# Phyllobates terriblis throat sac always swollen



## Crantan (Nov 12, 2021)

My dart frog has a throat sac that appears to be always swollen. From what I've asked of the previous caretaker, the sac had been swollen for at least two and maybe three years. The frog is at least 5 years old, as far as I can calculate.

The vivarium they live in gets roughly 90%+ humidity, and stays around 60-75F depending on the season. They are fed mealworms once or twice a week. I occasionally hear them make what I believe to be a mating call, a sort of rachtety croak. 

Should I be concerned? Is there something I can do to possibly help them?


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## Fahad (Aug 25, 2019)

That's definitely not normal. The frog needs veterinary attention; I can only speculate as to what that is ... inflammation, tumour, abcess, osmotic imbalance, foreign body lodged long term ... regarding humidity that sounds a bit high; hygrometers -- especially those used by hobbyists -- are generally unreliable. You could do a search on this site for ventilation and humidity, but the general guidelines now accepted suggest approximately 70% humidity. Surfaces in the tank should dry out approximately 2-3 hours after a misting event.

Mealworms are not generally used as feeders for dart frogs. I'm not clear on their nutritional value but they do have a fair bit of chitin which remains debatable for these anurans. The staple for P. terribilis should be flightless fruit flies (melanogaster and hydeii) with maybe some gut-loaded and dusted 1/4" crickets for adults sometimes, small isopods every now and then are taken as well ... what are you using in terms of vitamin supplements?

As for the ratchety croak ... that doesn't sound right and may be related to the swollen gular pouch. An adult terribilis has a loud, persistent, trilling mating call that's pretty unmistakable and sustained for several seconds at a time.


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## auratusAndy (Oct 28, 2021)

I believe this is Edema - retention of fluid. This is a common and difficult to resolve issue. A vet may try aspirating the fluid (slowly drawing it out w a syringe) to see if it comes back. A vet might also recommend keeping this one isolated in special conditions for a while, such as lower humidity and possibly even offering a Pedialyte bath to balance electrolytes. They can live with Edema for many years, but it does indicate that something else is wrong. I think due to the fatty (mealworm) diet a liver issue is a likely cause. Also, with the large prey items much less Calcium dust would be consumed, so that &/or vitamin imbalances could play a roll. I agree with the poster above that veterinary attention should be your next step.


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