Several years ago, my large black Lab ended up with a burning mouth from a large Bufo Marinus Toad in Florida. I immediately grabbed the hose and sprayed his mouth for three to five minutes, then rushed him to emergency. The vet said had I not done that...the dog would have died from the toads poison in the bumps on his back and head. Beware!
Replied By Laura (South Florida) on 09/01/2016
We have had several encounters between our dogs and bufos unfortunately. After several episodes, the vet told us to wash their mouth out with a hose by running the water through one side and out the other- not down their throat- for several minutes. Last time our small dog bit a toad and was frothing, we did this and she was fine. It has to be done immediately and it's the best thing to do before even heading to emergency.
We've tried to eliminate hiding spots for the toads around our dog yard but it's almost impossible to keep them out (and I don't want to try chemicals that could kill other animals). I accompany our dogs outside day and night watching for toads but this morning there was a massive bufo sitting in the middle of the dog yard that I couldn't see until I was on top of it. Luckily the dogs didn't find it first.
Replied By Juno (Naples, Fl) on 11/29/2016
I almost lost our Westin to a Bufo Toad today. Being from the Midwest, I had no idea about these dangerous toads. She found it in our yard among some bushes at mid morning. She threw up, was staggering and disoriented. I ran in the house to leave for the vet and she fell in our pool. she was seizing and we almost lost her. She home now, the vet saved her and we think falling in the pool also bought us time as it removed venom from her paws and face and cooled down her body temperature. Now I'm scared to death to let her outside. I wish all vets in FL would educate people from the north about these killer toads. Thank you all for posting here. I don't feel so alone or like such a bad mom now.