the organ, but often the animal cannot be saved at this point.
A cloacal prolapse should be treated immediately upon discovery. A long-established and often effective measure that you can take is to place the afflicted animal in a shallow bath of sugar water. The amount of sugar is not very important – go with 1 tablespoon per 3 ounces of water if you prefer to measure. The sugar will draw fluids from the cloaca, allowing the animal to withdraw the organ. You can assist with a Vaseline-coated cotton swab.
If this does not help within 20 minutes, your pet should be taken to a veterinarian (a follow-up visit is a good idea even if you are successful). It is important that you then look at the conditions that may have led to the prolapse – dehydration, constipation, straining to expel eggs and trauma caused by scent marking (rubbing the cloaca along the substrate) – are most common. Of course, environmental conditions must be evaluated with each species’ biology in mind – conditions that are suitable for a White’s Treefrog may cause dehydration in a Budgett’s Frog, for example.
Please write in if you have encountered this condition among your pets, and I will try to help in finding the root of the problem. Thanks, until next time, Frank.
You can read an excellent article on other amphibian emergencies at the web site of the Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital:
http://www.azeah.com/Care-Sheets.asp?id=97
Until Next Time,
Frank
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about 5 months ago
My giant african bullfrog suffered from dehydration and constipation and since then (over a month long period) he has had two prolapses. The first was after a few vet visits and it was his first poo after being ill.
The second was also when he was going to the toliet and it was after he was given the all clear by the vet.
Both occured when he was in the bath (vets orders that he has one a day), could the fact that he is in water being causing this?
Also, he usually only has crickets as he refuses most other food but last two days he has had grasshoppers-could these be another possible cause of the prolapse?
Hope you can help, Rachel.
about 5 months ago
Hello Rachel, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for your interest in our blog and sorry to hear about your difficulties.
It’s not uncommon for a prolapse to recur the first time the animal defecates. Was a stitch put in? Often a stitch and a long fast is an effective way of addressing a prolapse, but vets have varying opinions on this, and, unfortunately, there are no easy answers.
Even without stitches, I would fast the animal for as long as possible – if he is in good weight, fasts of 4-6 weeks or longer are possible. Temperatures in the low 70’s allow for longer fasts, but your vet will need to weigh the value of this against a possible reduced healing time at lower temperatures.
Being in water for a time is not a problem, and would help in defecating. Vets I’ve worked with often advised soft foods, such as earthworms, or even tube-fed liquid nutrients, for the first few meals after healing. I would stay away from crickets and grasshoppers for now, as both contain a good deal of indigestible material that must be passed by the frog (legs, wing covers, thicker parts of exoskeleton.
Good luck and please keep me posted.
Please also feel free to write in with details concerning diet, temperature, terrarium set-up etc., as such factors may have a bearing on his condition.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.