KVOA (Tucson, Arizona) 17 July 07 Toxic toads return with monsoon: what you can do to save your pet
The annual monsoon brings more than just rain and humidity. It also brings Colorado River toads, which can be deadly if your pet licks them.
News 4 introduces you to one family affected twice by the toads and has the information you need on the potentially deadly toxins.
"When we finally got to the point that we realized something was wrong it was too late," said Greg Schwartz.
The Schwartz family dog died three years ago after it licked a toad that had toxins.
The dog, a miniature pincher died on the way to the hospital.
"The vet told us what to do in case something like that ever happened again. We'd be more informed," said Schwartz. He added, "And then it did."
Thursday, one of the family's new dogs; Brutus licked a toad and got sick.
"His tongue and gums started changing colors, he started walking a little funny," said Schwartz.
The Schwartz's think Brutus dug underneath the backyard fence where the toads came in. They say that's when he probably came in contact with them and got sick.
This time, the Schwartz's said they knew to rinse the dog's mouth out with water.
Emergency veterinarians say there's a specific way to do it.
"Keep their nose pointed to the ground. Gently have the water across their mouth and rub their gums. You want to do this for about ten minutes," said Dr. Meegan Stapleton, a long time emergency veterinarian with the Veterinary Specialty Center of Tucson.
What's the story behind the toads?
They're called Colorado River toads or Sonoran Desert toads.
"They produce a mild toxin that is a hallucinogenic," said Dr. Stapleton.
Animals get curious and lick the toads, transferring toxins to the tongue.
"You'll notice their gums will become bright red. They might paw at their mouth because it's painful. They might drool a lot. The other thing too that you might see is that they get really dilated pupils and they might shake," said Dr. Stapleton
Experts say don't kill the toads, simply make sure there's no standing water to draw them toward your yard.
"I think it's pretty surprising that a little thing can do that much damage to something," said Devin Schwartz, Greg's 11 year old son.
Something else to consider, you shouldn't pick up the toads if you have an open cut on your hand.
You should also keep them away from your nose and mouth because the toxins can get into your system through the mucous membranes.
Toxic toads return with monsoon