# Frog keeping mouth opened



## t_kosch (Aug 12, 2008)

Hello,
I have a 3 month old Phyllobates terribilis that constantly keeps it's mouth open. In addition to this, the frog tends to sit out in the open most of the time. The tissue in his mouth is neither discolored or swollen, and he is able to close his mouth if disturbed. As of this time he is still eating, but is skinnier than his clutch mates. This condition has persisted for at least two weeks. His enclosure is kept at 75 degrees F during the day and 68-70 degrees F at night. I have attached a photo of him to this thread. Does anyone have any idea as to what causes this or how it can be treated?

Thanks,
Tiffany


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

i have seen frogs do this when their tank gets too warm, what is your temp??


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

well i just read yoru temps, i did you check to see if he has anything stuck in his throat?


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## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

From the picture the tank looks a little dry... just a thought and may not be related.


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## kristy55303 (Apr 27, 2008)

i'm not sure i noticed a layer of say leaf litter..is that sphagnum....maybe something is stuck as a result of getting some inside its mouth? or too dry like kyle stated. there is another medical issue. maybe contact a vet to rule anything out. just my opinion. kristy


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

Maybe he's just a mouth breather. I see people like that all the time.

Sorry, couldn't resist. Sure hope the little guy is ok, I've never seen that before. maybe someone with more experience can chime in, but if it doesn't seem familiar to Kyle, you may have a one off frog issue. Good luck.


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## jubjub47 (Sep 9, 2008)

I agree with Kyle, it looks a bit dry. I don't know if that could be the cause or not though.


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## holidayhanson (Apr 25, 2007)

How long has this been going on for? My guess is it's the lil guys first attempt at shedding.

When i first noticed my frog shedding....it looked like he was gagging on his breakfast or panting. A quick search of DB told me that would be considered shedding behavior.

Hope he's okay.


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## greenchic78 (Sep 9, 2007)

two weeks is a long time for shedding behavior - usually more like a day or two.


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

forgive my ignorance on frog anatomy, but would something like a dislocated jaw be possible? I can't imagine dryness could cause this and the sphagnum looks wet to me but I would certainly defer to Kyle.

If the jaw were dislocated, I would think the mouth would look odd even when closed. I would guess that an obstruction is less likely if it can close it's mouth and is eating.

My only other thought would be a sore or similar that would require closer inspection to rule out.

Good luck, and post a reply with follow up if you think of it. Hope all turns out well.


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## steelheader (Oct 25, 2008)

I'll start off by saying I'm new and not an expert. I have seen something similar to this in another species of frog. The jaw became softer because of a calcium deficiency and it was hard for the frog to keep it's mouth shut. I have no idea if calcium deficiency damages darts in this way. Hope this helps.


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## t_kosch (Aug 12, 2008)

I don't think that his jaw is dislocated because he closes it when disturbed and will often keep it closed for several seconds. Also, the tank has just recently been set-up so the spaghnum is clean and is very moist, so it is not due to that. Lastly, he is in the enclosure with two of his clutchmates, and they are not showing any symptoms. As of write now, his symptoms are about the same, and he is still eating. I will post a thread if anything changes.


Tiffany


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