Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD)
Preventable, not curable
Treatment can halt progression
DESCRIPTION:
The bone becomes too weak to retain its normal, healthy shape. Muscles put tension on the bones and weak bones slowly bend out of shape. This leads to what the hobby calls "rubber wrists" or bowed femurs. The wrists and ankles can lose their joint definition and become rounded. Bowed femurs or rounded ankles can make the frog "trip" while feeding or moving about. Extreme cases can cause deformation of the spine, making it look too short. There may be a more increased risk for MBD (or similar SLS) in the first offspring of Oophaga genus, the tendency for this is unclear.
CAUSE:
Lack of vitamin D, calcium, or an inability to uptake either of those two. Dart frogs can uptake D3 from their diet, which removes the typical UVB light requirement that most herps have. Even if supplied with access to a low % UVB, supplementing is still required due to the restrictive captive diet which by its very nature is not possible to replicate all of their dietary requirements. Regarding supplements however, vitamins can degrade with exposure to oxygen in the air and should be stored properly and replaced frequently. See Supplements for more information.
TREATMENT:
Unfortunately, MBD cannot be reversed. Addressing the diet through proper supplements should be taken immediately to halt the worsening of the disease. The bones will then harden in time, but they will retain any misshapen form.
Replace all supplements with fresh supplements, ensuring that the brand used is proper for dart frogs. See <Supplements> for a list of good and bad All-in-One supplements. Store the supplements in the refrigerator and replace them 6 months after opening due to oxidation.
If the frog is in an extreme case, the caretaker should consider the life quality of the frog. While amphibians don't react to pain like we do, pain meds are not an option for them unfortunately.
CAUTIONS:
After addressing the MBD issues, you'll want to take notice of the frog moving forward. Some species are more territorial than others, and the MBD'd frog may struggle fitting in with a robust or territorial tankmate(s). Hunting prowess may be reduced, so ensure the frog is getting enough food to keep its weight stable.
Oophaga sylvaticus 'Bilsa'
Malformed front and back legs, and thus
the frog cannot sit properly. Weight is mostly settled on the belly/thighs, not the legs.
PC: Stephen Griffiths
Oophaga sylvaticus 'Bilsa'
Fairly bad case of MBD on a froglet.
Shortened femur and rubber wrists
PC: Stephen Griffiths
Dendrobates auratus 'MicroSpot'
Rubber wrists are present but harder to see in this photo. Rear legs clearly affected: note the concave shape of the femur.
PC: Mathieu Bigans
Dendrobates tinctorius 'Azureus'
Rubber wrists, misshapen rear legs,
and deformed spine/hip.
PC: anonymous