RAUK - Archived Forum - We chopped off a toads legs....

Hey itÆs well cool to know that there are disabled frogs and toads out there, I might think twice about jumping on hurt ones in future. I was debating whether or not I should steal some squashed ones and take them home to our greenhouse to see if they live or die just cos IÆm curious.  ààBut I wouldnÆt do it if the frogs and toads werenÆt up for it. ItÆs hard to tell what theyÆre thinking and what theyÆd like though ain't it? I donÆt recognise frogs and toads in my area, IÆm not sure if IÆve seen the same one twice, I guess I must have picked a few of the same ones up before though. I tend to think that I might not see them again once IÆve released them though cos so many get squashed and I canÆt be on all the roads at the same time to save them.

BTW Vicar, your avator is well scary. Are you actually a vicar in real life?

I performed more surgery on a toadlet yesterday. I work at a joinery in the country and thereÆs a large pond nearby and the toadlets and froglets come out in an army and all make their way for a long hop down the dusty track to where thereÆs houses and they end up all outside my work and every morning I have to spend 15 or 30 minutes collecting all the ones that have fallen down into our footwell and canÆt get back out again cos itÆs too big a step. Yesterday I spent 45 minutes tackling the blighters and I had over a hundred of them in a small box plus I got some which got inside the joinery cos those ones are gonna die cos they canÆt get out and they get covered in dust. I canÆt get all of them though cos they get into places I canÆt reach or see. But I move all the ones on the footwell and steps cos they're in danger of being trodden on (and some do get squidged from time to time ). Anyway, I found a disabled toadlet, I dunno what had happened to it, whether it was born with itÆs front toes joined together or if something had made them get tied together, but they were joined and it was struggling around using itÆs legs together as one leg. So I took it inside for a close inspection and with two pencils I tried pulling the legs apart but they wouldnÆt budge and I couldnÆt put much pressure on cos IÆd break all itÆs teeny weeny bones. But I didnÆt want to put it outside like that cos it werenÆt right so I got my scalpel and carefully sliced it in two where itÆs finger ends would be and there werenÆt no blood and it jumped about just fine like a proper toadlet would and it seemed totally fine and able after. IÆm good ainÆt I? I bet no one else would go to the bother of that and most employees wouldnÆt spend so much time trying to save froglets every day, I love frogs and toads I do.

[QUOTE=herpvet]Hi,

Sorry to chime in so late, but just a suggestion that you try to establish a good relationship with a local vet. The amputation described would preferably be done under anaesthesia with appropriate pain relief. Antibiotic cover initially may also have helped its chances. [/QUOTE]
Do vets actually muck around with frogs and toads?! The thought of going to a vet never crossed my mind. Do toads need anaesthetic and pain relief? Veering slightly off-topic; nowadays when I see a half squashed snail I usually donÆt bother euthanasing it and let it live (mainly due to not wanting passing school kids to pick on me again for being weird ), but do you reckon when snails have taken a hit theyÆre in loads of pain after? Some look so cute when theyÆre still alive and are struggling around with broken shells and have their tentacles out and look alert, I often havenÆt the heart to stamp on them when they look like they want to live. & yesterday there was an unwell caterpillar in my rabbitÆs grass bowl and I was gonna end itÆs life but instead thought better of it, I wonder if itÆd have wanted to be given a quick death?

[QUOTE=herpvet]I personally would also suggest that in the case described, the toad should be kept in captivity for a few days until you are happy that there is no infection in the wounds, although whether that's the best option is perhaps arguable.

Bruce.
[/QUOTE]

Next time I find a badly injured frog or toad IÆll try and put it somewhere so I can observe it.

BTW informed people?! IÆve been wondering about the health of the frogs that have been hiding under my hut. Meanie Mummy creosoted the hut floor on Sunday and it stinks. Apparently creosote is now illegal to sell because of the poisonous toxins that can be breathed in whilst itÆs being applied. IÆm worried that IÆve gassed to death any frogs that were under the hut cos itÆs gotta stink bad down there. & I couldnÆt have gotten them out cos thereÆs only a small gap, IÆd probably have poked them to death trying. Do you reckon frogs died in the process of my hut being creosoted?

Found a toad with a badly injured hand this morning so for once I took your advice and took it to the vets. Left it on the doorstep in a cereal box with leaves in for them when the vets opened.  Made myself 15 minutes late for work in the process. Just phoned and they put it down. Poor toad.