African dwarf frogs are fully aquatic amphibians and they are very popular as aquarium pets. Typically, they come from the central part of Africa. In addition, their colors vary from brownish green to olive green.
But let me be honest with you. Taking care of an African dwarf frog ain’t easy since they cannot stay without water and their body is extremely sensitive.
One common problem that an African dwarf frog gets is a broken leg. It can have a broken leg for different reasons. For example, when other aquatic animals attack it or when it jumps out of the fish tank, the legs can be broken.
Now, what is the African dwarf frog broken leg treatment? There are two types of treatments that you can give to your injured frog: home treatment or contact with a veterinarian. Besides, the injured frog may also need surgery in some special cases.
So, let’s discuss the solutions with some additional messages-
How Do You Treat Your African Dwarf Frog Broken Leg At Home?
If your African dwarf frog gets some minor injuries on its legs, then home treatment can be useful. Besides, the broken leg can heal itself over time naturally. For this purpose, you only have to quarantine your dwarf frog somewhere safe.
Moreover, you can also add some extra care to the broken leg to make it heal faster. For instance, some ointments work best for visible wounds. Needless to say, Neosporin ointment is the best option for that. (Our Pick: Neosporin Original Antibiotic Ointment)
Neosporin basically works against bacteria. Thus it prevents skin infection. So, apply the Neosporin ointment on the wound of your African dwarf frog’s leg to prevent further infection. In addition, cover the whole wounded area with it.
Although Methylene blue is meant for fish, you can also use it as the African dwarf frog injury treatment. Even if it doesn’t work, at least it will cure fungal infections and cause no harm.
However, methylene blue is not easy to find in the nearby shop. But you can find it online easily. Here’s our pick for you- Methylene Blue Solution 1%
You can follow some steps to apply the meth blue ointment on your frog’s broken leg-
- Before applying the blue, give your frog a bath salt. It has to be a bath with .5% salt.
- Place it somewhere safe with fresh air.
- Add the blue with the bath salt solution according to the instructions of the product.
- Your pet frog will heal within a few weeks.
If the aquarium does not contain any filter, then you have to change the water solution from time to time.
Broken Leg Treatment By A Vet
Contacting a vet as soon as possible is the greatest option to save the injured frog. Since an African dwarf frog is fragile, a broken leg can kill it. So, don’t delay bringing your frog to a nearby pet hospital if it gets a serious wound.
Typically, a vet will take the whole arrangement with several steps. So, we will now show you the steps that a vet takes for African dwarf frog-leg problems.
X-ray
The frog’s leg injury can be of many types. So, the vet will first do an x-ray on the broken leg to detect the wound type. Thus the vet can understand the injury and take necessary actions. If the injury is mild, he will give the frog proper care and nourishment.
Surgery
If the vet finds fractured bones on the African dwarf frog’s broken leg, then he may cast the broken leg with tiny splinters which are made of silicon tubes. Besides, he will also prescribe some pain-reliever medications.
This way your African dwarf frog may survive the minor fractures. However, the sad truth is- most frogs never recover completely from broken leg injuries.
Amputation
Since many African dwarfs or clawed frogs can grow back their limbs, your vet may also recommend the amputation of the broken limb. Moreover, it will also be the fastest way to heal your injured frog.
Antibiotic
If your dwarf frog gets a broken leg because of some fungal or bacterial infection, then the vet will prescribe some effective antibiotics. However, proper maintenance is crucial during this treatment period.
What Are The Reasons for African Dwarf Frog Broken Legs?
1. Territorial Attack
Although an African dwarf frog is a very friendly aquatic frog, other territorial aquatic pets such as male betta fish can be dangerous for them. Thus the dwarf frogs can get fight with them and break their legs.
2. Human Interaction
Sometimes an accident can happen while you are working on your aquarium. For instance, you may clean the aquarium with a vacuum, but unintentionally you hit the frog with it and the leg gets broken. So, be careful when you feed your frog or clean up the fish tank.
3. Poor Eyesight
An African dwarf frog usually has poor eyesight. So, it often gets stuck in the filter or any kind of decoration in the aquarium. Thus it may break its leg for weak eyesight.
4. Jumping
One special thing about the African dwarf frog is that they don’t have gills but lunges. That’s why they often need to go up to the surface to breathe fresh air. But sometimes they may jump out of the aquarium while doing it. So, there is a chance that its legs can get broken.
5. Predator’s Attack
Some predators such as snakes, cats, and big game fishes (bass or muskellunge) love to attack the frogs. So, it is obvious that your African dwarf frog may get a broken leg from predators’ attacks.
6. Sickness
A broken leg can be a sign of some severe diseases. For example, your dwarf frog is always in danger of deadly parasites. Those parasites show many symptoms and a broken leg can be one of the symptoms. So, be aware of your frog’s health.
How Can You Prevent Leg Injury of an African Dwarf Frog?
Prevention is important along with the broken leg problem. In addition, it will help better to avoid further leg injury. So, you can follow the steps below to prevent the African dwarf frog-leg problems–
- Do not put the African dwarf frog with some attacking aquatic animals.
- Maintain your fish tank properly. Thus you can prevent any serious disease.
- Do not hurt your froggy friend while feeding it.
- You have to be extra careful if you clean the aquarium substrate.
- Provide enough light in the aquarium so that the frogs can see things clearly.
- Avoid touching your frog. If you have to move them, then use a fish net.
- Bring out any type of broken decorations, especially with sharp edges from the tank.
- Cover the top of the tank so that your frog cannot jump out and injure its leg.
Thus taking some simple steps can save your dwarf frog from many dangerous accidents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an African dwarf frog regrow its leg?
Frogs at a young age can typically grow their legs back. But they lose this ability at their adult age. On the other hand, the African dwarf or clawed frogs regrow their limbs but in a different way. Their regrown limbs are not fully functional. Shortly, it looks different (like a claw).
Why is my African dwarf frog stuck in the filter?
The African dwarf frogs are nocturnal and bottom aquatic animals. Besides, they are also shy. That’s why they love to hide. So, they may be stuck in the filter since they find it a good hiding place. For this purpose, you can build a hiding place in the tank for the frogs.
How often does the African dwarf frog need to come up for air?
The African dwarf frogs breathe with their lungs, not with their gills. Besides, they cannot survive more than 20 minutes without water. However, they need to come up with fresh air to breathe in every 15 minutes.
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Conclusion
The African dwarf frogs are delicate and exotic aquatic pet animals. So, proper take-care is important for their overall well-being.
A broken leg is a common problem among dwarf frogs. However, it can be fatal if the African dwarf frog’s broken leg is not treated timely. So, firstly, you have to find out the cause of the leg injury.
After that, give your injured frog the right treatment as soon as possible. Thus your African dwarf frog may survive a disaster.
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