I HAD A FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE THIS MORNING. My daughter dropped off her (our) Beagle at my house and rushed off to an appointment. A few minutes later the dog began staggering, seemed to be losing control of his back legs and seemed to be losing his vision. He came to me when I called, but was apathetic, lacking altertness. I detected slight foaming at the mouth.
I had my son grab him up and rush him to the Vet. After one look the Vet said the dog had come in contact with a
Bufo Toad. This toad secretes a substance that is poisonous to dogs, cats and other small animals. The Vet gave our dog a shot, washed his mouth out with Dawn and water, and administered extra liquids by IV. He said the dog merely licked the toad, and that was enough to poison him.
By the time that my son brought him home, about an hour later, the dog was fine. Some web sites say that if a dog or cat is exposed to this poison and is
left untreated there is a high likelihood that it will die. I want to make sure all of my friends are aware of this hazard.
A photo of the toad appears at the linked web site.
BUFO TOAD|Giant Killer toads invade So. FL threaten your pet