# Tadpole to froglet bloating



## macg (Apr 19, 2018)

This is a first for me. The tadpole underwent severe bloating and survived until now with no change in bloating. I'm prepared to put it down, but I wanted to get feedback from everyone here first.


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## Chris S (Apr 12, 2016)

Hope some others can chime in....Doesn't look great for this guy. If you are going to put him down, you may want to try a small needle to see if it is gas buildup that you can relieve.

@Kmc usually has some pretty good ideas though, I'd wait to see what he has to say.


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## Kmc (Jul 26, 2019)

Oh woe hi. I dont think I have any leads that Mac hasnt exhausted. Some interference with homeostasis or an edema syndrome caused by a virus or bacterial infection. 

Thats tough to see. Im sorry.


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

I can't speak to the bloating (or whatever is behind it) specifically. 

The more I breed animals of all sorts, though, the more I see the value in making sure I only bring into existence animals that are ideally prepared for as full, healthy, and "normal" (big scare quotes) of a captive life as practically possible. That involves providing the best conditions for their early development, of course, but when something goes wrong in that process then culling early and without regret makes a lot of sense.


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## Chris S (Apr 12, 2016)

Socratic Monologue said:


> I can't speak to the bloating (or whatever is behind it) specifically.
> 
> The more I breed animals of all sorts, though, the more I see the value in making sure I only bring into existence animals that are ideally prepared for as full, healthy, and "normal" (big scare quotes) of a captive life as practically possible. That involves providing the best conditions for their early development, of course, but when something goes wrong in that process then culling early and without regret makes a lot of sense.


I can attest that is it much easier to cull at the tadpole stage than froglet stage.


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

Chris S said:


> I can attest that is it much easier to cull at the tadpole stage than froglet stage.


Yes, and either are easier than a year down the road after putting in labor and concern on an animal only to have to give up after all that.


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## fishingguy12345 (Apr 7, 2019)

What is the recommended approach to culling a tadpole?

I have one that I don't think is going to morph out properly (has a bent tail and is about 6 weeks behind in development compared to the rest of its clutch) and want to know the recommended approach to culling.


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## Chris S (Apr 12, 2016)

fishingguy12345 said:


> What is the recommended approach to culling a tadpole?
> 
> I have one that I don't think is going to morph out properly (has a bent tail and is about 6 weeks behind in development compared to the rest of its clutch) and want to know the recommended approach to culling.


Well, my method is probably not the commonly accepted method, but I use it to avoid any undue pain or suffering.

I remove it from the water, place it in a triple folded up paper towel and crush it completely with a rubber mallet against a hard surface (countertop). It causes instant massive trauma, which kills the tadpole instantly. No pain or suffering, and no mess outside of the paper towel. I then discard the paper towel. This entire process can take place within 10 seconds, causing little to no stress on the animal. I have used this for froglets as well, but that is much rarer. 

I find some of the more....finicky/accepted ways leave more room for error and cannot always be implemented as quickly and efficiently which often causes unneeded stress for the animal. I use this method with the assumption, right or wrong, that these animals can feel pain and feel stress in similar ways to many other animals, so the purpose is to eliminate these factors and do what is best for them - and I often do so reluctantly.


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## Kmc (Jul 26, 2019)

The hardest for the keeper is so often the kindest for the animal.


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

That's my preferred method for something like a tadpole, too, @Chris S, though for froglets I prefer Oragel (just my preference). Either are acceptable under current AVMA guidelines.


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## macg (Apr 19, 2018)

Great responses from everyone as usual. I've seen bloating in tadpoles before and it has always resolved itself or the tadpole didn't survive very long. 

This has been truly bizarre and unfortunate.


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## bssknox (Apr 24, 2017)

Couple random questions for my own curiosity: Did the bloat start after the front legs popped or before? What were you feeding?


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## macg (Apr 19, 2018)

bssknox said:


> Couple random questions for my own curiosity: Did the bloat start after the front legs popped or before? What were you feeding?


Before back and front. I feed hikari koi staple as the primary diet. It happened right after I moved it to a container fron the coconut it was deposited in by the parents. I used the water and java moss from the coconut, so osmolarity should have been the same. There were three other tadpoles also in the coconut, and they have all been fine post transfer.


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## bssknox (Apr 24, 2017)

Thank you. Of all the tadpoles I've raised, the only time I ran into bloat was after feeding Soilent Green. Could've been coincidence, but that's the only variable that I could find.


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