Frogs' Vitamins and Nutrients

All frogs need a generous supply of vitamins and minerals on each serving of food. Crickets, mealworms and any other insects just don't have enough vitamins in them. There are several ways to supplement your frog's meal with plenty of vitamins.

One of the most important vitamins you could ever give a frog is Calcium. Calcium prevents many diseases, one of the most common is Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD). MBD is a very commonly fatal ilness found in frogs that lack proper nutrition that causes frogs' bones to become very weak. Weak bones can lead to broken bones, and broken bones can lead to crippling, even death.

However, it's important to understand that a lack of calcium is not the only reason for MBD in frogs. MBD can also be caused by a disorder of calcium metabolism. Some frogs cannot properly digest calcium, resulting in a disorder of the calcium. Still, all frogs are unable to digest calcium without a proper dosing of vitamin D3.

Frogs don't absorb vitamin D3 that well, either. MBD can also be caused by a lack of vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 and calcium are needed together in order to be properly digested in your frog.

I know this article is supposed to be about vitamins and nutrients, but while we're on the subject of MBD, here's a list of symptoms in young frogs:

• Swollen, flimsy or extremely small legs.
• Lethargy, lack of movement, difficulty hunting, jumping, etc.
• Constipation
• Bumps or ridges along the vertebral column or arched spine
• Weakness
• Recession of the lower jaw

In MBD's early stages, it can be very hard to recognize. But as the disease develops, the frog may struggle to eat and drink. MBD affects the skull, which results in recession of the lower jaw, inability of the mouth, or the tongue hanging out and appearing longer. Once the disease is much more fully developed than the list of symptoms above, here is another list of symptoms:

• Twitching of the legs, fingers and toes while active or even while at rest.
• Skinniness
• Paralysis
• Twitching or shakiness at being held
• Extreme malnutrition
• Bone fractures

Metabolic Bone Disease is easy to prevent. Always, always, always use a vitamin supplement on any of your frog's meals. Make sure it includes calcium and vitamin D3. These are two of the most vital vitamins a frog can have. I can't put enough emphasis on this! Other vitamins that your frog should have a small portion of include:

• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin B6
• Folic Acid
• Beta Carotene (vitamin A)
• Niacin
• Biotin
• Ascorbic Acid
• d-Pantothenic Acid
• Thiamine
• Riboflavin

This probably seems like an overwhelming list. Yet it's really simple. There are several ways to achieve all these vitamins and nutrients in one simple meal. I have found that by using the product: Zilla (brand) Food Spray Vitamin Supplement with Beta Carotene my frog is easily able to get a full dose of vitamins every day! You can find it at http://www.petco.com/ or probably at any store that sells crickets and amphibians.
This spray is easier than most powder supplements, because with a powder supplement you have to shake it onto the insects and then hope it doesn't shake back off again. With the vitamin spray, it only has to dry 15 seconds and is ready to give to your frog.
Preventing MBD:Use a vitamin supplement on every one of your frog's meals. Many resources suggest using supplements on every 3-4 meals, but that's not giving your frog enough nutrition.

Housing Crickets

Crickets are an extremely important food in your frog's diet. Many frogs do not get the nutrition they absolutely need from mealworms, since mealworms are almost all exoskeleton, and most frogs aren't interested in waxworms (I know mine sure wasn't!).

Crickets are inexpensive, easy to get, available, and your frog will love them. Frogs are meant to hunt for their food, and they are unable to do that with mealworms and waxworms if they're in a little dish.

In order to keep crickets, you will have to either make or purchase a Kriket Keeper (brand).This little box is a convenient way to house crickets without them going all over the house.

Keep food and moisture in your crickets' home to keep them alive and for extra nutrients for your frog. What the crickets eat, your frog will be eating (in a sense). Feed the crickets things rich in calcium. Also purchase cricket water gel or food from the pet store for an extra supplement boost. However, if you don't want to purchase anything else for the crickets besides a cricket keeper, there is a solution involving things everyone has at home.

You will need to "gutload" your crickets at least 24 hours before feeding them to your frog. In order to gut load crickets, you will need to keep foods high in calcium in their keeper including:

• Spinach. A very calcium rich vegetable that gives calcium, water and food. Great for the frog, too.
• Carrots. These also are very high in calcium.
• Potato chunks
• Oats
• Fresh fruits and other vegetables
• Dog food. I have never tried this, but I have heard that crickets will eat it. Dog food is full of rice, grains and meat that are good for your crickets.
• Apple slices
• Dark, green leafy vegetables
• Bran
• A damp sponge for moisture
• Fish flakes

Remember, what goes into the crickets goes into your frog. If your crickets are gut loaded with calcium and other rich minerals and vitamins, it can prevent many diseases in your frog including MBD (metabollic bone disease). Also, sprinkle the cricket's food with a reptile vitamin calcium supplement.

It is possible to overfeed your crickets. Do not feed your frog dead crickets. Try to keep as much vegetable and fruit in your crickets as possible without killing them off.

Another thing I have noticed as I have lived with crickets is that they seem to be really hungry when you bring them home from the petstore. It seems like they don't get the feast at the petstore that you can give them at home. Before putting your new crickets into the Kricket Keeper, make sure the keeper is clean and has plenty (if not small portions of all) of the food listed above in the keeper. The crickets will all scatter to the different foods, and when it comes time to feed them to your frog, they will have a variety of different nutrients in them.

You might hear that hear that crickets stink, but I have never experienced this, and have been keeping crickets as long as I've been keeping pets. The smaller the cricket, the less the odor, and the quieter the chirps! Also, crickets might escape their keeper once in a while. But once they're out, they're difficult to find (much less put back into the cage!). You have to be willing to live with this if you're going to house crickets.

How many crickets to feed my frog?
This answer changes with every frog. It really depends on how large your frog is, and how big his appetite. For new frogs, try 3 crickets on the first day. If there are no crickets in the habitat the next day, stick with 3 crickets unless your frog seems to be underweight. If there are still crickets jumping around like they own the habitat, wait until they disappear, then try 2 crickets the next feeding.

For small, immature frogs, feed them every day. For adult frogs that are larger and more mature, you should be feeding them 3-5 times a week. This also all depends on how large your frog is and how overweight/underweight he is looking. Frogs (with the White's Tree Frog as an exception) usually will stop eating when they're full and go hunting again when they're hungry. White's Tree Frogs will usually eat until they pop and it's very important not to overfeed them.

Feeding your Frog

What do frogs eat?
Some of the more common things frogs eat include: crickets, waxworms, mealworms and bloodworms. Frogs will not eat an insect larger than they are. If you cannot find any bug in the store small enough for your pet to eat, here are some suggestions:

1. Look in your backyard for aphids and other small insects. Do a small amount of research to make sure the insect you found isn't poisonous to your frog.
2. Either trap or purchase fruit flies to feed your frog.

Whatever you choose to feed your frog should be coated in calcium. Calcium adds even more nutrition to your frog's diet. You should be able to find calcium at a petstore that sells amphibians or reptiles.

How much should my frog eat?How much your frog eats really depends on how hungry he is. When you bring your frog home, he will not want to eat for 1-2 days. Start with one worm, and if the frog eats the worm without a struggle, feed him two worms the next day and so on. However, do not allow your frog to eat any longer than 5 minutes. DO NOT overfeed your frog.

Why won't my frog eat?Usually frogs only eat food if it is alive and moving, but some species eat dead insects. If you are positive your frog will not eat his food, he is probably indicating a side-effect of an illness (check my Frog Health and Diseases article for more information about frog illnesses). Leave the food in your frog's habitat and check on your frog later. If the food is still in the terrarium, check to make sure the tank is clean. Frogs usually won't eat in a dirty environment.