ADF's too fat?

[Frogs4ever]

Hi, I was wondering if an African Dwarf Frog can get too fat? They're not sick or bloated as they both have healthy appetites. I think they're both female, judging by the fact they have "tail bumps".( But I could have sworn I heard one sing one night.) They're both look fully grown as well. I feed them sinking shrimp pellets. If I try to skip a day they just swim to the surface and eat my tetras flake food. Tried surfing for ADF pics online and they all looked so skinny in comparison. Am I doing something wrong?

 

[Herptiles]

Can you post photos?

 

[Frogs4ever]

I wasn't able to get a pic of my own (camera's not good enough) but this was the closest I could find. My frogs have higher ridges on their backs though. I will still try to get a pic of them though for better accuracy.

 

[Coastal Groovin]

Males have a white or pinkish post axillary subdermal glands in the armpit area.

 

[Herptiles]

In general with anurans, you should just barely be able to see the pelvic bones through the skin on the animal's back. If they stick out too much, the animal is underweight. If you can't see it at all and need to palpate to find it, your frog is overweight. I find that this guidelines applies to most anurans.

 

[Frogs4ever]

Sorry the pics are so crappy, I had to get a Really close pic with my phone. (I have to say they weren't too thrilled at first.) The bigger one is real fat on the sides and around her stomach, but her back isn't. It makes her back look ridged on each side. The other ADF isn't as fat or ridged, but still a lot bigger than the pics I've seen online. I've been trying to see if there are glands behind the smaller ones arms, but I don't see any (maybe I missed them?). This didn't happen too quickly, so I'm pretty sure it's not bloat or they'd be completely round, not just around the tummy. If the bigger one Is (big if) carrying eggs, how long before they deposit them? If it's just fat, any diet options? I don't want it to die from being morbidly obese.

 

[Herptiles]

It's a bit tough to tell from the photos, but your frog on the left may have some gastrointestinal distention.

"Bloat" is unfortunately not a very clear term when used on a lot of websites. Sometimes it refers to a accumulation of fluids in the body cavity, which gives the amphibian that "round all over" appearance that your frog doesn't seem to have. However, you can have a bloated gastrointestinal tract from poor motility or an impaction, causing a "bloated belly" look.

I would separate your frogs to make sure the bigger, bloaty-looking one is passing bowel movements, and you can monitor his appetite, too. You might need to seek a vet's consult if there's no improvement or it worsens, or there are no bowel movements.

 

[Frogs4ever]

Neither of their backs are bloated, thankfully. The bigger one is just fat around the middle and sides, the other one less so. I will separate it to monitor, thanks. Bowel movements aren't a problem, I don't think, seeing as she "pooed" in my had right before I took this pic, lol. Also appetite is definitely there as it was scrounging around for any flake food left over on the bottom before I disturbed her and came out to eat last night as usual. I'm just so confused as to what's going on.

 

[Frogs4ever]

Thank you all for your help, I really appreciate it. Does anyone have any tips for putting my frog on a diet? Are the Nutrafin Max sinking shrimp and krill pellets making it fat and is there something I can feed them to stabilize their weight? This is what the person at the pet shop told me to feed them since they didn't have any frogbites(?) at the time. They weren't fat before when they just scrounged the leftover TetraMin flakes off the bottom, but I read fish food isn't too good for them, hence the pellets.Thanks again.
PS: Could they be munching on the alternanthera reineckii "needle leaf hygro" I put into the tank a couple months ago? They sure seem to like it.