Why Isn't My Horned Frog Eating?

This issue is a common concern among horned frog owners. Often, people find that their frogs refuse to eat, leading to unsuccessful feeding attempts and, in some cases, starvation.

Even if a horned frog doesn’t starve, long-term lack of food can lead to malnutrition, weakening its immune system and threatening its health and survival.

Let's explore the reasons behind a horned frog's refusal to eat and provide practical solutions to ensure your frog stays healthy and happy.

🐸 Natural Feeding Habits

In their natural environment, horned frogs primarily hunt live prey such as insects and small reptiles.
This predatory behavior makes them less interested in artificial feed.

A common scenario is that customers see staff at pet stores feeding horned frogs live food, like fish or insects, but are told that the frogs are easy to care for and only need prepared food.
As a result, many customers struggle with feeding failures when they try to use prepared food at home. (We encounter this issue about three or four times a day.)

Understanding the natural feeding habits of horned frogs can help in finding more suitable feeding methods. Training horned frogs to eat prepared food requires patience.
Before they learn to eat prepared food, it’s recommended to provide them with food they readily accept, such as live fish or crickets.

If you’re hesitant to feed live prey, consider using our frozen food options. Horned frogs not eating for a week is too long for them, and they need to be fed more frequently!

🐸 Environmental Stress

Horned frogs are very sensitive to changes in their environment.
A newly acquired horned frog may refuse to eat due to not being acclimated to its new surroundings.

Providing a quiet, suitable living environment with proper temperature and humidity is crucial to encourage feeding.
After setting up the habitat for a newly arrived horned frog, it's best to let the frog settle in for 24 hours with minimal disturbance before attempting to feed it.

🐸 Suitable Temperature and Humidity

South American horned frogs thrive in temperatures between 25°C to 30°C (77°F to 86°F) and require a humidity level above 50%.

When starting to keep a horned frog, it's recommended to line the bottom of the enclosure with moist paper towels to maintain the humidity.
Provide the appropriate temperature and humidity consistently for three days. Once the frog adjusts to the environment, it will be more inclined to eat.

🐸 Type and Quality of Feed

Horned frogs may refuse prepared food because they are unfamiliar with it, which is a common reason for their reluctance to eat.

You can grind the feed into powder and coat it on the back of prey items that the frog is willing to eat.
This way, as the frog consumes the prey, it will gradually become accustomed to the taste of the feed. Over time, you can slowly increase the amount of feed.

This process typically takes about 2 to 3 months. If you find this method cumbersome, you can also consider purchasing our pre-conditioned horned frogs that are already accustomed to eating prepared food.

🐸 Health Issues

Health problems can also cause a horned frog to lose its appetite.

If your horned frog consistently refuses to eat, it's advisable to consult a professional veterinarian.
Conditions such as parasitic infections or oral diseases may be the underlying reasons for the frog’s lack of interest in food.

🐸 Feeding Training Techniques

Training a horned frog to eat prepared food requires patience and skill.

You can try mimicking the movements of live prey by gently shaking the food with tweezers to attract the frog's attention.

Additionally, gradually reduce the supply of live prey and increase the proportion of prepared food, allowing the frog to slowly adapt to the new diet.

Understanding why your horned frog is not eating and taking appropriate measures is key to resolving this issue.

By using these methods and techniques, you can better care for your horned frog and ensure they enjoy a healthy life.

We hope the suggestions provided help improve your frog's feeding situation and contribute to its healthy and happy growth.

If you have any questions or want to share your experiences, feel free to connect with us on Line!

Remember, patience and observation are crucial for successful feeding training. Wishing you and your horned frog a pleasant time together!

Watch Peter's video to learn more about caring for horned frogs!