Bufo Toads

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Jukie (Hanover Pk, IL) on 04/06/2020
5 out of 5 stars

My senior pitbull hunts toads when he is let into my back yard in the summer and he has killed several. I used to live in great fear of him encountering toads and I constantly checked on him in the yard. Three times I have discovered him unresponsive, drooling, panting and glossy eyed while standing in the yard near a large dead toad (eeuw!) and he was apparently in great distress or going into shock. My first reaction was to grab the water hose and try to flush his tongue sideways but I quickly realized he was swallowing the poison, so I ran and grabbed a large bath towel and wet one end with water. I first used the dry end of the towel to wipe the dogs tongue from as far back of the throat possible, forward to absorb the poison. Next I soaked up saliva from both jowels with unused portions of the dry end of the towel. I repeated this procedure but this time, with the dripping wet end of the towel. Lastly, I turn the wet end of the towel over to the clean side and drenched it with Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar. I then slathered the tongue from the back forward and also jowels, turning the towel to unused portions for each mouth area. I repeated the procedure with an unused portion of the vinegar drenched towel but allowed some ACV to trickle down the dog's throat. By the time I finished this procedure, my dog was fully responsive each time and with no need for follow up. He is 14 years old now and he still has a high prey drive but I no longer worry as much since discovering this remedy. Hope this helps!
REPLY   2      

Eliz (Davie, Florida) on 05/21/2019
4 out of 5 stars

How much benadryl do I need to give a 50 pound dog if I suspect that he has encountered a bufu frog to give me time to get him to a vet several minutes away? My other small dog almost died because of one, this time I would like to be prepared. I was a pathologist. Is there a better treatment that I can buy from the pharmacy. I keep an epi-pen for my son here always. I’m not sure if the dose prepared for the 200 lb child would be good for the dog. HELP. I also have benadryl on hand.
REPLY   3      

Eliz (Davie, Florida) on 05/21/2019

How much benadryl do I need to give a 50 pound dog if I suspect that he has encountered a bufu frog to give me time to get him to a vet several minutes away? My other small dog almost died because of one, this time I would like to be prepared. I was a pathologist. Is there a better treatment that I can buy from the pharmacy. I keep an epi-pen for my son here always. I’m not sure if the dose prepared for the 200 lb child would be good for the dog. HELP. I also have benadryl on hand.
REPLY   2      



Jukie (Hanover Pk, IL) on 04/06/2020
5 out of 5 stars

My senior pitbull hunts toads when he is let into my back yard in the summer and he has killed several. I used to live in great fear of him encountering toads and I constantly checked on him in the yard. Three times I have discovered him unresponsive, drooling, panting and glossy eyed while standing in the yard near a large dead toad (eeuw!) and he was apparently in great distress or going into shock. My first reaction was to grab the water hose and try to flush his tongue sideways but I quickly realized he was swallowing the poison, so I ran and grabbed a large bath towel and wet one end with water. I first used the dry end of the towel to wipe the dogs tongue from as far back of the throat possible, forward to absorb the poison. Next I soaked up saliva from both jowels with unused portions of the dry end of the towel.

I repeated this procedure but this time, with the dripping wet end of the towel.

Lastly, I turn the wet end of the towel over to the clean side and drenched it with Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar. I then slathered the tongue from the back forward and also jowels, turning the towel to unused portions for each mouth area. I repeated the procedure with an unused portion of the vinegar drenched towel but allowed some ACV to trickle down the dog's throat. By the time I finished this procedure, my dog was fully responsive each time and with no need for follow up. He is 14 years old now and he still has a high prey drive but I no longer worry as much since discovering this remedy.

Hope this helps!

REPLY   2      

Flushing Mouth with Water Saved Dog from Deadly Bufo Marinus Toads

Toni Crabtree (Hollywood, Florida) on 08/13/2016
5 out of 5 stars

BEWARE of Deadly Bufo Marinus Toads!

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!

REPLY   5      

Beware of Mothball Poisoning for Bufo Toads

Katyvan (Wpb) on 07/31/2016
0 out of 5 stars

We Lost 4 Cats In One Week by Mothball Poisoning

http://pictures-of-cats.org/we-lost-4-cats-in-one-week-by-mothball-poisoning.html

ITMm writing this account of what happened to two of the most beautiful cats I've ever owned with the hope no one has to repeat this experience. Whiskers and Scrappy were brother and sister and ITMd had them since the day they were born.

...

One of the neighbors had placed mothballs under her house to repel snakes. I live in the deep south and snakes can be a problem during the hotter months. I've always associated mothballs with the funky smell in grandma's closet to repel moths.

...

As it turned out mothballs are an old folk remedy. Scatter them under the house and the snakes won't go there. There had been a lot of rain that week and it turned out that was the problem. The cats had gone underneath their house and drank from a puddle where the mothballs had dissolved. Mothballs contain several poisons with very long names. All of the symptoms fit.

We had lost a total of four neighborhood cats in less than a week. Maybe more that I never knew about. If this article can save even one cat from this horrible ending it will be worth it.

Can I Use Mothballs in the Garden?

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/pesticides/mothballs-in-gardens.htm

Using mothballs to repel pests in the garden presents a danger to children, pets, and wildlife that visit your garden. Young children explore their surroundings by putting things in their mouth and animals might think they are food. Ingesting even a small amount of the toxic chemicals in mothballs can cause serious harm that requires immediate medical or veterinary attention. Mothballs in gardens also present a risk if you breathe the fumes or get the chemicals on your skin or in your eyes. Using mothballs in gardens also causes significant environmental problems. They usually contain either naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene. Both of these chemicals are highly toxic and can get into the soil and groundwater. These mothball hazards may even harm the plants you are trying to protect. Mothballs are insecticides that are controlled by the Environmental Protection Agency. This makes it illegal to use them for any purpose or by any method that isn't specified on the label. Mothballs are labeled only for use in closed containers for the control of clothes moths.

The Facts about Mothballs

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pi254

Mothballs, moth flakes, crystals, and bars are insecticides that are formulated as solids. As such, mothballs are registered as pesticides because they contain high concentrations of one of two active ingredients — naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene (sometimes referred to as 1,4-dichlorobenzene). Through sublimation, they exude gas, acting as a fumigant. Paradichlorobenzene is also found in deodorant blocks made for trash cans and toilets.

...

Naphthalene and paradichlorobenzene, the active ingredients in mothballs, are registered as pesticides. As such, their label directions carry the force of the law, including use intent and the sites where they may legally be used. Using mothballs with the intent of repelling various forms of wildlife is not a legal use of these materials and can result in penalties. Always read and follow pesticide label directions.

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Activated Charcoal for Bufo Toad Poisoning

Melinda (North Carolina) on 04/20/2016
5 out of 5 stars

Bufo Toad Poisoning:

When I lived in Arizona I had a dog that licked one of these a few times. His eyes got big, and he was whining acting very worried. I gave him milk, and pilled (put down the back of his throat so all he had to do was swallow) him with 1 charcoal pill, and then just held him, it wore off pretty quick (the side effects from him licking it), then he was fine.

Charcoal Binds toxins to it and absorbs them to carry them out of your body as waste, it is a purifier.

REPLY   9      

Bufo Toad

Mary (Chicago, Illinois) on 11/03/2015
0 out of 5 stars

Warning

WARNING!

We were in the Keys last year for the month of February, and our small 5 lb dog chased through the yard, and became deathly ill. We were lucky to get her to a vet within 15 minutes and she survived. The vet asked us if we saw toads? We did discover baby toads in the yard. Our dog did not catch any toads in her mouth, but the vet said even the excretion in the grass can be lethal especially to small dogs. I looked into the muzzle, but with this scenario, their paws and tongues are still exposed to the grass, leaving them at risk for exposure.


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Cleaning Product Turned Out to be a Bufo Toad Deterrent

Katyvan (Wpb) on 10/12/2015
5 out of 5 stars

My friend's 10 pound terrier mix (looks like Toto) has nearly died twice from bufu toad poisoning. Had severe seizures both times. She will not leave them alone. She is muzzled at night and carried in my door during the day.

As a security measure, we must leave our lights on at night. The lights draw mosquitoes and other critters which draw the bufos. I have had a HERD of frogs outside every night and morning for a long time! They have even jumped inside the house several times. YUCK! I have treated the area w/ammonia, but don't want to see them suffer so I haven't tried killing them with it. I have unsuccessfully tried moth balls. My sister in MD has taken them home in plants and they have lived through several very cold winters.

My latest effort has proven VERY SUCCESSFUL and no one had to die or suffer.

Cleaned my headlights and rubber trim with Kaboom w/Oxiclean. Hate the odor and won't use it indoors. On a whim I sprayed the front door area, under the fence where frogs enter, on top of the constant flow of dead leaves, and along possible paths to my door. Had a lot of rain lately and so have "refreshed" the area several times. Haven't seen a frog for days! I know they are still somewhere nearby, but they aren't now a nuisance. Is it the Kaboom? Is it the Oxiclean? Don't know. Maybe someone else will figure it out.

REPLY   4      

Getting Rid of Bufo Toads

Melissa (Miami, Fl) on 09/30/2015

Hi all. We've always lived in Miami, but recently moved futher south to Cutler Bay, FL. We have a fairly large yard and after being here 4 months we had our first toad appearance 2 weeks ago. We have 3 huskies and they are have MAJOR prey drive. My oldest almost caught it, but I yanked her back and my friend got the other 2 inside with treats. Tonight we had another incident and I was able to stop them from getting to the toad (I was right next to them with a flashlight). Now my dogs are banned from their yard :(

When we first moved I had a feeling there would be more toads down south. I googled and found PestRid. I used the spray and granules within the first month of being here. It supposedly only lasts about a month, but since we hadn't seen any I didn't re-apply. I'm about to purchase it again, but wanted to know if anybody had any reviews on it?

First to catch this toad or (toads) before applying since they are clearly in our yard. This dogs are my KIDS. I would die if something happened to them :(

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Re: Bufo Toad Poisoning

Deb (Hobe Sound, Fl) on 05/17/2015
5 out of 5 stars

Tonight, my American Bulldog came into contact with one of these frogs. She immediately began frothing at the mouth excessively. My husband and I put her in the bath tub, pulled down the removable shower head and began rinsing the outside of her muscle, then running water into her mouth, trying not to let the water be swallowed. After we no longer so the frothing, we gave her a few cups of milk. We have read NOT to give her milk, however; this happened once before and the milk seemed to help. Thank God, after we washed the outside of her mouth and muzzle as well as the inside of her mouth, she drank the milk. Within about ten minutes of her drinking the milk, she got her toy and wanted to play, wagging her tail. There was no strange behavior from her. We are so thankful that she seems to be fine. For those that have experienced this, it is extremely scary, time is of the essence. I will try the moth balls outside, but from now on, when I take her outside in our back yard, she will be on a leash and I will have a flashlight so I can see the frog before she attacks it. I hope this helps. Thanks to everyone else for your helpful comments.
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Re: Bufo Toads and Moth Ball Products

Blondie (Boynton Beach, Florida ) on 04/27/2015
5 out of 5 stars

To deter bufo toads around the house and patio we've used a product called "snake a way", sold at Walmart and a similar product is sold at Home Depot with moth crystals. It doesn't keep all of them away but has deterred many. We live on a lake and have found them in the front yard, but have kept them out of the back.
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Sea Salt Gets Rid of Bufo Toads

David (Naples, Fl.) on 04/17/2015
5 out of 5 stars

My dog was sprayed by a Bufo Toad, had to rush her to a vet and they saved her. I called the pest control and they told me to spread some Sea Salt all over the yard, and I did. When I did that, 3 toads ran for the canal, so yes that stuff really worked.
REPLY   2      

Miz Rose (Miami, Florida) on 09/18/2014
5 out of 5 stars

My niece came crying and holding her cat. She was not from Florida and did not know about bufo/cane toads. The cat was seizing and dying! This was the first time I had seen the poison effects personally. I immediately grabbed an area rug and tightly rolled up the cat, leaving her head out so I could control her. Luckily there was a decent sprayer head with good pressure on the end of the hose. I very aggressively washed her mouth out nearly drowning her but I knew I had to remove the poison. It was all one instinctive act. It worked.
REPLY   5      

Re: Benadryl for Bufo Toad Poisoning

Andie (Jensen Beach, Florida) on 05/13/2014
5 out of 5 stars

Our mini dachshund had a brief encounter with a poisonous bufu cane toad, and began to rub his mouth on the grass, and had some frothing of the mouth. We rinsed his mouth immediately with the garden hose, & continued with the shower hose while calling the vet. This site has a lot of good info. I wanted to add that I read on wikipedia that the tadpoles & young ARE also poisonous. Luckily, our doxie needed no more treatment. The vet also rinsed his mouth thoroughly, & released him. I'm not sure if benadryl was recommended or not...it has been years since this happened. He no longer gets to roam free in his fenced back yard due to these monsters. People should not leave any type of pet food out whatsoever; they even ate corn & other grains from bird food that fell out when I cleaned the bird cage. Thanks to all for all the info on these killers.
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Re: First Aid for Bufo Toad Poisoning

Gordy (Naples, Fl) on 05/03/2014
1 out of 5 stars

Warning

I patrol the area with my Pellet gun. Our yorkie got in to a Bufo toad. Effect was immediate but we knew the protocol and washed his mouth & face, then headed to the emergency vet clinic. He had a bad night but survived.
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Re: Benadryl for Bufo Toad Poisoning

20yrswflvettech (Fort Myers, Fl) on 09/21/2013

Hi to all! I've been reading the comments here and I just wanted to respond with a few things.... 1st, I was born and raised here in SWFL, & I've been a vet tech @ an emergency vet clinic for the past 20 yrs. So Linda's question about how much Benadryl, the correct dose for dogs is 1mg per pound of body weight, so a 25 pound dog would get one (1) 25mg Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) tablet/capsule, or 10mls of childrens liquid Benadryl (check your labels, but MOST Liquid is 12.5mg/5ml). Next, unfortunately I've seen Bufo toxicity and deaths in dogs more than I'd like to count, and obviously prevention is your best bet, but it's true the best thing to do 1st is to immediately try to rinse your dogs mouth out with running water, then get your pet to the vet for them to treat the consequent symptoms caused by the toxins (ie seizures etc). Most dogs are killed from experiencing uncontrolled seizing, which left untreated will cause their temperature to rise quickly, effectively frying their internal organs (sorry about my graphic bluntness, but I want everyone to understand the seriousness of getting your pet the help he/she needs). You are all correct in keeping a close eye on your pets at night, as bufo's are generally nocturnal creatures, but they will come out during the day, especially during overcast rainy days, so be vigilant always. My neighborhood is overrun with the terrible toads and even though my dog is well trained and behaved, she is kept on a leash under a watchful eye.
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Re: Bufo Toad Poisoning

Holly (West Palm Beach, Fl) on 05/05/2013

My vet says that the poison is ON their mouth, lips, gums, etc., and that inducing vomiting is not only unnecessary, but dangerous... The idea is to rinse the poison through, out and off of the mouth. We use a hose from one side and then the other with the dog's head forced downward, wiping the slime away and OFF with fingers and a towel. In my opinion, FAST rinsing is the only cure. Seizures and death can be astonishingly quick. Our dogs NEVER go out after daylight alone. It's too dangerous, especially in the spring and summer, here in West Palm.
REPLY   6      

Gmacookie (Fort Pierce, Fl, Usa) on 09/28/2012
5 out of 5 stars

I realized Red Cedar Mulch is the same smell as mothballs so spread it as mulch on the 3 planting areas in my patio that are up against the fence, plus all along the fence where there are no planting areas. This is where the bufo toads come underneath and into the patio. I spread a half a big bale (got it at Kmart as the ones at Walmart are the smaller bales) about a week ago and so far they're staying out. It also looks nice! And I don't have to worry about my bichon/poodle picking up mothballs to play with. I used to use the red cedar all around my house foundation when I had a house, and once a year I'd spead it to keep away pests and bugs of all kinds. THen I made a long tube kind of like a draft stopper, from a piece of nylon netting that was a shower scrub (a buck or so at Walmart), filled it up with the red cedar and use it under the gate. I can move it easily when I go in and out the gate but at night it's there and keeps the toads out.
REPLY   10      

Sarah (Boynton Beach, FL) on 12/07/2006

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."

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