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Preventing Poisonous Bufo Toads from Spraying Your
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Preventing Poisonous Bufo Toads from Spraying Your Dog
DISCLAIMER
* Our readers offer information and opinions on Earth Clinic, not as a substitute for professional veterinary prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your veterinarian before taking any home remedies or supplements or following any treatment suggested by anyone on this site. Only your Veterinarian can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your pet's unique needs or diagnose your pet's particular medical history.
TED'S REMEDIES
12/07/2006: Sarah from Boynton Beach, FL writes: "I don't let my dog out in my fenced backyard at night during the summer without escorting him because I've seen deadly poison bufo toads. I killed one, and it sprayed me with the milky secretions that would have killed my dog. Can you suggest anything that would keep bufos out of my yard? Thank you."
Ted from Bangkok, Thailand replies: "Dear Sarah: It takes only 15 minutes for a bufo toad poison to kill the dog, so you need to find a way to prevent that or at least give the dog some common home antidotes when a poisoning does occur that might help this problem.The method of poisoning that bufo toads employs is the secretion by which it shoots at the victim up to 2 meters of the white liquid secretions called bufotoxin which is used in much smaller amounts to as a medicine to treat hepatitis B and also in the making of poisonous darts. Fortunately, the toad is only found in U.S. in Florida area.
I often believe that bufo toads in general do not attack its victim, but because we are getting in its way or know it is being attacked. Dogs and cats are commonly poisoned, but mostly dogs because they tend to bite or provoke the toads. One way to prevent the dogs to bite is to put a muzzle over the dog's mouth to the prevent dog from biting when it sees a toad. So the worst that can happen is that it will get the liquids sprayed into the eye of the dog, which can be washed immediately. The dog won't be poisoned as much as orally when biting the toads.
The other thing is to control the toad population and set a trap. One trap is to dig a hole in the ground and put a large bucket so that the height of the bucket reaches ground level - so a minimum of 5 gallons up. It should be high enough that the toads cannot jump out of the bucket. You can also use a much larger area to dig, like a baby tub, only that you have to dig a hole large enough so that the toads can fall.
The second thing is you need to get a light bulb well protected from rainwater so that it doesn't blow up the lightbulb where the thin wood stick out to the center of the large bucket or baby's tub. When you do set up the tub, be sure to apply plenty of motor oil so it will be very slippery that there is no way the can climb out.
Also make sure that the baby tub is steep enough that the toad cannot climb up. Whenever it reaches the night, the bugs will be attracted to the lights, and the bufo toads will see the bugs and attempt to jump on to the baby tub or the 5 gallon bucket. Make sure the tub of the baby tub exceeds or equal to about 10 inches. A giant toad can jump to the height of up to 10 inches. If it is not tall enough you may need to either dig a little deeper so that it is below the ground level, making the escape more difficult.
If at all possible, usually not, but clearing water from the ground and making it dry will keep the toads away through improving drainage.
In case of poisoning of toads, by a dog or cats a one possible antidote is plenty of vinegar plus some hydrogen peroxide 1% which can help, but won't neutralize everything as some have some vasoconstrictor elements in the bufotoxin venom poisoning. However, the easiest access of common remedies I can think of in dire emergencies that is everywhere appears to be only vinegar. So bathing plenty of vinegar might help. Raw white eggs, uncooked if eaten, might help and can be poured on the dogs mouth to suck up the toxins. Bentonite clay or activated charcoal in powder form is another possibility to suck up the toxin from the surrounding area. Whatever you do, you still need to send the dog to a vet who can further do treatment.
It is not a perfect antidote, but it is better than not do anything."
06/03/2009: Johnny from Orlando, Fl replies: "This article is BS !! Cane, Marine, or Bufo Toads CANNOT shoot or squirt toxin. Period. This is an old wifes tale .. (Like porcupines being able to throw it's quills ) Also these toads not only exist in South Florida but most of the Caribbean and South America.
Just don't eat one !
Dr J.H."
09/24/2009: Lita209 from Sanford, Fl replies: "I was born and raised in Puerto Rico (Caribbean) and the first time I have encountered a Bufo Toad has been here in Florida."
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1 YEA
[YEA] 05/12/2009: Lisa from West Palm Beach, Florida writes: "We have alot of Bufo Toads in area. Our dog run is secure with plexi glass to keep critters from getting in however these toads can get through very small cracks. The best way to get rid of them is pour 1/2 to 1 cup of ammonia on them. Amonia is cheap and since they breathe through thier backs the ammonia kills them instantly. I don't like killing anything however I have a few small dogs and can't risk one of my dogs getting a hold of the bufa toad. If I see one in my dog run I have to get rid of the toad before my dog goes after one. Small dogs are at most risk however my friends large dog swallowed a bufa toad and died within 15 minutes.
If your dog gets hold of a bufa immediately take a wet cloth and wipe gums and tongue. Then turn on side and run water through the mouth. Make sure your dog does not drink the water, you must get the poison out of the dogs mouth as quick as possible. Then rush to vet."
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06/23/2009: Paulette from Thonotosassa, Florida writes: "On June 22, 2009 our little Jack Russell was poisoned by a Bufo Toad. We caught her almost immediately after we saw her flipping it with her nose. Her left eye was shut. I immediately washed her head and nose with Baby Shampoo and rinsed for an extremely long time. I gave her a teaspoon of olive oil and she started throwing up volumous amounts of frothey white liquid. She started stiffening up and closed her left eye completely. We rushed her to the vet and they started an IV to push fluids. We were sent home as soon as she could walk. They gave us anti convulsants in case she started to have seizures in the night. I think that the extreme wash saved her life. We are still watching the eye to make sure that she doesn't form an ulcer from the poison. She is one lucky little dog."
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1 YEA
[YEA] 09/06/2009: Linda from Bisbee, Arizona writes: "My ex, myself, and our magnificient and curious miniature australian shepherd were renting in what was "Dog Heaven". Acres and acres fenced to run in and a water reclamation system that included a series of sedimentary ponds, the largest and last full of Koi, pond vegation, and unbeknownst to us, bufos. We lived in the desert and water was scarce so even with fencing we dealt on a regular basis with mule deer (great sport for Roxy), along with vicious and deadly javelina. Needless to say she chased the deer off of the property gleefully, was not so gleefully ripped to pieces by a large javalina male and two females (treated that after throwing myself onto her and into the middle of the javelina's blood lust who would just as well kill a human as a dog (not smart). I got lucky making awful noises and they retreated. I treated this after carrying her into the house by filling and filling deep the gore holes that simply swallowed two bottles of the only thing on hand which was hydrogen peroxide and stuffed the wounds with dressing to put pressure inside hoping to stop the bleeding....yes, I know this is about bufos. The bleeding was totally stopped by morning and slowly she began to heal.
And now, the Bufo toads, One morning I went to drink my morning coffee with her while she took her morning swim, herding the koi from one end of the pond and back, something she did daily and for hours and I noticed a white film covering the enire pond. Then I looked at Roxy and could see her struggling to get on shore. By the time I had her in my arms she was convulsing with eyes rolled back. I checked her gum color for oxygen and they were very gray...all the meanwhile rubbing her everwhere trying to keep her blood flowing. Again, grabbed the only thing on hand which seemed close to appropriate, this time it was a full adult size benedryl pried her mouth open and opened the whole capsule in her mouth rubbing it into her tongue both top and bottom, on her gums thinking that from under the tongue on a human goes straight to the brain. Within just a few minutes her eyes began focusing and I began walking her just like a puppet thinking it might help keep her blood flow going, soon she began to try to walk on her own but needed help. She did show a rapid significant improvement with the benedryl, she weighs 29 to 34 lbs depending on how spoiled she is at the time. I am just sure the benedryl turned the tide. Roxy and I are moving back into this rental which was really paradise and peace for both of us so now I want to know....Exactly just how much benedryl I can give her at the max possible dosage, also does it come in a gel cap (haven't seen any) because in liquid form it would absorb much more quickly into her system.
I will definetely keep large amounts of vinegar for killing the toads and for her to drink and I very much appreaciate both this site and the information from all participants. I will also use the tub and light solution and lower the population. One more problem. It is my understanding that other frogs do not co-habitate with bufos so all of the guppies in differing stages are bufos. Roxy sticks her whole head into to the water trying to bite and catch them. Are they poisonous at this stage? During her second incident she crawled halfway from the pond headed towards the house when I found her. We went through the whole poisoning thing one more time and the benedryl once again brought her up quickly. Now I will use both prevention and cure. Bathub and lights and motor oil. I will make it my mission to lower the bufo toad population which it seems given the choices here will be a steady but doable new defense.
Thank you,
Linda A.
Bisbee, Arizona"
EC: Cross-posted to the Pets - Wounds Care page, thank you!
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2 YEA
1 WARNING!
11/22/2009: Kristin from Pahoa, Hi writes: "My Pit has a grudge againt the Bufo frogs we have here in Hawaii and I find it interesting that nobody seems to know they exist here too! The last two weekends in a row he has gotten ahold of one. Luckily he didn't swallow it, just shook it. He immediate began froth at the mouth, his jaw locked up. I dragged him inside and started the flushing process. It usually takes about fifteen minutes of flushing with clear water and wiping gums with a wet cloth before I can even get his jaw open to start on the inside of his mouth. I know everyone says to flush the inside, but when a pitbull locks his jaw, it takes a lot more strength than I have to open it... Luckily my Pit is a big pussycat and the only danger is that he can't control his jaws when this happens.. I have noticed when they begin to unlock, they do have a tendency to involunarily snap back shut the first several times so watch your fingers!!"
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[YEA] 06/07/2008: Jim from Stuart, Florida writes: "There are two forms of Bofus frog, only one is dangerous.
In my many years I have found that a garden hose and wasting the mouth of the dog, holding the head sideways, as quickly as possible is very effective in saving the dog. Also rub the mouth and gums. Once it gets into the blood stream, it will take 15 minutes or less to kill a dog or cat, generally a smaller size. Humans will get a rash or burning eyes so wash asap.
The bad one is the Bufo marinus. The Southern Toad is the smaller of the two, no larger then 3 inches and is not plump as the other is.
They are brown or gray-brown on top, sometimes with cream colored spots scattered across their backs, sides and legs. The underside is a sickly pale yellow, sometimes flecked with black. The back and legs are covered with spiny warts."
[WARNING!] 06/16/2008: Mae from San Ramon, Costa Rica replies: "Bufo Toads: I am reading your postings, but too late after the fact, unfortunately. I wish I had known how very deadly this toad really is, and am writing things to my friends here also to let them know just how deadly they are. This weekend, my 2 little Bichon dogs got a hold on one, and the larger dog is very protective and within a minute he was showing all the symptoms stated. The littler one must only have given it a lick because he recovered. The larger one did not. They are such small animals, and in spite of my natural instinct to rinse their mouths with running water, it did not help the bigger one. He had gotten it into his blood stream within less than a minute that it took me to separate them. It was only 10 minutes until the one was gone. I will never be remiss again in keeping dogs on a short leash. I want everyone to know the danger they present."
EC: So sorry for your loss.
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[YEA] 07/06/2007: Linda from Pahoa, Hawaii writes: "In Hawaii and at night, the Bufo Toads rule the garden. When the garden contains several koi ponds, you better believe the toads are in residence. My large rotti/lab mix has gotten in the habit of hunting these poisonous critters. By habit, I mean she is addicted to the "high" she gets when she bites into one of these creatures. I've taken to flushing out her mouth with water using the garden hose when she approaches me and is frothing at the mouth. Eyes glazed, rolling on the lawn, and snorting, she appears to be having a grand old time. The only way I can prevent her from indulging in this toad sport is to tie her up or keep her in the house at night. The toads are an asset in the garden as they keep the centipede population in check as both creatures are nocturnal. We are learning to co-exist and I am lucky my dog weighs over 100 lbs and is only mildly affected by this toad venom."
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01/30/2009: Marilyn from Miami, Florida writes: "Get a wet towel, throw it over the toad and then call your exterminator and he removes it to a canal far away...."
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1 YEA
[YEA] 08/15/2008: Elizabeth from Brisbane, Australia writes: "The most simplest remedy of getting rid of poisonous toads from your property is to spray them with Dettol. Just a few squirts and the toad is no more!"
EC: Dettol is a liquid antiseptic commonly used in Australia to kill toads. It may also be toxic to the environment. Read more here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dettol
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2 YEA
1 NAY
1 WARNING!
[YEA] 08/01/2009: Ohnoice from Coral Springs, Fl. writes: "MOTH BALLS DO KEEP KILLER TOADS OUT OF YOUR YARD!!! REMEMBER, THESE TOADS DIG UNDER FENCES AS WELL AS SQUEEZE THROUGH. PLACE MOTH BALLS AROUND OUTER FENCE ABOUT 2-3" APART. REPEAT AS OFTEN AS NEEDED. NO ANIMAL WILL EAT THEM IF A TOAD DOESN'T LIKE THE SMELL!! SO, BRAVO TO THE PERSON THAT CAME UP WITH THIS IDEA, AND THANK YOU. MOLLIE, BOOMER, AND BLAKE."
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[WARNING!] 03/01/2009: Mary from baltimore, MD/USA writes: "Thank you for the information you shared on some toads being poisonous, and the problem this is with dogs. I would like to comment on or question the 'remedy' submitted about using moth balls placed around the property to repell the toads. I believe the moth balls themselves may be a problem because of toxic fumes, or possible ingestion by animals."
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[NAY] 07/06/2008: Donna from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida writes: "Bufo Toad Remedies: I tried the mothballs and they did NOT work at all. They smelled bad and I had to collect them all back up. It was a "bad' experience."
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[YEA] 10/07/2007: Kathy from Homestead, Florida writes: "I live in South Florida where Bufo Toads are abundant. I have several acres and have 8 dogs, Bufos are my worst nightmare! But as it has happened by accident I think I have found a way to keep BUFOs away or at least reduced in amounts!! I heard that MOTH BALLS repels snakes and snails which I have plenty of those also since I live just outside the Everglades. In the past 6 months since I have put the moth balls around my fence line....I have found ONLY 1 BUFO toad where I usually find at least 10 a day!! Im so happy!! but still on guard because you have to keep putting the moth balls down....ALSO...I have had many of my dogs get Bufo poisoned...and the thing that works best for me is simply rinsing the dogs mouth out forcefully with a garden hose and IMMEDIATELY afterwards giving the dog 100mgs of BENADRYL (OTC)....works like a charm. Havent had any problems at all...but the best is to prevent them from coming to your property...and so far...MOTH BALLS WORK! no snakes or snails either!"
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PUT EXTRA WATER CONTAINER FAR FROM DOGS
[YEA] 06/15/2007: Karen from Saint Augustine, Florida writes: "I have two pointer mixes (60-70 lbs. each, I'm sure a smaller dog may not have been so lucky!) who have been "exposed" or bit the "bufo" toad. There was immediate foaming and I was able to make him drink alot of water. This has happened twice. I've since noticed as the summer is progressing the frogs getting trapped in the dogs outside water bowl. I deduced that by putting a container of water away from the area where the dogs go, the toads are trapped and moved away."
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06/20/2009: Colleen from Wesley Chapel, Florida writes: "I was very lucky when one of my mini doxins bit a bofus toad.This was the first time I have ever heard of this toad. After the dogs went outside and got into there crates for the night I heard two of my dogs howling and crying. I go to there crates to see what was going on and my sallest younger doxie was laying on his back. He did not wag his tail when I came in the room and I knew some thing was wrong. He had already thrown up in his crate. I took him out and he was frozen in the fetal position with his eyes hardly open. The first thing I did was take off his colar then I wrinsed him off in the bath tub because he was covered in this sort of sticky slimy stuff I kept trying to open his mouth but he had lock jaw. Finaly I got his mouth open and made sure he wasn't chocking on something. I wraped him in a towel and kept rubing him to keep him warm. His mom came over and licked his nose and kept a watchful eye on him. A few mins. after that his stomach started to rumble. He threw up again. He started to come out of the sorta trance he was in. He also started to loosen up his body and move his legs and head. At that point I knew my praying would keep him here. About an hour after all this happened he was wagging his tail and showing the loving affection he all ways does. The next morrning he was still fine and ready to run out of the door to do his morrning duty but before I let them out I scouted the yard for more of those "killer toads" and found the one from the night before. It was dead with what looked like teeth marks on the top of his head and under the throat. I tell ya I was truly lucky that my dog survived. I love my Little Sabastian!"
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1 YEA
1 NAY
1 BETTER BUT NOT CURED
[BETTER BUT NOT CURED] 07/06/2008: Donna from Sunrise, United States writes: "re: salt and bufu frogs
Actually, salt CAN work. Sometimes yes and sometimes no. You have to chase them and keep pouring it over them until they're totally covered. They may survice, they may die later and still be "out there" dead and somewhat poisonous. It's definitely worth trying but again there's always more."
[NAY] 07/07/2008: Sandy from Bangalore, India replies: "Please do not kill any living being in a prolonged torturous manner. If any animal/pest has to be killed, then employ a professional pest control service so that the animal has a quick death and does not undergo prolonged period of agony/pain--to eliminate pests, use a method that is the least painful for them. Let us humans be thoughtful towards other living beings."
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[YEA] 04/05/2008: Craig Wolf from Coconut Creek, Florida writes: "I was told that salt works on Buffos the same way it works on slugs. Since they are made up of mostly water the salt gets into the poors of the skin and dried up their skin and affects their nervous system."
09/16/2008: Mike from Jackson, Mi replies: "Salt?
I am pretty sure this will kill a toad, they're so sensitive that just the dirt and oil on your hands can hurt them (unless you just washed them). But please think sanely for a moment, if you can follow the toad around with a salt shaker to pour salt all over her.. you could just as easily pick her up and put her somewhere she will be happy and away from your dog, if not that and you really feel you must kill the toad, get a hammer and end the toad quickly, before you say that's brutal or that you just don't have the stomach for it, remember this toad is not a mean vicious animal that wants to hurt your dog, it's a toad doing what toads want to do just like your dog is a dog who will do what dogs do and you're pouring chemicals all over it that are going to cause it a long slow and painful death, where it may very well end up crawling off somewhere to die where your dog will find it anyhow, his waterbowl or favorite puddles are pretty good candidates as it will attempt to wash itself off and hydrate. Really not cool."
07/16/2009: Annabelle from Delray Beach, FL replies: "Nice to hear such a humane and logical point of view, all good points and very well stated. Give yourself a pat on the back for being one of the very few to problemsolve the issue while still promoting decency by respecting the living things we share our environments with."
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1 YEA
[YEA] 05/21/2009: Grateful from West Palm Beach, FL writes: "Vinegar cured a dog poisoned by a bufo frog
We live in rural South Florida and have a lot of bufo frogs in the yard. Our small dog was outside in the evening after a rain, when it was prime weather for them to be out. When my wife called him in, he didn't come. She found this unusual, so went out to find him, and he was staggering around in circles under a bush. She came in to call for me to help, but by the time we were able to get to him he had fallen over and had lost all motor control. He had clearly been poisoned by a frog.
By the time we got him inside where we could see him in the light, he looked done for. We are a long way from an emergency vet and doubted we could get him there in time. Within the first couple of minutes he could not move a muscle and his eyes were rolling back in his head. Although we washed out his mouth as best we could with his jaw locked, he had ingested too much poison already. I also noticed his ears were sticky, which from what I read now after the fact sounds consistent with the poison.
In desperation I ran a quick search on the web for remedies and ran across your site. I tried vinegar as you recommended, and when I spilled it on the outside of his mouth or got some in with an eyedropper he licked his lips - his tongue must have been the last muscle he could use and I suppose it was an involuntary reaction. By then he had gone entirely stiff with all his muscles contracted, and only his tongue and eyes were moving. He probably drank (not including spillage) about 1/4 cup of vinegar - this for a 10 pound dog - before we started to slow it down, as that's a lot of vinegar. Relative to size, that's like an adult person drinking a quart or so. Ugh! We also kept petting him, talking to him, stretching his limbs, and stimulating his paws and tail to try to get back sensation - I have no idea if this was useful or not.
After about 15 minutes with no apparent change I was trying to get him to take some egg white, as I read elsewhere, but with little luck. We still doubted whether he was going to make it. However, he slowly started moving his head to follow my daughter around, then stretched his front paws, and shortly stood back up and started staggering around again. Within a few more minutes, he was walking more normally but in circles, and a few minutes later was running around the house with his tail back out. He isn't quite himself yet an hour later, but we're hoping the remaining effects will wear off. It was a remarkable recovery after we'd assumed that we had lost him.
It sure seemed like the vinegar did it, unless the effects were wearing off on their own. Thanks for the recommendation!"
08/30/2009: Marjorie from Sebring, Florida replies: "My Yorkshire Terrier got a Bufo Toad this morning - I had trouble getting it from him. I had to give him a piece of baked chicken which he grabbed and I grabbed that awful toad. I tried to flush his mouth out with water but only got a little when he had locked his jaws. I got an empty vitamin bottle dropper and tried rinsing his mouth with the dropper, sticking it in his mouth and wiping off the slime. I immediately shoved 1/2 Benadryl in his mouth. He did swallow it. I had called my vet. By this time he had gone into convulsions, had had bowel movements and was in a seizure. I held him, and prayed. The vet asked if I had any seizure medication - I had some of my own. Topamax Sprinkle caps. She heard him making sounds and said, give him a little of it - it can't hurt and it may save his life. So I pried open his jaws and sprinkled a tiny bit of the sprinkles in from the capsule. I sat and calmed him, massaging him and praying. Then when the convulsions had subsided I had to drive 45 minutes to get to an animal hospital. He was stiff and his eyes were fixed but the pupils were darting. They immediately put him on IV's, and did tests. His heart was okay. I don't know what all they did but my little dog survived. He is still at the hospital overnight to watch for seizure activity but when I visited him this afternoon he was alert, kissing me, stood up and walked some. It is a miracle and I honestly believe It was the prayer that saved him. He was dying. I wished I had known about the vinegar because honestly, trying to rinse water out of a dog's mouth who has been in contact with one of those toads is almost impossible."
09/24/2009: Lita209 from Sanford, Fl replies: "I had no idea about these frogs until couple of years ago, when one Saturday I had some family visiting me and I let the dogs out in the backyard for a little while. Later I brought them inside and one of my nieces got my attention because she was laughing at Mitzy (my shiba Inu mix). When I looked at her she was trying to stay on a sitting position but couldn't. After seeing her facial expression (Yes my dog has facial expressions, don't ask me how but she does!) I knew something wasn't right. So I told everybody I was sorry but I had to leave to the vet ASAP. I put her on my car and by this time she is foaming on her mouth and her face was like she was drunk and finally got her to the vet (And all I could think of is that she ate poison, even though I don't use poison around the house). She was put on IV and then I took her home, the vet never knew what caused this (They even suggested that she was epileptic!). About 2 or 3 weeks after the incident I was watering my plants and I noticed her going from pot to pot and all of the sudden she stop and backed away from this pot and when I looked there was a beige with brown spots, round frog. Eureka!! This is how I found out about buffo frogs. I thank God that my reaction was to run with her right away to the vet. I also thank God for having found this website; now I know what to do if it happens again. Thank you EC and everyone that take their time to write."
11/06/2009: Kayj from Lake Worth, Fl replies: "I have a two year old male terrier I heard a story about a woman losing two terriers to Bufo Frog poisoning, I am always cautious when walking my dog at night going as far as to carry a flash light to spot the frogs before he does. We were on the patio and suddenly I found him having seizures, I too rinsed his mouth and prayed and cried as my neighbor tried to do the same, she then took us to the emergency Vet, they had to give hom 10mg of Diazepam, propfol and kept him over night on an IV to flush with fluid.I almost lost him. I look out for the frogs when walking. What I didn't expect was the frog to be on my patio. Today when moving a table several tiny frogs hopped about and 1 had been mangled and chewed up this in the very spot my dog went into seizures. I now know not to leave food out and plan to put aluminum panels along the 18" base where the screen is lose."
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