Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Having just dealt with one of my dogs getting poisoned by a toad I did some checking and found this source of help.

National Animal Poison Control Center (ASPCA run)
1-800-548-2423
217-333-2052 (direct line to Dr Cote, one of the two premier toxicology consulting vets at the Center)

A consulting fee of $30.00 is charged but would be worth it IMO

I have learned that all toads are toxic to some extent and two species in particular are potentially lethal without immediate intervention.

It was bad luck that the toad Corsair caught and played with Wednesday night was one of those species - The Sonoran Desert Toad. The other one is the Cane Toad. Corsair is OK but it was a close thing. There is quite a bit of information on the Internet if anyone wants to learn more about where these toads are found and what the consequences of a dog biting one are. It is not pretty! Just Google dogs and toads.

I sincerely hope no one reading this ever has to deal with what Corsair and I experienced this week.
-----
Samantha Parsons
Merit Pharaoh Hounds
ASFA Regional Director (Region-10)

HOME OF
MeToo
Corsair and
Journey the Whippet

In Absentia: BetMe
At The Bridge: Bedelia and Legend

Yuck. Sorry about that, Sam.
-----
TiaRa Pharaohs
"Produce quality and present it yourself...that way you know what you've won, when you win"
"Quality isn't expensive, it's priceless."

Thanks, Sam! Gosh, I'm glad Corsair is okay. Scary thing!

When in TN for the Nat'l, a group of us stayed with Sheila. All of the guests dogs had to chase down her toads - Sheila's have learned better! There was lots of frothing at the mouth, but no sick dogs, thank goodness!

Sooo . . . do you think he learned his lesson?!?
-----
Carmen Davis, owned by Serra, Glory and Rooney
Naha Pharaoh Hounds - Washington State
www.NahaPharaohs.com

Sooo . . . do you think he learned his lesson?!? Pretty hard lesson!

I fervently hope so but don't know at this point. I am doing toad patrol before I let them out as soon as it cools off enough for the toads to come out of their burrows. I did find out there is no repellent for toads as there is for snakes. I'm hoping the snake aversion training we will be doing can accommodate toad aversion as well.

I never want to see a dog go thru this again, it was ugly. The vet said the only thing that saved him was getting him to treatment so quickly. His temp was 107 when we got there. I am only about 4 minutes from the vet here and she was waiting for us when we got there.
-----
Samantha Parsons
Merit Pharaoh Hounds
ASFA Regional Director (Region-10)

HOME OF
MeToo
Corsair and
Journey the Whippet

In Absentia: BetMe
At The Bridge: Bedelia and Legend

>>The vet said the only thing that saved him was getting him to treatment so quickly. His temp was 107 when we got there. >>Samantha Parsons

Wow, that is scary! So glad you were fast and your vet is close. I'd definitely be doing toad patrols, too!
-----
Carmen Davis, owned by Serra, Glory and Rooney
Naha Pharaoh Hounds - Washington State
www.NahaPharaohs.com

Very, very good info to have - glad all is ok with Conseir!

We just have the good old American toad and Fowler toads here. They just taste bad to their preditors - actually their urine tastes bad. The dogs tend to pick one up, one time, then froth as they try to get that taste out of their mouth. After on e time they give the toads a wide range. Here's a photo from the other evening of the toads in one of the kennel runs as they come out of their hiding place at dusk. We like them as they eat lots of bugs and we have plenty of those for them! It's funny to see the great red hunters walk way around a little toad.

Great red hunters indeed. I wish we had useful AND non-lethal toads around here. There were toads in Riverside when I lived there and one really big one lived on the front porch. There were never any swarms of flying pests around the porch light at night when Super Scarfer was around. I never knew if they were very toxic, the greyhounds I had then didn't show any interest in them.

I don't think Corsair made the connection with pain and the toad. He's still looking for it. I found, caught and relocated a second one and the bucket I put it in for transport retained the smell or maybe some of the venom...anyway Corsair was really interested in it to the point of licking the edge of the bucket. I moved it out of reach. Next toad I catch I am keeping and taking to the snake avoidance guy for further training purposes.
-----
Samantha Parsons
Merit Pharaoh Hounds
ASFA Regional Director (Region-10)

HOME OF
MeToo
Corsair and
Journey the Whippet

In Absentia: BetMe
At The Bridge: Bedelia and Legend

We have lizards here that Allie catches and kills all the time. But she only attempted to eat one -- she got all frothy at the mouth and threw up. Then went out to hunt some more.

I am very glad we don't have cane toads here and am very glad Corsair is okay. Scary, scary!
-----
Theresa

sharing my home with Cardhu, Allie, and Miss Ruadh (waiting at the bridge: Mirage and Dharma)

Glad all is OK with Corsair!!! We have tons of toads but the dogs don't bother them. I had a toad that for 2 years would climb the steps of my deck then sit in front of the patio doors watching what was going on. I think I buried Mr. Toad when I put in a new flower garden.
-----
Marie & the Jomara Gang
Jomara's Pharaoh Hounds since 1984

Home to Ghazzi, Hallie, Sheikh and Diesel, and of course Joe, who puts up with all of us!

There were toads down in Riverside when I lived there and my greys were not interested. I don't think those toads were as dangerous as the ones we have here.

The strength of the poison varies a lot from species to species. No foaming - this toxin goes to the brain and heart almost immediately.

I'm just glad he's OK. If my strategy works there will be NO further Sonoran toads in my yard ever again.
-----
Samantha Parsons
Merit Pharaoh Hounds
ASFA Regional Director (Region-10)

HOME OF
MeToo
Corsair and
Journey the Whippet

In Absentia: BetMe
At The Bridge: Bedelia and Legend

Thanks for the info Sam. That is really scary. Thank goodness you were able to get him to the vet so fast...happy he is okay. This reminds me of my snake patrols in Oklahoma. Big Hugs to Corsair
-----
Winona

Home of Asher, Bari, and Ginger (waiting at the bridge: Caspar, Karma, Greedy, and sweet Tifla)

Yikes Sam... so glad Corsair is okay.
scary.

.
-----
tabitha
owned by Kahla and Dante'

FC Nefer-Temu Kahlua RAE MC CGC FCh TT
K-Tai Dante' RE SC

Sam, a friend of mine that has whippet's had to deal with the toad issues. I learned from her that they like to live under the ground and come out when it rains, or if its cooler temps and they also go under your house too.. She said when her dogs got ahold of them, They had seizures and start frothing at the mouth and just having a bunch of neurological problems. I was told by her as well that she learned from our vet we use that they don't 100% get over some of the neurological reactions??? I dont know if anyone on here can confirm that or not, But i know its scary Sam to see them fine one minute, next you have no idea whats going on.. Hugs to them all and hope they quit playing with those darn toads!!!
-----
Teri
Home of :
Mia's Kiss Me Quick (Shikk who's a senior Queen now)
Siphra's Turn The Page (Story) The Princess and Collies BFF.
CH. Canyonwood's Medicine Man (Doc)*springer spaniel* New Special Finished Owner/handler.
WildWood Comstocks Simply Wicked (Gypsy) *the smooth collie* Story's best friend.

"In a perfect world, every dog would have a home and every home would have a dog."

Terry - I did some research on toads and found that virtually all toads have venom sacs on their necks. There are varying degrees of toxicity depending on the species. We are unfortunate to have one of the 3 deadly ones here. Cane toads, Sonoran Desert toads and the Arizona toad are the potent ones. Veterinary intervention is required if a dog gets poisoned by one of these. I think I have identified the culprit here as Sonoran.

One of the sites I visited recommended getting rolls of 30 inch wide or more fine wire mesh wire installed around the entire bottom of the existing fence (which is already buried 6 inches deep) and blocking the gaps by and under the gates. As bad as the Sonoran Desert Toad is I believe my whippet would not survive an encounter...small size, little body fat. I'm taking aggressive defensive action so it doesn't happen again. It's all one can do; there is no anti-toxin and no repellent. My house is on a concrete slab and is tight all around. The soil is rocky, dry, compacted and very difficult to dig even with an auger or water digger. I am reasonably sure it got in thru the space between the gate post and the gate.

Fortunately they are only active around here during monsoon season - unfortunately nobody told this toad monsoon season isn't here yet! We are signed up for snake aversion training and I'm told it has been known to work for toads as well.
-----
Samantha Parsons
Merit Pharaoh Hounds
ASFA Regional Director (Region-10)

HOME OF
MeToo
Corsair and
Journey the Whippet

In Absentia: BetMe
At The Bridge: Bedelia and Legend

Dear Sam,

Now that we can breathe a collective sigh of relief that Corsair is recovering so well, I really think it's great that you have posted a bit about what you have found relating to this perhaps not-so-well-known environmental hazard. As I shared with you a couple of days ago, we had some toads in Texas that did, when licked, seem to cause some mild discomfort and foaming in our dogs. They never really became too aggressive with the toads, so I think that the effects were minimal. If they had bitten one of the toads, I shudder to think what may have happened. What Corsair (and you) have experienced these past days is so, so scary and concerning. We are elated that he is doing so well, and hopefully your defensive strategies will work. Our great environmental hazard here on the Cape is the deer tick and Lyme Disease, which is a powerful threat, to be sure. No matter where any of us live, there always seems to be something to keep us on our toes, that's for sure! The coyote population in Texas was large, and it's just as large up here. Arghhhhhh.

Hugs to you and to Corsair!
Much love,
Rebecca and Margie

>>Having just dealt with one of my dogs getting poisoned by a toad I did some checking and found this source of help.
>>
>>National Animal Poison Control Center (ASPCA run)
>>1-800-548-2423
>>217-333-2052 (direct line to Dr Cote, one of the two premier toxicology consulting vets at the Center)
>>
>>A consulting fee of $30.00 is charged but would be worth it IMO
>>
>>I have learned that all toads are toxic to some extent and two species in particular are potentially lethal without immediate intervention.
>>
>> It was bad luck that the toad Corsair caught and played with Wednesday night was one of those species - The Sonoran Desert Toad. The other one is the Cane Toad. Corsair is OK but it was a close thing. There is quite a bit of information on the Internet if anyone wants to learn more about where these toads are found and what the consequences of a dog biting one are. It is not pretty! Just Google dogs and toads.
>>
>>I sincerely hope no one reading this ever has to deal with what Corsair and I experienced this week.
>>-----
>>Samantha Parsons
>>Merit Pharaoh Hounds
>>ASFA Regional Director (Region-10)
>>
>>HOME OF
>>MeToo
>>Corsair and
>>Journey the Whippet
>>
>>In Absentia: BetMe
>>At The Bridge: Bedelia and Legend
-----
Rebecca Stephens
Margie Luck
Arja Pharaoh Hounds
South Orleans, Massachusetts
RStephens4@aol.com
with...
Artemis, the lovable shep/lab,
and pharaoh hounds:
DC K'Azar Eyeam Air Amie', SC, F.Ch., SORC, GRC (Air Amie')
DC K'Azar Nefer of Distinction, SC (Nefer),
CH Arja K'Azar KisAir Armani, AOM (Armani),
K'Azar Arja KisAir Kisamie'(Kisamie'),
Arja K'Azar Re-Cey Kacey (Kacey), and,
with wonderful memories of our beloved
BIF DC K'Azar Eyeam Too Kool Ra-She, AOM, SC (Icey), and our precious little guy, Arja K'Azar Re-Cey Boo (Boo).

Sam...after your post I searched all over google. I gathered we don't have any of the poisonous toads here. Also no poisonous snakes, which was a huge problen in O.K. As Rebecca pointed out...Lyme disease is a major concern. As much as I dislike it, we are forced to use Frontline...the lesser of the two evils. We also have huge mosquitoes. Every place has some type of problems to deal with it seems. Best of luck keeping those toads out of your dog yard.
-----
Winona

Home of Asher, Bari, and Ginger (waiting at the bridge: Caspar, Karma, Greedy, and sweet Tifla)

Thanks Winona - every place has hazards. It's a dangerous planet. No matter that we think we have it tamed, we don't.

Starting the deployment of the deterrent tonight. Probably have it all done tomorrow or the next day since I only have about 3 hours in the morning and one at night where it's not too hot to work outside right now.

We'll go down to the little park this evening for leash walkies. That should give them something to think about and be pretty safe.

Saw a variant king snake in the drive this morning. We are doing snake avoidance training this coming Sunday! I'm going to ask the trainer if he can do it for toads too. I will be glad to supply one!
-----
Samantha Parsons
Merit Pharaoh Hounds
ASFA Regional Director (Region-10)

HOME OF
MeToo
Corsair and
Journey the Whippet

In Absentia: BetMe
At The Bridge: Bedelia and Legend

Sam...I'm so happy to be away from the poisonous snakes. No poisonous frogs,fire ants or scorpions either. It almost makes the severe winter worth it! Ever since Bari was bitten by the copperhead he hates snakes...kills every snake he finds.
-----
Winona

Home of Asher, Bari, and Ginger (waiting at the bridge: Caspar, Karma, Greedy, and sweet Tifla)