Meesha decides to go toad hunting! Ahh Dogs and Toads!

The signs of spring are everywhere. With birds chirping, chipmunks foraging, bees buzzing, flies pestering and our wonderful garden toads and frogs basking in the sun, everyone is enjoying the fresh air. Jackie and Miya were never interested in toads or frogs. They would have a look, a sniff and walk away or walk over the reptile. Meesha, is interested in anything that moves, flies or looks different. Today she met a large toad in our yard. At first she just watched and waited. The toad didn’t move, but it was obvious this little creature was not part of our yard. So she decided to sniff it again which caused the toad to move a little. Meesha jumped back, but then decided to paw it. That wasn’t enough so she now decided to pick it up in her mouth. At first it was a lick with lots of yelling “leave it Meesha!”. Then she picked it up in her mouth and spit it out as fast as she could. UGH! We moved the toad and Meesha began to run around the yard foaming at the mouth. Since the other dogs had never bitten into a toad this was all a completely new matter for us.

On to the internet to find answers on what happens when a dog bites a toad!

Are toads in Ontario poisonous?

We learned that the short answer was yes to some degree since all toads secrete toxins. However the toads in Ontario are mildly toxic. The reason Meesha spit out the toad so quickly was that toads secrete horrible tasting stuff as a defense mechanism. However, you need to check to see what types of toads you have in your area, since some toads specifically the Colorado River Toad (Bufo alvarius) and the Marine Toad (Bufo marinus) are two of the most important species of toad that are known for their toxic effects on pets.

Symptoms of your dog biting or licking a toad

In Meesha’s case the symptoms came on very quickly. She began foaming and pawing at her mouth. Depending on how much your dog has ingested or the type of toad they have contact with, this will bring on other symptoms as well. Most symptoms usually appear within a few seconds. Here is a partial  list of symptoms:

• Crying or other vocalization
• Pawing at the mouth and/or eyes
• Profuse drooling of saliva – foaming from the mouth
• Change in the color of membranes of the mouth – may be inflamed or pale
• Difficulty in breathing
• Unsteady movements
• Seizures
• High temperature
• Collapse

Keep in mind, when your pet is sick always call your veterinarian to seek proper medical advice for your pet.  This list of symptoms is only a guideline for you to use. Your veterinarian will conduct a complete physical examination, with blood and urine samples taken for routine laboratory tests.

 

Proactive tips on what to do when your dog is poisoned by a toad

Wash out your dog’s mouth

Easier said than done! We read that the proper way to rinse Meesha’s mouth was to stand behind her so we could get a strong grip on her jaw and force her mouth open while using a hose to rinse her mouth out completely. The important part was to “rinse” and not allow her to swallow any of the water. We kept her head down so that no water could go down her throat or wind pipe. The veterinary sites  I looked at suggested to do this for 5-10 minutes so as to remove most of the foul taste and poison from your pet’s mouth. Well, in our case it sure wasn’t the 10 minutes, if we were able to keep her still for 5 I think we were lucky!

Wash and clean your dog’s paws and legs

Meesha was pawing at the toad. So any secretions would also be on her paws. You want to make sure that you’re not leaving any toxins left on your dog’s body so that they can lick it off later.

Wipe your dog’s mouth with a clean, damp towel

By wiping down their tongue, teeth, roof and sides of the mouth, this removes the toxins out of your dog’s mouth.

Give your dog plenty of water to drink

Meesha was very happy to be gulping water after that event. The water helps to flush out the toxins in her system. If your dog is nauseated or vomiting, getting your dog to drink water will help re-hydrate them.

Call or visit your veterinary immediately

Contact your vet and describe the situation. If you can describe the toad and bring a picture that would help in deciding what kind of toad your dog bit. The vet will be in a better position to suggest and provide accurate treatment for your pet.

In summary, toads and frogs are not something you want your dog to play with!

When Meesha first found the toad in our yard we were just as interested in seeing what she would do with it. However once she picked it up, spit it out and began foaming at the mouth, our interest quickly turned into anguish.  We were very lucky that Meesha’s experience and reaction to the toad was relatively mild compared to what it could have been.  We now have better knowledge of what to do when one of our dogs decides to play with or touch a toad. We believe that every dog owner should keep in mind that their yards are full of new and interesting things for a dog, especially puppies. However some of them could really hurt your dog as well. We hope that you find this post useful and tuck it away for the day your dog decides to hunt toads! Ahh Dogs and Toads!

Next post will be on Garter Snakes.  Just found a little one in the yard.