# Seriously ill ADF



## Little-Fizz (Aug 19, 2007)

I got these african dwarf frogs a couple weeks ago, No problems until now. They are in a 20 gallon with 5 platys and the water stats are perfect. I remember the first time I saw my frog molt and I was pretty sure he was going to die. Until I found out thats what they do. But this time, I'm pretty sure he is going to die. 

I came home after being gone for two days and leaving the aquarium lights off during that time, and found him with his feet looking blood shot, then it moved a little up his legs and now it looks like his skins starting to peel off on his back and it looks like he is shedding his skin, but it looks really sore and painful  I got some pretty good pics, I just did a water change last night and added some stress coat along with melafix this morning. 

















Someone please help, I feel soooo bad for this guy but I have no idea what this is or how to treat it. Anyone had anything simular with these guys?


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## iamntbatman (Jan 3, 2008)

I saw this when you first posted about it in the other thread; unfortunately I really don't know anything at all about frog illnesses so I can't help you out much. My instincts tell me that due to the nature of Melafix, it should have at least *some* benefit for your frog, but then again I could be totally mistaken and it could be harmful. 

I just did a bit of research online, found this info on The Frog Doctor, and the results don't look too great:

"The most infamous frog disease of captive frogs, Red-leg is usually caused by the parasite Aeromonas hydrophyla. It appears as a reddening of the skin, particularly on the belly and underside of the thighs, (not to be confused with the natural colorings of some species of frogs!) Frogs that get red-leg tend to act apathetic and lazy. This is a really lethal disease so isolate the affected frog(s) right away! Sometimes in the case of newly imported animals it is more likely due to abrasions caused by dry packing, like cardboard. In the latter case, the only treatment necessary is to correct the cause and keep the affected animal(s) in an incredibly clean cage for a few days. Otherwise, redleg caught in it's early stages can sometimes be treated by bathing the frog in a Sulfamethiazine bath (15 ml for every 10 l water) daily for 2 weeks, or a 2% solution of copper sulfate or potassium permanganate for the same period. If it shows no signs of getting better after the first week, sometimes you can treat them with the use of an antibiotic like tetracycline, so consult your veterinarian on treatment."

and:

"Fungal Infections:
Particularly troublesome to the aquatic amphibians and tadpoles, this shows up as areas of red inflammation based on soft white tissue, though generally speaking, it looks like any noticeable abnormal changes in skin color might be a symptom of this. If caught in the early stages, a fungal infection can sometimes be treated by one of several methods: the most commonly recommended method is immersing the animal in a 2% solution of malachite green or mercurochrome for 5 minutes, repeating after 24 hours if symptoms do not improve. If no improvement shows after 3 such treatments seek the advise of a vet. Another treatment I ran across was coating with 8-hydroxyquinoline (one part per 5000 every other day) until the condition vanishes."

I can't decide based on your pictures which is the more likely candidate. I also read that people who had diagnosed Red-Leg and treated for it had further problems because of misdiagnosis and therefore incorrect medication. If I had to guess, I would say it's probably more likely fungal, but then there's the reddened feet which you noticed first so I'm not too sure.


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## Little-Fizz (Aug 19, 2007)

Thanks batman, thats some good research. Well I read up on red leg last night, and I pray that thats not it. I can't decide what it is more like either. I keep reading about red leg and being like "nah thats not it" then I read a few more lines and I get scared. 

Well if I can I'll be out buying a wide variety of medications today. Thanks for the reply.


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## Little-Fizz (Aug 19, 2007)

I found him with his leg stuck in the filter intake, like I had to use a screw driver to open it out to fit his foot out. I think its some kind of fungus. Could I use API liquid fungus cure???  This is so upsetting...


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