POISONOUS TOADS & YOUR DOGS

What is that silly beastie doing now?
He is bouncing around something on the ground. Jumping up and down, darting back and forth. He’s playing and barking at something you can’t see. Oh, he found a new toy. Now, what does he have in his mouth? You watch him spit it out and it's a toad! Is your dog in trouble?

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN 06.30.2020

TOAD SECRETING TOXIN

Toad-ish Problems
If a toad is in your dog’s mouth wash the mouth out with the water coming out of the mouth and immediately call your veterinarian. Bag the toad and identify it, if you can, but do not touch yourself or your dog until you wash your hands really well. If you cannot reach a veterinarian call the PET POISON HELPLINE, 1-855-764-7661.

DID YOU KNOW? TOADS ARE IN THE TOP 10% FOR PET POISONINGS EACH YEAR.

Toads vs. Frogs
For most of us, a toad or frog is a croaking creature that hops with four legs, hunchback, two eyes, and a fly-catching sticky, zap it tongue. Knowing the difference between a toad and a frog has an ‘ick’ factor. Frogs are slimier than toads and frogs have smoother skin where toads have bumpier skin. Frogs have longer legs and found more often near a body of water and have webbed hind feet. Frogs have teeth on the upper jaw and toads have no teeth.

Toads have shorter legs with squattier bodies and drier skin. A bump or wart is skin covering sensory organs with nerve endings like on the human tongue. This rougher skin also hides a toad’s defense mechanism. A toad has a granular gland (parotoid gland) at the back of its head or on the shoulders. When a toad is threatened this gland releases a toxin with a bitter taste, odor, and milky discharge through its skin similar to sweating. It can be deadly to dogs but begins as an irritant. It will irritate the nose, mouth, and eyes of a predator. Some say toads can actually spray this toxin from the gland.

Toxic Toads
​A toad soaking in a dog’s water dish can leave enough toxin behind to make the dog very sick. The most likely and dangerous time to find a toad is at dawn or dusk from May to August. The Sonoran Toad, the Giant Toad, and Fowler’s Toad are very toxic. The Sonoran toad is a nocturnal toad also known as the Desert Toad and the Colorado River Toad. The Giant Toad is better known as the Cane Toad, Marine Toad, and the Giant Neotropical Toad.​ 

​

​Name, Size, & Range

• Fowler’s Toad, 'Anaxyrus fowleri' 2.5” - 3.75” E. TX to NH
• Sonoran Toad or Colorado Toad, 'Incilius alvarius' Up to 7” NM, AZ to CA
• Giant Toad, 'Rhinella marina' 4”- 9” Oahu, TX & FL​

Habitats

• Gardens
• Ditches
• Lakeshores
• ​Sandy soil
• Forests
• Streams
  
• Fountains

• ​Irrigated 
• Fields
• Puddles
• Ponds
• Outdoor
• Water bowls
• Buildings​

• Pool
  
• Faucet
  
• Reservoirs
  
• Yards
  
• Canals
  
• Creeks. 

Fowler’s toad has a lighter gray or brown stripe down its back. Its coloring is gray or brown with dark spots and three or more warts. It has a cream color underside.

The Sonoran toad is the largest toad in North America and considered endangered in California. This toad is found in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona. It is also found across the country from Arizona westward to California. The Sonoran toad's head is wide and flat with a squatty body. Its leathery skin changes from a gray-green to a dark brown with light orange warts and up to four white warts.

The Giant toad can get very big but is usually smaller than the Sonoran toad. It has a record of being 15” long from nose to bottom. Its coloring varies from olive-brown to a yellowish or reddish color. The belly may be pale white or yellow. It has a triangular head, short legs, and rough skin. This toad can live 10 – 40 years. It needs a very humid place to live. In Texas, it can be found predominately in the Rio Grande Valley. If the toad is longer than 4” it is probably toxic.
​
Toxin:
A toad’s milky toxin is a steroid compound called Bufotoxin and it is a serious hallucinogen. This can vary some. Its chemical makeup is akin to that of LSD. The toxin comes through the skin when the toad is frightened or when the parotid gland is compressed/squeezed such as when milking a cow. If a dog grabs the toad with his mouth he squeezes the parotid gland. These poisonous toads are referred to as 'psychedelic toads'.

Symptoms:
Symptoms range from mild to severe. A dog will experience disorientation, fever, and rapid or abnormal heart rhythms. Mild reactions include a lot of salivating and mouth or eye irritation. On top of mild symptoms, there is vomiting, breathing difficulty, loss of muscle coordination, loss of bladder control, and listlessness. The most severe reactions go further to include pasty diarrhea, seizures, fixed pupils, abdominal cramping, bluish complexion, and so on. Veterinarian intercession is necessary. A pet can die in as little as 15 minutes.

Take Action:
When a dog gets a toad in its mouth small amounts of toxin are absorbed through the mucous membranes and the poison goes directly into the bloodstream. It can also cause vision issues if gotten in the eyes. The dog may paw at its mouth or eyes or both and whimper or cry. Inducing vomiting will not help because the toxin is not in the stomach. Seek immediate veterinarian treatment.


Preventative Measures:
Suggestions to reduce having toads on your property are keeping your grass cut short and shrubs clipped up. Rake all the debris away. Look for places a toad might like to burrow such as foundational cubbies around a home, fence, shed, or other building. Do not leave any pet food or water outdoors. Commands like ‘Down,' 'Leave it,' or 'Stop,' come in handy for many things, like leaving toads alone.

References:
“Californiaherps.com, Reptiles and Amphibians.” California Herps, http://www.californiaherps.com/noncal/misc/miscfrogs/pages/r.marina.html.

Cane Toad (Rhinella Marina) - Species Profile, https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=48#:~:text=Cane%20Toad%20(Rhinella%20marina)%20%2D%20Species%20Profile&text=Synonyms%20and%20Other%20Names%3A%20Bufo,)%2C%20Poloka%20(Hawaiian).

“Clinical and Electrocardiographic Evaluation during Experimental Toad Poisoning in Dogs.” Facebook, https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.scielo.br%2Fscielo.php%3Fscript%3Dsci_arttext%26pid%3DS1678-91992010000200014%26fbclid%3DIwAR0CUR6XkXxcaqhNz8-ZxJcpOUeMceEL_UhpzLfRs-Uib9XR6l3t6fERgzg&h=AT1cGIoIVEn1qJugNM4JKHCWl7I1EwVs8-AWZq6ceZ7qS3nFF9MyL5fVTzcaq2Up3llnNj-bXZgr7t_fNay3YUFAs38RjGI96c9dXdlwUWa1FeW7AkOyhUtcUUtH_dJTB1XqhViUZCs-mbWpqGMq7X5llkG6t2XGAYyGgYiGqLWzyC6kcBK1Pgc4gfvXBVTQc-pJ2vlsKbb3ils2JfViYYEO58oHuHnSXny7smDG4N6XnjcptqyvI39ZqSMXA8o0rZ-41kNqhbffUHJjY4p7nHcKsS07RqzKPI2Im3Dq9iBCvkuaC6Kh5HgP457V9kI4QYA2RBZA3tSqmtNGcWZV_Iu-5ZqcQ28NET7ax-4tFjKCXBWbmMWTiEktRQsBhLdr5vxr9bSJi_RfrcHarP_in6g5seDKP5n-cTeYUOSxxCmxcKTUvwiOxQWhzda2ApJ1-eaR5yXAnTDT0Sup-jZjul8-QkIw1S5nRJkwQJr6t6Vix4taMK7NQlrTROd_LcKs04i_i_GQRdxZmcq1_N0T8swAfIRl25kKWx0sH46w_-k6EOWFHMgeX1L7WvLCA9Vj4ZgZ53co_8_Z1XqNeVqi6lpYYRM8OFtkwiXeJa7EMJeuXclBEqY8v19VRkbPXJ3vyQ.

Editorial, PetMD. “Toad Venom Toxicosis in Dogs.” PetMD, PetMD, 21 Sept. 2016, https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/toxicity/c_dg_toad_venom_toxicosis.

“External Structures of Toad: Zoology.” Zoology Notes, 20 Oct. 2016, https://www.notesonzoology.com/toad/external-structures-of-toad-zoology/3664.

“Fowler's Toad (Bufo [Anaxyrus] Fowleri).” Species Profile: Fowler's Toad (Bufo [Anaxyrus] Fowleri) | SREL Herpetology, https://srelherp.uga.edu/anurans/buffow.htm.

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“Frogs and Toads.” Frogs and Toads - Enchantedlearning.com, https://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/amphibians/frogs.shtml.

Holland, Mary. “American Toad Parotoid Glands.” Naturally Curious with Mary Holland, 5 July 2017, https://naturallycuriouswithmaryholland.wordpress.com/2017/07/05/american-toad-parotoid-glands/.

Pacific, Aquarium of the. “Sonoran Desert Toad.” Sonoran Desert Toad | Online Learning Center | Aquarium of the Pacific, https://www.aquariumofpacific.org/onlinelearningcenter/species/sonoran_desert_toad.

Plumlee DVM, MS, Dipl ABVT, ACVIM, Konnie H., et al. “Bufotoxin.” Bufotoxin - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics, https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/bufotoxin.

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Tatum, Jimmy. “Bufo Toad Florida Infestation Toxic to Pets.” K9partnersforpatriots.Com, 4 Apr. 2019, https://k9partnersforpatriots.com/bufo-toad-florida-infestation-toxic-to-pets/.

Tucsonherpsociety.org, https://tucsonherpsociety.org/2020/09/28/online-presentation-september-28-2020-7pm-pst-robert-a-villa-toad-smoke-unnatural-history-of-the-sonoran-desert-toad/.

WFLA 8 On Your Side Staff. “Toxic Toads Can Kill Your Pet in Minutes - Here's How to Stop Them.” WFLA, WFLA, 10 Feb. 2020, https://www.wfla.com/news/florida/toxic-toads-can-kill-your-pet-in-minutes-heres-how-to-stop-them/.