WHY TOADS ARE SCARY WHEN YOU HAVE DOGS!

We've heard stories about dogs eating/licking/playing with toads.

Frogs seem harmless enough to dogs- but are they really?

What happens when a dog eats a toad? Excessive drooling, nausea, and vomiting are clear signs. Depending on the species of toad (Colorado River Toad, Giant Toad, Western Toad, and Brown Toad) cause more extensive symptoms. These are considered poisonous and these species of toads secrete substances that are similar to heart medication digitalis and cause seizures. Others secrete poison that affect blood pressure and cause hallucinations. Some breeds of dogs, like the Pomsky, actually enjoy the 'high' that licking one of these toads cause, and will do so repeatedly.

What should you do if your dog licks/eats a toad? CALL YOUR VET!

Things you can do before going to the vet is to rinse the mouth out with water. If the dog has not vomited the frog up, you could administer Hydrogen Peroxide to cause it to expel the frog (under the counsel of your vet). If possible, rinse the mouth with water to flush out secretions that makes your pet nauseous. Withhold food and water for a few hours to let the stomach settle. If vomiting continues even after your pet empties its stomach, anti-nausea medications, acid reducers, or subcutaneous fluids may be administered by your vet.

If the species eaten contains a poison that affects the heart, you will know by the dog having hallucinations, seizures, racing heart, etc. TAKE THE DOG TO THE LOCAL ANIMAL HOSPITAL. This can be life threatening! Your dog may have to be hospitalized, and possibly treated with cardiac medications and fluids as needed to stabilize until it's passed.

Thankfully, reactions to most toad ingestion is 12-24 hours. It's a scary time but being prepared will help you know what to do. With camping season approaching, be sure to research the local emergency animal hospital within proximity of your campsite in case you do not have cell phone service.

ASPCA Poison Control number: Animal Poison Control (888) 426-4435