TOADS -- Can Be Deadly!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

After reading on Christine and Shelby's post about Shelby not feeling well and that she had gotta a hold of a dead toad it reminded me of a situation when we lived in FL where a neighbors dog got a hold of a toad and almost died very quickly!  I did a google search for a little info, and since it is that summer time of year I wanted to pass this on!  So, along with all of those other things that can be deadly to our babies, please add TOADS!

[F, Calla & Luca]

Thanks for the information. I am going to post a link to this in the Danger Group!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Here are links to a couple of pretty good articles about the type of toads that are poisonous to dogs, their habitats, and what to do if your dog is poisoned. Texas, Florida, and the Southwest seem to be the areas where there is the greatest risk. The poison is very fast acting, so it's important to be aware of this, as a dog can die before you can get to an emergency clinic.

target="_blank">http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art29568.asp
http://www.healthyhomesforkidsandpets.com/articles/bufo.html

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Interesting that when I came back to see your responses I noticed that the info I originally pasted into this didn't come through .... not sure why. Thanks for adding some info Karen. This is actually the same article I had originally pasted with my original discussion.

[Frannie & Callie]

Thanks for the post - Callie loves frogs/toads. She wants to play with them, but her way of playing seems to be to scoop them up into her mouth.

[Christine & Shelby]

Thanks for the post... I was aware that the toads can be dangerous and of course have done everything possible to try to avoid contact... but most often that involves pulling them out of her mouth! I have no way of knowing for sure if that made her sick the first time... but that is what I suspect... this time I think it is something else. It is good information for all to know - I did lots of research after the first toad incident with Shelby! Take care of your doods everyone... give them a big hug from me and Shelby.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

As a child we had a cat who was poisoned by a toad. She spent weeks in the vet. The outcome was total loss of equilibrium. She eventually was renamed " Stretch Neck The Puss" by many of our friends. The name stuck.

With her head directly to one side she was not able to walk forward. At first she could only go in circles. For many months we
( we were only 8-12) we rehabed her by tapping on the floor teaching her to use her eyes to look in the direction she wanted to go.

She crabbed walked. She lived many years. She was mean but she was our childhood kitty.

I see this is mainly in the South, but we here in Ohio can and do have toads that can be dangerous to our furry friends.

[Sally, Ditzy Mitzi & Sgt. Pepper]

Buffo toads are deadly. They are also very common in S. Fl. Please be careful and keep your dogs away from them, they tend to come out more after sunset. The article noted by Karen and Jack is accurate. We had a scare
once, I called my vet and was told there really wasn't much they could do. We were very lucky and are now extremely careful.