Different illnesses can exhibit themselves in many different ways, so it's very important to know how your frog acts normally. You need to be aware of their colour and sleeping pattern, how much they normally eat and when. Prevention is the most effective cure. Make sure that your frog is well looked after, don't mix species and always quarantine new frogs.

Common signs of illness are: not eating, weakness, clumsiness, sitting in water bowl during the day, not coming out at night.

If your frog is ill, the best thing you can do is take it to a vet. If you really can't afford to do that then work your way through old messages in the Kingsnake forum and search the internet for veterinary or zoology sites that might help. The first thing you need to do is diagnose what illness your frog might have. There are a myriad of illnesses that captive frogs can come down with, far too many to list here, but here are some of the most common:

Crash Syndrome
Also known as RedLeg, this is a general term for any lethal bacteria caused by poor conditions. This can be high humidity, stagnant air, ammonia overload or a combination of factors. The symptoms range from a bright red (infected) inner thigh and stomach to lethargy and convulsion. Remember that there is some natural pink colour to the thighs of the White's tree frog, and frogs have a tendency to "slow down" in the autumn. It is possible to treat Frog Crash Syndrome but, more often than not, it is fatal.

Metabolic Bone Disease
This condition is caused by a lack of calcium in the diet, usually during the developmental stages. It commonly results in a crooked and hunched spine, small legs and general disproportion. There is no cure, eventually the frogs die. With this disease, as with 'Frog Crash Syndrome' or any other, prevention is the best cure. Too much or too little calcium is a killer.

Parasites
There are many different kinds of parasite, all with different treatments and all requiring a veterinarian prescription. The most common symptoms of a parasite infestation are a lack of appetite and lethargic behaviour.

Frogs can suffer from a lot of other illnesses like 'Skin Lesion Syndrome' and 'Grey Spots' but almost all will require veterinary assistance immediately.

You can find out more about diagnosing and preventing illness here:

• http://www.losingmylycosa.com/dumpy/disease
• The Frog Doctor