Skin Injuries in Dart Frogs
One of the most common injuries seen in captive poison dart frogs are skin rubs or abrasions. This is particularly true in larger bodied dart frogs such as Phyllobates terribilis. Rest assured most of these injuries are self limiting and can usually heal fairly quickly with minimal treatment needed! Amphibians have amazing regenerative abilities and can recover rapidly.
In this article we will outline common causes of abrasions in dart frogs, review potential complications that can occur, and how to treat your dart frog. It is important to note that you should always seek veterinary attention if you notice any injuries or illnesses in your dart frogs, especially if it’s affecting their ability to eat or their behavior. Find a reputable veterinarian who specializes in reptiles and amphibians at the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV) https://members.arav.org/search/custom.asp?id=3661.
How to Identify Skin Damage or Injuries in Poison Dart Frogs
Dart frog skin injuries or abrasions can appear as white splotches, black lines/scratches, or like your frog has a “chunk” missing. These abrasions or ulcers can occur from your frog simply rubbing against wood, leaves, and even some prickly plants like bromeliads. Injuries like this are common especially when frogs are being transported in shipping and are commonly present as nose rub in some frogs like Phyllobates terribilis.
These wounds can range in severity from a mild ulcer to severe erosion to the bone. For milder cases usually no intervention is needed and the frogs can heal on their own. Regardless of severity, it is important to monitor your frog to see how the injury is affecting its behavior.
The First Step in Treating Your Dart Frog Injury: Monitoring and Isolation
The first step in treating your dart frog for any injury or illness is to simply start monitoring them. Note if they are still eating and active. Take a look at the wound: is it growing, shrinking? Does it look infected (red, inflamed, oozing)? In some situations your veterinarian may be able to identify the type of injury your frog may have from a photo or video. Thankfully dart frogs are resilient and used to sustaining some injuries in the wild, so most mild rubs, scratches, or abrasions can heal without intervention.
If your frog is in a group or is shy and difficult to observe it may be beneficial to move them into a small hospital vivarium. This can be as simple as a bin with a basic substrate of paper towels, or filter foam with leaf litter. I would also add plant cuttings for cover as well. It is important not to keep this vivarium too wet, to prevent worsening infections. Stagnant water and high humidity can promote bacterial growth, however, this can be mitigated by providing a thick layer of leaf litter and misting less frequently.
Examples of rubs, scrapes and abrasions in a Phyllobates terribilis poison dart frog
Here is a mild case of some abrasions on a P. terribilis I recently acquired. In this situation I would not intervene and simply just keep an eye on the frog as the abrasion and scratches will most likely go away as the frog sheds its skin.
Here is another case of a dart frog injury. This Phyllobates terribilis presented with some scratches due to recent transportation. Again this requires no intervention and will likely go away as the frog sheds its skin. Terribilis are notorious for skin damage such as nose rub.
Treatment Overview of Rubs, Scrapes, and Abrasions in Dart Frogs
There are some potential “over-the-counter” medications you could use such as Neosporin; however, the most effective medications would be a topical antibiotic such as Baytril otic, a combination of enrofloxacin (a fluoroquinolone antibiotic) and silver sulfadiazine, or just silver sulfadiazine. If you are going to use Neosporin, make sure it only contains neomycin, polymixin B, and bacitracin without any pain reliever such as benzocaine which could be fatal for your frogs. Colloidal silver has been suggested by some hobbyists and may have some antimicrobial activity and may help; however, a prescribed topical antibiotic will have a wider range of protection and more effective antibacterial effects. I understand that finding a veterinarian who is knowledgeable and willing to treat a dart frog is often the hardest part of treating your frog, so it could be beneficial to have some neosporin or colloidal silver on hand.
As I mentioned previously, Baytril otic and silver sulfadiazine can only be obtained through a veterinarian. I only have direct experience with silver sulfadiazine ointment, which is a topical heavy metal antibiotic that can kill potential bacterial infections while also promoting wound healing. This ointment can be applied with a clean cotton swab directly onto the frog’s wound. Once you establish a relationship with a veterinarian they may be able to treat your dart frogs via telehealth meaning you won’t have to stress out your frog by bringing them into the office. Silver sulfadiazine also has a pretty long shelf life and usually comes in 28 gram containers which can last 100s of uses for our small dart frogs, so once you have this on hand you can feel more prepared if you encounter another abrasion in the future.
Overview of potential treatment options for abrasions in amphibians
| Treatment | Over-the-counter (OTC) or Prescription (Rx) | Mechanism of action | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Neosporin (neomycin, polymixin B, bacitracin) | OTC | Broad spectrum triple antibiotic | Easily accessible | May not be the most efficacious agent, can only use for short duration |
Colloidal Silver | OTC | Heavy metal | Available without veterinarian visit | Questionable efficacy |
| Silver sulfadiazine (SSD) ointment | Rx | Heavy metal sulfonamide antibiotic | Widely used for abrasions in amphibians | Requires prescription, more expensive |
| Baytril otic (enrofloxacin/silver sulfadiazine) | Rx | Fluoroquinolone antibiotic and heavy metal sulfonamide antibiotic | Broad coverage, high efficacy | Requires prescription, more expensive |
Personal Experience With Dart Frog Injuries
As mentioned previously, some of the heavier frogs seem to be more prone to abrasions. My P terribilis all have “battle scars” from some scratches they’ve received over the years, however they have never had any serious cases of nose rub. For milder cases in my P. terribilis I don’t even treat since they usually heal without intervention. I have also seen abrasions in one of my Oophaga pumilio ‘Bastimentos Cemetery’ that I did decide to treat, although it was a fairly mild abrasion.
Healed scratches seen in my P. terribilis from rubbing against their hardscape.
As mentioned previously, one day I noticed my O. pumilio ‘Bastimentos Cemetery’ had an abrasion on its back. Although I was pretty sure it could heal on its won I decided to isolate the frog into a small temporary hospital vivarium and reached out to several veterinarians with images of my frog to confirm the plan of action. I noticed the frog was still very active and eating normally so I was not too concerned about a potential infection and wanted a treatment that would help it heal quicker while also preventing any potential infections which could occur. Thankfully the veterinarian practice I used for my other pets had experience with exotics and was willing to treat my poison dart frog. They recognized the frog just needed a topical antibiotic and prescribed silver sulfadiazine. I was able to administer the silver sulfadiazine with a clean cotton swab onto the frog’s back once daily. Thankfully, this O. pumilio was not skittish and could easily be treated. Check out the pictures below to see its progress.
Not all cases of abrasions may go this smoothly, if you notice your frog is not eating, lethargic, or the wound looks like it is getting worse it is important to reach out to your veterinarian. Although we can try to treat our animals at home a veterinarian will be able to perform more advanced tests (cytology, cultures, etc.) to determine what exactly is wrong with your frog and the best way to proceed with treatment.
Treating a mild abrasion in Oophaga pumilio
Pic 1. Initial abrasion, frog was isolated and moved to a hospital vivarium.
Pic 2. Frog is healing after treatment
Pic 3. Frog is almost fully healed after course of silver sulfadiazine, treatment was concluded and the dart frog was moved back to its original vivarium
Summary
An abrasion or ulcer may seem scary, but they are common in the dart frog hobby and easily treatable if identified early. The best thing you can do for your frog is to isolate it and/or monitor it for any abnormal behaviors. Abrasions, scrapes, and scratches are natural injuries which definitely occur in the wild and often heal without intervention. It is just important to have a plan in place when these injuries may turn into something more severe. Many froggers have a first aid kit at home with colloidal silver, calcium gluconate, an antiparasitic, and more. I recommend doing some research on veterinarians in your area to find one who is registered with ARAV. An exotic veterinarian may understand what would be needed to treat your frog if they did require a prescription medication.
References:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1557506308001948
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK556054
