# Megophrys deaths



## Guest (Mar 15, 2006)

I am having some difficulty with my newly aquired Megophrys. So far 3 of the 6 have died suddenly with no real indication that anything was wrong. Rattler posted on this earlier in the 'Other Frogs' subforum and there was not much reply so I figured I'd drop a post here, especially considering 2 more frogs have died since Rattler posted.

The first frog to die showed the most symptom wise, its case is as follows:

5 days after recieving the frogs I noticed this particular frog out in the open after lights on. The frog was sitting strangely, resting its weight on the heel of its front feet, toes pointed up off the ground. The back legs were limp with the feet pointed back in line with the lower leg. The frog remained limp when I picked it up but was still alive and breathing. By the time I returned home he had died.

The second frog died with no warnging. It was behaving "normally" the night before when I changed out the paper towels in its cage and was dead when I got up (this was yesterday, 3/14/06).

The thrid frog also displayed no signs. When I got home yesterday I looked in on all the frogs and noticed that this frog was sitting some what oddly. Sort of arching is back inward/concave. I reached in and lightly brushed the frog to see if it would move and it began to spasm and twitch. It gave one large convulsion, its legs shot back and it died right there.

All three of the dead frogs had one thing else in common. The all displayed small lesions on their bodies. These lesions were mostly on the back though some could be found on the head and belly. There were only really notisable as a discolouration (grey) of the other wise healthy looking skin (tan-brown in colour). The center of these lesions almost looks to have a puncture. However, disection of one of the frogs did not show any "holes" in the body cavity/underlying tissue.

I have been unable to get a fecal from any of the frogs and without knowing the extent of their load I have not begun panacure. I have started the remaining 3 frogs on an antibiotic.

Does anyone have any ideas what this could be? 

Has anyone encountered "lesions" like I have describe?

Any help is greatly appreciated

Thanks


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## Scott (Feb 17, 2004)

I'd really like to hear Ed chime in here - but it certainly sounds like symptoms of Chytrid to me.

s


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## Guest (Mar 15, 2006)

I don't think it is chytrid. There is none of the skin sloughing you would expect with chytrid.

I also showed the bodies to an experienced frogger here. He has a lot of chytrid experience and he said point blank "Well, it is not chytrid." I am inclined to take his word for it.


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## Scott (Feb 17, 2004)

Good to hear.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Well skin sloughing is not always seen with chytrid but the body posturing does fit with some of the observations of chytrid so I wouldn't say one way or another... 
The body posturing can also indicate that there is something disrupting the frogs' ability to maintain its osmotic balance. However I would strongly suggest getting the lesions biopsied as the lesions can be caused by fungal, protozoal or bacterial or a combination of one or more of these (and I have seen similar lesions caused by different agents) and may not resolve with antibiotics or with a worming agent. You may need more than one theraputic agent to resolve the problem. 

Some thoughts

Ed


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## Guest (Mar 16, 2006)

Hey Ed,

Hmmm... Well I have the primers, maybe I'll see if I can get the fragment. Thanks for the info.


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