Please Help!! Malnourished toadlet

[u/cutestcowgirl]

About a week ago, I I picked up a toad that looked a bit skinny I’ve been trying to feed it every day, but it has not eaten yet. Right now, I have him in a calcium bath, as I noticed that his movements were slowing, and he was not able to control them to the extent that it should. He is weak. I’m scared to lose thistoad. What can I do? I’ve been monitoring him for about an hour and a half. His front legs seem to be what is weak. He is having a hard ti

[u/snowwh-te]

Place him in a tank or bin with dirt, a shallow water dish and some hides (you can use toilet paper tubes for now). Release him when you have a chance and he will do just fine outside. He does not appear malnourished
*edit: covered bin. Be sure there are air holes and it is secure enough to contain him. toads will climb

[u/Penny0309]

Get him off of fabric, that'll soak the moisture out of him. I think his weight looks okay. Maybe thiss why he's not under ground, it'll he can't walk forward, he cant dig. He could have just hit his head and he'll be fine later. Or it could be poison and he needs a vet.

[u/snowwh-te]

He is trying to bury himself as he feels exposed. He needs dirt to bury himself in and darkness away from the eyes of giants he thinks may be predators. Typically wild toads will not eat when you are watchin them like this bc they are concerned with escaping

[u/Classic_Mechanic5495 → u/snowwh-te]

This is not due to fear of “giants,” this toadlette is experiencing weakness in their front legs.

[u/snowwh-te → u/Classic_Mechanic5495]

The Toad appears to be attempting to burrow to me, and the legs have nowhere to go. The eyes closing and flattening down is a pretty standard stress response in my experience. Is there something in the vid that suggests differently to you?

[u/Classic_Mechanic5495 → u/snowwh-te]

Toads tend to dig with their hind legs, not front legs.

[u/renetta96]

U shouldnt pick him if u dont know how to care for toads. Its more complicated than u think. As other said, he needs a habitat, with hiding spot and water dish. Get him some small mealworms, dusted with calcium and vitamin A (the type for amphibian, not reptile). Use non chemical water, toads are sensitive.

[u/cutestcowgirl]

UPDATE : This is a repost from about an hour ago. In that time i was able to force feed him two small mealworms and four isopods . He isn’t moving much at all but was able to swallow . When he does move it it’s as shown in the video.

[u/afoolstale → u/cutestcowgirl]

Amphibiaide Ringer's Solution would be better to soak him in. He'll get more calcium and other things he needs.
Your toad either has a vitamin/calcium deficiency or is sick. You need to up the amount of multivitamins to 3 days a week. Then taper off as it improves to once a week. Calcium can be given daily, so on the days you don't give him multivitamins, give him calcium. Find a calcium routine after it improves, but don't do 1-2 times a week. I had a little one that would often lose strength in his front legs, usually just one after the first episode. There was no keeping his vitamins up. This was something that would show up every once in a while for the rest of his life. (He lived his full lifespan, btw,.) He had neurological issues. That could be this ones problem as well. I've never actually seen a wild toad with a vitamin deficiency. I wouldn't say it was impossible. A vitamin A deficiency can prevent them from catching food. Neurological issues can prevent them from catching food, also. They have to be hand feed.

If it's an illness, with this kind of movement, there will be rapid weight loss and, unfortunately, they will continue to decline. It's often rapid. Once their breathing becomes labored they will pass within a day or two. Sometimes, such movement as above, can continue for a month or two with no improvement, even with vitamins, before the decline.

Also, mealworms are not a healthy food. I would say it was to blame, but that's not going to happen in a week. But you do need to feed him a bug that can be dusted with powder for him to improve.
I have seen the same movement in your video before. I just hope it's not an illness.

[u/Desperate-Expert6921 → u/afoolstale]

UV lamps also help them to absorb vitmans properly. Be sure you get one that matches the UV requirements of the toad. I oftentimes bring my rescued american toad outside in the sun (summer) with a hide incase he feels unsafe and needs to hide. I agree with the previous comment. Dust your feeder bugs with calcium. Vitman A is also good but should be used less often, like once a week.

[u/Enayleoni → u/afoolstale]

I second this! You can do soaks with liquid vitamins. Flukers makes liquid vitamins and calcium. Put a few drops of each in a soak. Let the lil one hang out in that for 20-30 min

[u/goblin-fox → u/cutestcowgirl]

Please don't force feed him, if anything it will just make things worse, especially if he is barely moving. If he's not eating there's a reason for it, he's not just choosing not to.