The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Posted by Ohnoice (Coral Springs, Fl.) on 08/01/2009 ★★★★★
Moth balls do keep killer toads out of your yard!!! Remember, these toads dig under fences as well as squeeze through. Place moth balls around outer fence about 2-3" apart. Repeat as often as needed. No animal will eat them if a toad doesn't like the smell!! so, bravo to the person that came up with this idea, and thank you. Mollie, boomer, and blake.
Posted by Paulette (Thonotosassa, Florida) on 06/23/2009 ★★★★★
On June 22, 2009 our little Jack Russell was poisoned by a Bufo Toad. We caught her almost immediately after we saw her flipping it with her nose. Her left eye was shut. I immediately washed her head and nose with Baby Shampoo and rinsed for an extremely long time. I gave her a teaspoon of olive oil and she started throwing up volumous amounts of frothey white liquid. She started stiffening up and closed her left eye completely. We rushed her to the vet and they started an IV to push fluids. We were sent home as soon as she could walk. They gave us anti convulsants in case she started to have seizures in the night. I think that the extreme wash saved her life. We are still watching the eye to make sure that she doesn't form an ulcer from the poison. She is one lucky little dog.
Posted by Jukie (Hanover Pk, IL) on 04/06/2020 ★★★★★
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!
Posted by 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.
Posted by Leslie Demerville (Miami Dade County, Fl) on 06/06/2013
Here in South Florida we are innundated with these horrible frogs. Very hard to kill them. Having hundreds around my home during Katrina whereby the 18 inches of rain we got washed them out of their dens. They killed my minature donkey.... Please be careful. We are overpopulated with these killers. If you have one on your property, corner it and pour morton salt all over it. This is the quickest way to kill them before it kills your beloved pet. Use the salt around any areas of your garage, or any outdoor area that has a roof, i.e., a car port, FL room. The salt will deter them, ammonia does not always work. Be advised that these frogs can be harmful to humans, especially babies.
Posted by Jay (Tampa, Pinellas) on 09/28/2011 ★★★★★
This is the second time that I have had one of my Frenchies lick or eat these toads ( by the way, they all have some form of nurotoxin) The first dog I revived 5 times on the way to the Emergency Vet. She had a 5% survival rate. Tonight (9/28) My second female Frenchie ate a small one. They go absolutely spastic trying to get the toxins out of their mouth. Both times hitting them with Benedryl help, also you need to get as much of the toxins out of their mouths(wet Cloth). She was bleeding profusely from the mouth due to a dollar shape (necrotic) circle.
It may sound cruel but I also took the hose from the sink and forced as much water into her stomach and mouth. The first was to ensure she threw up, second to clean as much of the toxin into a wet cloth. The key is whatever you do has to be quick. The first 15 mins to half hour are critical. I have not heard of the vinegar before but if it works and I will check with the VET in the morning. Please pay attention to ALL toads. Theses incidents occured in Delray Beach and Palm Harbor.
Posted by Grateful (West Palm Beach, FL) on 05/21/2009 ★★★★★
Vinegar cured a dog poisoned by a bufo frog
We live in rural South Florida and have a lot of bufo frogs in the yard. Our small dog was outside in the evening after a rain, when it was prime weather for them to be out. When my wife called him in, he didn't come. She found this unusual, so went out to find him, and he was staggering around in circles under a bush. She came in to call for me to help, but by the time we were able to get to him he had fallen over and had lost all motor control. He had clearly been poisoned by a frog.
By the time we got him inside where we could see him in the light, he looked done for. We are a long way from an emergency vet and doubted we could get him there in time. Within the first couple of minutes he could not move a muscle and his eyes were rolling back in his head. Although we washed out his mouth as best we could with his jaw locked, he had ingested too much poison already. I also noticed his ears were sticky, which from what I read now after the fact sounds consistent with the poison.
In desperation I ran a quick search on the web for remedies and ran across your site. I tried vinegar as you recommended, and when I spilled it on the outside of his mouth or got some in with an eyedropper he licked his lips - his tongue must have been the last muscle he could use and I suppose it was an involuntary reaction. By then he had gone entirely stiff with all his muscles contracted, and only his tongue and eyes were moving. He probably drank (not including spillage) about 1/4 cup of vinegar - this for a 10 pound dog - before we started to slow it down, as that's a lot of vinegar. Relative to size, that's like an adult person drinking a quart or so. Ugh! We also kept petting him, talking to him, stretching his limbs, and stimulating his paws and tail to try to get back sensation - I have no idea if this was useful or not.
After about 15 minutes with no apparent change I was trying to get him to take some egg white, as I read elsewhere, but with little luck. We still doubted whether he was going to make it. However, he slowly started moving his head to follow my daughter around, then stretched his front paws, and shortly stood back up and started staggering around again. Within a few more minutes, he was walking more normally but in circles, and a few minutes later was running around the house with his tail back out. He isn't quite himself yet an hour later, but we're hoping the remaining effects will wear off. It was a remarkable recovery after we'd assumed that we had lost him.
It sure seemed like the vinegar did it, unless the effects were wearing off on their own. Thanks for the recommendation!
Bufo toads-BLEACH. WORKS. Spraying vinegar or bleach or anything else on them does Not. To kill these deadly poisonous toads either shoot them or catch them and put them in a bucket with bleach. They die instantly. Running over them with a golf cart, or even my car, did not kill them! Online it says they lay 30,000 eggs every other day. Killing one toad a week is not helping. So far there is not a suitable pesticide to rid us of these venomous creatures that were imported from Australia to Hawaii and South Florida to help the sugar cane owners rid their cane fields of their own pests to protect their profits. Problem is the toads took over and have become a (VERY DEADLY) pest to All of us. The sugarcane owners should be held responsible for this scourge. They should be held responsible to financially support science to find a 'cure' that will rid us of this deadly toad. This toad has the potential to eventually be in all warm weather states killing our pets. Similiar to the Lyme tick. The 'new' tick that was thought to only infect animals until it was finally discovered it infected humans. Who knew about this poisonous debilitating tick 25 yrs ago. Now it is rampant in Every single state, not just Lyme, Connecticut where it started. To try to rid our areas of as many toads as I can, I went to Wal-Mart and was in line purchasing a BB air gun. In line next to me were 7 others. They all were purchasing various guns. We looked at each other and all said almost at the same time... "Toads. " All 7 of us were trying to protect our pets from horrific, painful and drawn out death because sugar cane owners brought in these deadly creatures. Snakes, birds of prey like hawks, normal animals that might eat frogs, do not touch these toads. They somehow know better. Our house pets do not. My golden retreiver has touched( not even eaten) a toad with his nose and been poisoned. All 4 times I was right there with him. Once he was even on a leash. In the yard the toads look like a leaf or piece of bark. All 4 times the toads were very small-2-3 inches. (I have killed them bigger than my entire hand including my fingers). I put the hose sideways in his mouth and stood straddling him so I could force his head down. You do Not want any water to get into his lungs and get pneumonia. I rinsed his mouth and rub his gums, insides of cheeks, tongue with a wet rag many times also. I hosed him 15 minutes minimum each time. Then rushed to vet. One time I thought I got it all, only to find him foaming again in the car. Luckily the nightime vet clinic is nearby.
One day, hopefully in the very near future, we will get some big-time help from one of the chemical companies that have the funds to research a cure for this problem. It is already an epidemic in Australia and will be one here in South Florida soon.
I think a concerted move should be made by concerned citizens to our legislators to lobby the chemical companies for help to protect our pets.
My friends call me the 'toad vigilante'. So be it. Toads or my dogs? Toads are winning now. Let's end this war.
Posted by Charley (Thonotosassa, Fl) on 07/12/2016
Ok, everyone. Be careful about washing sour dogs mouths out with the hose. You don't want to force the poison down into their stomachs and the benadryl. 100mg! Make sure your dog is big enough to handle that dosage. Might kill a 4 pound Yorkie.
Posted by Jukie (Hanover Pk, IL) on 04/06/2020 ★★★★★
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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.
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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.
It's the Kaboom. Don't know about Oxyclean...never used it. I use the Kaboom for cleaning everything...don't use pesticides but use moth balls and other natural repellents. On a when I sprayed some bugs on my porch and wasps.. they drop like flies...vet told me he thinks maybe a chemical in Kaboom paralyzes them if it doesn't kill them instantly...so...Kaboom could be dangerous for pet birds, small cats and dogs if they get in it directly.
I keep hearing that yards should be treated with citric acid to kill toads, but I couldn't find it in any stores here. I should've ordered it online a long time ago. Tonight my Westie was poisoned by a toad. She is at this moment near death in the hospital. We don't know if she'll make it. She's my baby.
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.
My Pit has a grudge againt the Bufo frogs we have here in Hawaii and I find it interesting that nobody seems to know they exist here too! The last two weekends in a row he has gotten ahold of one. Luckily he didn't swallow it, just shook it. He immediate began froth at the mouth, his jaw locked up. I dragged him inside and started the flushing process. It usually takes about fifteen minutes of flushing with clear water and wiping gums with a wet cloth before I can even get his jaw open to start on the inside of his mouth. I know everyone says to flush the inside, but when a pitbull locks his jaw, it takes a lot more strength than I have to open it... Luckily my Pit is a big pussycat and the only danger is that he can't control his jaws when this happens.. I have noticed when they begin to unlock, they do have a tendency to involunarily snap back shut the first several times so watch your fingers!!
Posted by Annabelle (Delray Beach, FL) on 07/16/2009
Nice to hear such a humane and logical point of view, all good points and very well stated. Give yourself a pat on the back for being one of the very few to problemsolve the issue while still promoting decency by respecting the living things we share our environments with.
Posted by Kathy (Homestead, Florida) on 10/07/2007 ★★★★★
I live in South Florida where Bufo Toads are abundant. I have several acres and have 8 dogs, Bufos are my worst nightmare! But as it has happened by accident I think I have found a way to keep BUFOs away or at least reduced in amounts!! I heard that MOTH BALLS repels snakes and snails which I have plenty of those also since I live just outside the Everglades. In the past 6 months since I have put the moth balls around my fence line....I have found ONLY 1 BUFO toad where I usually find at least 10 a day!! Im so happy!! but still on guard because you have to keep putting the moth balls down....ALSO...I have had many of my dogs get Bufo poisoned...and the thing that works best for me is simply rinsing the dogs mouth out forcefully with a garden hose and IMMEDIATELY afterwards giving the dog 100mgs of BENADRYL (OTC)....works like a charm. Havent had any problems at all...but the best is to prevent them from coming to your property...and so far...MOTH BALLS WORK! no snakes or snails either!
I was just reading all of these comments, desperate to find a way to keep these toads out of my yard, or at least a way to protect my dog. I really like the idea of the muzzle at night. As soon as this season started, one big fat toad declared our backyard as his new home. One thing you should never do if your dog has come in contact with one of these nasty creatures is to have them drink water. If you do this, you are driving the toxin further into their system. Take a rag or washcloth, or hand if you have nothing else, and rinse the toxin off the tongue, upper mouth, and sides of the mouth. You don't want it to get any farther in. I hope all our babies stay safe this season!
Posted by Darcie (Homestead, Florida) on 11/22/2012
11/22/12 Up until 2 days ago I never gave any thought to these ugly creatures. I knew about them and had heard that they were lethal to dogs but never thought that I would EVER have a problem. To make a long story short , my 5lb Yorkie got hold of one 2 days ago , I flushed his mouth out and rushed him to the vet(20 mins in total) and now 2 days later he is dead. SO I now comb the yard at night and early morning before I let my other dogs out. Trust me until you have lost a beloved pet to one of these frogs you have no idea of the guilt that you feel.
Deb told me yesterday that your beautiful Sage had kissed a bufo. We are so sorry for you, and regret that we didn't get a chance to help. The breeder of our first Westie (in Haiku Plantation) warned us when we picked up our puppy that toads are poisonous and that they had lost a dog following contact. You know how game Westies are! When Nancy was a couple of years old she latched onto a bufo and began frothing. We immediately washed out her mouth with a hose, and she suffered no ill effects. Her daughter also experienced the venom. Immediate recognition, and immediate washing. Another bullet dodged. On the other hand, a friend had a dog that would actively seek out and kiss a bufo, writhe ecstatically on the ground, race in circles, then repeat. Apparently the fairy tale about kissing a frog that turns into a prince has factual/hallucinogenic underpinnings! You and Sage are in our thoughts, Laurie. Fingers crossed...
The wonderful Theresa from Minneapolis, MN has been helping pet owners and their beloved pets around the world on Earth Clinic since 2013.
About Theresa
Theresa from Minneapolis was born and raised in the inner city, always wishing she had been raised on a farm.
Her love for creatures great and small began at an early age, starting with caterpillars - which continues to this day, along with an interest in all insects and 'creepy crawlies'.
Theresa's interest in pet health started with a bird keeping hobby at age 14, where she learned from another hobbyist that the simple addition of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in a bird's drinking water kept fungal infections away; she was able to share this with her avian vet who in turn prescribed it to her own clients; Theresa was surprised to learn that she could teach her vet a thing or two. This important lesson - that each of us can be a teacher - was a turning point for Theresa, and fueled her quest for the knowledge held in lore, and remedies passed by word of mouth. That quest for knowledge continues to this day, as new and old remedies alike are explored. She may not have experience with a particular issue, but she will research it to the best of her ability and share what she finds freely, in the hopes that you can heal or improve your pet's health.
-----------------------------
How To Show Theresa Your Appreciation
If you would like to thank Theresa for her helpful posts, she asks if you would please consider making a donation to one of her favorite local rescue organizations, or by making a donation to help the genius contributor, Ted from Bangkok, recover from his stroke.
Please do not salt the toads - while it may eventually kill them, it will take time and the toads will suffer. If you must kill them please do so in as painless a way as possible [whack with shovel?]. Ideally you would use fencing material such as hardware cloth to fence them out of your dog area, and if that is not possible have your dog wear a muzzle to prevent him from getting a toad in his mouth. Not happy options, but as you say, life or death matter.
Posted by Eileen D. (Central Coastal Sonora, Mexico) on 08/14/2016
Just now tried to stun and kill a bufo in my herb pot..it sprayed and got me from at least 3 ft..I experienced a bitter taste in my mouth..so brushed my teeth and flushed with herbs and washed face arms and legs.. I did manage to get the frog out of pot and over the garden wall..but..we have them all the time and my spoo will mouth them and I have done what you did, Deb. even down to the milk though in my case it's plain yogurt that always seems to make them better..immediately..They scare me to death..
The wonderful Theresa from Minneapolis, MN has been helping pet owners and their beloved pets around the world on Earth Clinic since 2013.
About Theresa
Theresa from Minneapolis was born and raised in the inner city, always wishing she had been raised on a farm.
Her love for creatures great and small began at an early age, starting with caterpillars - which continues to this day, along with an interest in all insects and 'creepy crawlies'.
Theresa's interest in pet health started with a bird keeping hobby at age 14, where she learned from another hobbyist that the simple addition of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in a bird's drinking water kept fungal infections away; she was able to share this with her avian vet who in turn prescribed it to her own clients; Theresa was surprised to learn that she could teach her vet a thing or two. This important lesson - that each of us can be a teacher - was a turning point for Theresa, and fueled her quest for the knowledge held in lore, and remedies passed by word of mouth. That quest for knowledge continues to this day, as new and old remedies alike are explored. She may not have experience with a particular issue, but she will research it to the best of her ability and share what she finds freely, in the hopes that you can heal or improve your pet's health.
-----------------------------
How To Show Theresa Your Appreciation
If you would like to thank Theresa for her helpful posts, she asks if you would please consider making a donation to one of her favorite local rescue organizations, or by making a donation to help the genius contributor, Ted from Bangkok, recover from his stroke.
Posted by Sam (West Palm Beach, Us/fl) on 10/09/2010
My yorkshire terrier went after a bufo today. Same exact thing happened to him, the foaming, he lost balance, random bowel movements, and then seizures. Luckily for me, my wife called me when he started foaming, she wanted to wait it out because we had never heard of the bufo before. Once he lost his balance she grabbed him and jumped into the car, luckily for us an animal hospital is right down the block.
By the time we made it there he was having seizures. They immediately put him on an IV and gave him seizure medicine, he was also given oxygen through an oral tube since he couldn't breathe on his own. They ran blood tests to make sure his organs were still fully functional. His heart rate had nearly doubled compared to normal. Even now that he's stable the Dr.still won't say he's certain he'll live. They will let him come home tomorrow morning if everything goes well tonight. Like everyone else I was hysterical and praying. I have 3 dogs and they are my children, I love them more than anything and would give up everything I have to make sure they are okay, that is the responsibility I agreed to take on when I got my dogs and I'd do it any day. My vet bill is outrageous but my dog is still alive so it's worth it. I appreciate all the useful information people have posted, and I'm against killing any living thing, but in this case I rather kill a frog than lose one of my dogs. I now know that I have to keep my eyes on them at all times, I'm a New Yorker and was very unaware of such things like the bufo frog until today. I thank god my little boy is still alive, and pray that he'll come home tomorrow fully recovered.
Killing toads -- yes, it is nice to humane so I will use my .45 cal pistol -- instant death! The toads are not common here in Naples, yet but we have seen at least 2 in our yard in recent weeks - there is a small pond. Mt automatic dog watering pan is elevated about 6 inches. I will either raise it or move it inside the screened porch.
Thnx to all the contibutors -- I learned a lot that they did not teach us in medical school, but that is sll right since there are no Bufos in Zurich.
Someone please summarize all the treatment in a simple list - print it and- put you own Vet's name on it.
Posted by Donna (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida) on 07/06/2008 ★☆☆☆☆
Bufo Toad Remedies: I tried the mothballs and they did NOT work at all. They smelled bad and I had to collect them all back up. It was a "bad' experience.
Posted by Jim (Stuart, Florida) on 06/07/2008 ★★★★★
There are two forms of Bofus frog, only one is dangerous.
In my many years I have found that a garden hose and wasting the mouth of the dog, holding the head sideways, as quickly as possible is very effective in saving the dog. Also rub the mouth and gums. Once it gets into the blood stream, it will take 15 minutes or less to kill a dog or cat, generally a smaller size. Humans will get a rash or burning eyes so wash asap.
The bad one is the Bufo marinus. The Southern Toad is the smaller of the two, no larger then 3 inches and is not plump as the other is.
They are brown or gray-brown on top, sometimes with cream colored spots scattered across their backs, sides and legs. The underside is a sickly pale yellow, sometimes flecked with black. The back and legs are covered with spiny warts.
Posted by Craig Wolf (Coconut Creek, Florida) on 04/05/2008 ★★★★★
I was told that salt works on Buffos the same way it works on slugs. Since they are made up of mostly water the salt gets into the poors of the skin and dried up their skin and affects their nervous system.
Regarding the use of salt for the Florida Marine Frog/Toad, yes there may be a more 'Humane" method if you are fast enough to catch the critter. First, you don't chase the frog/toad with a salt shaker. I have boxes of table and Kosher salt and take a handful and toss it on them. At this time in Miami Dade County the rain is at its worst and the critters are even out all day. My Dogs are my kids, since my children are grown. We lost one due to age a few months ago and it was terrible. I still when time to feed the dogs get one "extra" helping of food sometimes forgeting that she is gone. This morning my wife while escorting two dogs out to do there business one of them went after a toad, and might have gotten some poison. She immediately grabbed the dog and water hose and rinsed his mouth. She woke me up and by the time I had my clothes on since the episode occured 10 or 15 minutes had passed. We got the dog into the car and the Vet was not open yet but the overnight person who monitors the animals told us of another Animal Clinic several minutes away. We went there and they were not open yet? Now we are approaching the hour mark after the incident occured. Most Vets will agree that in most cases 15 minutes or so the animal will die. It has been two hours and the dog is calm, stopped drooling and with the Grace of God seems to be himself [somewhat] again. It is pouring rain again at about 09:00 A. M. here in Miami pouring rain and you can hear the Frogs/Toads making noise in the yard.
Our Vet on one ocassion came out to the waiting room and scolded everyone for not being more careful; regarding this issue, she just had to an animal "down".
I wish I had looked into moth balls.. I did try wasp spray. I recently found out about these d___ frogs and sadly answers have not come soon enough. We have had two english mastiffs in our 8 acres with underground fence. One day our boy 200lb. decided to have a taste I guess and we thought it was a seizure he was having or rabies crossed my mind except he had that shot... So I talked to my mom and she mentioned she knew a friend once whose dog would react similar from eating frogs???since I had mentioned to her how I had 5 toads that scared me getting in my car one morning hopping around the garage door to get out. My husband believed me but assumed I was being over dramatic mom.. So I noticed the shaking legs when he would try to sit and a huge puddle of foamy drool he had created somehow.. This spaced out non reactive face but when I try to get him water he wouldnt drink so I poured it down the side of him until he drank and drank and drank.. Then within 10 min. or so he was alert and acting regular again. My husband and I made sure dogfood stayed cleaned up too since they are attracted to it. We had hoped he had quit but when I noticed more frog poop (disgusting little terds!! ) all in our garage and concrete drive.. Patio. I knew they were back my husband had put up a bug light to zap bugs away.. Hoping that would help from situation. It did and we hadnt seen any for awhile til all of these every other night rain storms in summer. Then we had come back from vacation the kennel had said he was having hard time with the heat and breathing had sounded rough. So after a big storm he had disappeard never having left the fence in 4yrs I was freaked! Couldn't find him anywhere horrible thoughts of what could have happened to him crossed my mind. But we found him dead floating in the pond out behind our house beyond the fence. I will be buying a ton of moth balls to scatter around property now. He weighed so much that it didnt kill him instantly it was the constant chasing them out in the woods and yard at night that finally caught up with him, Iguess. Our female hasn't really had anything going on except a couple weeks back her eye was really swollen.. Which the vet said to give her Benadryl which I did and it was down the next day.. Come to find out about it now it was possibly a reaction also from the toads. Now we have to deal with the loss and a lonely girl.. so she has extra attention now.
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