Baby Frog turned 14 days old today, as a frog, anyway. He was doing ok, I thought. But today, he looked so very still. So still, I was pretty sure he had left us. Nevertheless, I changed his moss and water and left him for awhile. When I came back, he had moved slightly, so I knew he was hanging on. Then, I decided to call the local vet that deals with amphibians and they encouraged me to bring him right over.
Well, when they saw him, they didn't know what to do. They hadn't realized that he was so tiny. He was so very tiny, there was nothing really they could do for him. It's not like they could give him an injection - the needle would kill him. So, they gave me some sterile fluid to bathe him with and they didn't charge me the normal $62 charge. (Thank goodness). We just came home and he looks worse. I don't think he will live through the day, but I will hope. My guess is that the hour car ride back and forth wasn't that great for him, either. Frogs are hard.
When they asked me for his name when I was filling out paperwork, I felt alternately guilty and relieved that I had not yet named him. But does a name really make him less a member of the family? It is just way too easy to get attached to these critters.
Back at the pond, it has continued to be eerily quiet. At 10:00 pm last night, I peered through the front window with a flashlight to see if there was anything going on. I was surprised to see two Rio Grande Leopard Frogs hanging out. One was sitting on the netting above the pond, above it all in his big hammock. Another was on a big rock. Both looked pretty calm and happy, sitting primly and neatly with their beautiful smooth colorful skin. They I saw a smallish toad lounging in the water, his limbs askew, with his head stuck above the water. Toads are such party animals compared to the frogs! All he needed was a mini beer bottle and a floatie and he would have looked like any other college kid on summer vacation.
Well, when they saw him, they didn't know what to do. They hadn't realized that he was so tiny. He was so very tiny, there was nothing really they could do for him. It's not like they could give him an injection - the needle would kill him. So, they gave me some sterile fluid to bathe him with and they didn't charge me the normal $62 charge. (Thank goodness). We just came home and he looks worse. I don't think he will live through the day, but I will hope. My guess is that the hour car ride back and forth wasn't that great for him, either. Frogs are hard.
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| Baby Frog just 3 days ago |
When they asked me for his name when I was filling out paperwork, I felt alternately guilty and relieved that I had not yet named him. But does a name really make him less a member of the family? It is just way too easy to get attached to these critters.
Back at the pond, it has continued to be eerily quiet. At 10:00 pm last night, I peered through the front window with a flashlight to see if there was anything going on. I was surprised to see two Rio Grande Leopard Frogs hanging out. One was sitting on the netting above the pond, above it all in his big hammock. Another was on a big rock. Both looked pretty calm and happy, sitting primly and neatly with their beautiful smooth colorful skin. They I saw a smallish toad lounging in the water, his limbs askew, with his head stuck above the water. Toads are such party animals compared to the frogs! All he needed was a mini beer bottle and a floatie and he would have looked like any other college kid on summer vacation.
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