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  Possible picorna-like virus of amphibians

Scratching disease of frogs

Extract from above...
"Symptoms

Your Frogs will begin scratching themselves, especially on the flanks and dorsum. This behavior will be more intensified right after you have misted the vivarium. As time goes on, the affected frog(s) will become more lethargic, eventually stopping all activity and then refusing food. If nothing is done, the frog will end up dying, and he usually seeks out a pool or waterdish to expire in. If an aquatic frog that lives with snails, remove them now, place in their own tank from now on. That means forever.

What to do Now

You'll need one Inpharzam tablet or capsule. Grind well into a powder with a clean mortar and pestle. Add 2 ounces of distilled water to the crushed tablet. Swirl and try to dissolve all into water before transferring to a clean eyedropper. (Label it as "Inpharzam", so you can use rest later for other treatments if needed.)

Quarantine the frog. Add one drop every other day for 6 days (a total of 3 treatments). to his dorsum via eyedropper. If he's an aquatic frog, place him in a 1 quart bath in which you've added 3 drops of the medication. Dump the old bath when ready to give new treatment. After the bath, rinse the aquatic in proper temp. clean treated water before return to hospital tank.

The saddest part of this disease, is the fact that even though this may "cure" the frog(s) he may still be a "carrier" of it. Therefore, He (they) should now be kept in a new vivarium/tank all to themselves."



Saving and Managing Dendrobatid Frogs in Original Rainforests
Extract on Scratching Disease...
"There were some projects to breed poison dart frogs in Costa Rica and Ecuador, but most of them have nothing to do with a scientifically planned management and are at the best cover ups for the direct extraction of wild caught reproductors! One of the first real breeding farms attempted by Mr. Siegfried, (Costa Rica) in the 80's failed by introduction of the Scratching Disease virus into his installations. This mortal and highly contaminating virus is present in natural populations of Dendrobates granuliferus and a similar one (or the same) in Dendrobates tinctorius from French Guyana. Recently, Dr. Jack K. Frenkel, Sta. Fe, USA, could provide the first electron microscope photos, showing this new Pico-RNA virus, destroying muscle tissue of a D. auratus sample."
   
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