Thanks; not to dampen the mood, but please keep in mind that there are all sorts of problems associated with any medication…look what happens in human medicine, where so much more is known. I’ve seen toads survive being locked within a concrete wall for 8 years, while others kept in multi-million dollar facilities fail to thrive…. But you’re doing all that can be done.

Chytrid is turning up everywhere, but we don’t really understand the implications. It may turn out to be like salmonella in herps or aspergillosis in birds – always present, but only problematical in certain circumstances. With amphibs declines, far more than just the fungus is likely involved – depressed immune systems due to other factors (pollution, acid rain, etc.), the loss of other micro-organisms, change in quality of food items, and so on. But each new bit of info helps.

Please let me know if you need any further information. Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

And – when speaking to the STL Zoo, I unfortunately learned the Chytrid fungus has been found in STL waters; wish it never existed; makes my heart sink.

Thank you again
Kelly

Thanks for the update. Baytril has long been a standard antibiotic for use with amphibians, especially where the exact nature of the problem is unknown. Used extensively in zoos and private practice.

As you can see, there are many uncertainties. Millions of dollars have been poured into battling the Chytrid fungus that has been decimating amphibs populations worldwide over the past decade or so, yet we are still far from understanding the nature of the problem.

I hope all goes well,

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Last night, Earl ate a cricket – got it on the first try; tongue extended far.,

I saw the Dr. and he felt the bad aim or short tongue syndrome could be a calcium deficiency or, perhaps a tongue sprain – that he has seen in amphibians and chameleons on occassion.

He prefers the Rep Cal reptevite that I have been using and is comfortable that it contains only beta carotene and no preformed Vitamin A.

I am still thinking about the Repashy Supervite which does contained both preformed Vit A and beta carotene.

He thought it could be either dry skin or a possible fungul infection – he gave me some antibiodic – Baytril – 3.0ml to mix with a quart of water, and to mist him directly 2x a day for 7 to 10 days. Said if dry skin and not fungul, the antibiodic wouldnt hurt him.

I do remember your saying and also my reading in several articles that treament is extremely tricky – do you have any experience with toads and baytril?

I also found out there is a frog/toad breeder in my area who has been doing so for 20 plus years. (Dart frogs, horned frogs) – I have his info and am thinking about calling him also.

Thanks so very much,
Kelly

Below is a link on one vendor that sells Repashy – as on a couple of sights – they didnt sell all four of the available D3 stengths nor have data on them all for me to compare them to one another.

They have No VD, LoD, MeD and HyD – this site though, has all the ingrediants and levels for each of the 4 strenghts – and their recommended usage – including the HyD for animals that they state it may even be beneficial for if used during early stages of MBD.

http://www.pangeareptile.com/store/supercal.html

Definately an intersting product/company. I am also looking into their Supervite product – which the STL Zoo likes and uses also. It can be found under search on the same site above – this site also has a little more info regarding this product also, that the other site doesnt include – toghether with the 2 sites, I am getting the data I need on it!!!

http://www.alphaprobreeders.com/products/Repashy-SuperVite–.html

I will let you know how the visit went and what Dr. Wentzi advises!

Thanks again –
Kelly

Thanks, sounds like you’re on the right track; please keep me posted re Repashy; I’d like to follow up on it, sounds promising.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Think I know what is wrong with Earl – thanks to your prior link to another subscriber regarding supplement/Vitamin A.

I have noticed that about once every week and half, Earls aim seems off – my book tells me that ‘bad aim’ could be linked to Vit A deficiency. He did this last night too – not every time, not really that often – but on occassion.

That – with the skin problems leads me to think Vit A def – and I just saw that my supplement has no preformed vit A, but only beta carotene – never thought about it before – makes sense to me that an animal that eats insects only most likely would not digest beta carotene (plant derived) well. – Duh on my part.

So I called the STL Zoo, they use Repashy – they use separate calcium/d3 and vitamin products – not one combined. Repashy has both preformed Vit A (retinol) along with some beta carotene for better all alround coverage and absorptions. STL Zoo stated that for VitD3 – the amounts they use varies by the Toad age – older animals getting the Repashy product with lower VitD3 content – and younger specimens getting the product with a higher Vit D3 ratio.

So with that – at my Toad Doc appt tonight – taking what I have been using, new products Reptivite and Repto Cal – along with data on products from Repashy and info from the staff at STL Zoo – to discuss how I hope, I pray I might be able to stop the symptoms I see in Earl now with hopefully a veterinarian recommended VitA supp alone treatment and to also help my other fellows by providing them more proper doses of VitA before they show any symptoms of being too low.

Thanks
Kelly

Nice to hear from you again; I recall clearly…although, as with most things, I cannot believe it was over 2 years ago! Congrats on your success and thanks for the kind words.

Spring water, esp. from known companies, does not contain chlorine; we used Deer Park and Poland at the Bx Zoo; “purified” varies.

Please let me know if you need any further information. Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

I doubt you remember our previous correspondence about the American Toad I took in after he/she decided to hibernate in my outdoor planter. That was in October 2009, and the toad (we call him Little Toad) has been with us now for more more than two years. I incorporated all your suggestions in setting up his tank, etc., and it has been such a pleasure to watch him.

I have followed your exchanges with Kelly with interest, of course. Now I have a question regarding the latest ones about water. I don’t test the water we use for the toad’s soaking bowl and spraying, but I do use bottled spring water (from various sources, often the store brand, but also Poland Springs, Deer Park, etc. The current bottle is distributed by Key Foods, and the water comes from Fox Ledge Springs in Pennsylvania.) I don’t use purified water, which the labels of at least some bottlers say contains calcium chloride and sodium bicarbonate. (Aquafina purified water, I now see, does not contain this.) Is there a reason to be concerned that bottled spring water has chlorine in it? I thought that spring water did not contain chlorine, which is why I have been using it. I do use a dechlorinator in the tap water I use to wash and hydrate the sphagnum moss, but have stuck to bottled spring water for the toad’s soaking bowl and spray bottle. Thanks much for answering this question.

Best always,
Maru

Thanks for the kind words. Acidic water is not a good option…some toad populations have adapted, but in general best not to use anything over 7.5 pH. Many zoos use Reverse Osmosis systems. St. Louis had done some great amphibs work, just became first to breed hellbenders; you can rely on anything they tell you.

If water is un-chlorinated, chloramines would not likely be present. Used in NYC, but not nearly as common as chlorine elsewhere.

Deer Park Water was useful in past; not sure if their source has changed since.

Sphagnum moss would be a

Please let me know if you need any further information. Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.