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Bufo Toad Poisoning: Not a Hoppy Experience
"Good morning, Harmony Animal Hospital. This is Debbie". Debbie listened as the woman's frantic voice issued across the phone line. "Please help me. I just brought my dog inside and she won't stop drooling and shaking her head. She's also rubbing her head along the floor. What's wrong with her?"
Dr. David Cox, the Medical Director, came on the line and asked the owner if she'd noticed any Bufo toads around her property. He described them for her: usually six to nine inches in length, brown to a grayish brown with a creamy yellow belly. "Yes", she said. "I looked out the window earlier and saw my dog Kelly playing with one. Will she be all right?" Dr. Cox soothed the woman and gave her some instructions. "Take a hose and wash Kelly's mouth out, especially along the gums. Be careful not to point the hose down her throat; we don't want to choke her." This was intended to wash the toxic secretions that ooze from special parotid glands (seen as large oval protrusions) along the toads back in response to threats or squeezing. "After you've washed out Kelly's mouth, bring her right in."
He wanted to examine and treat Kelly, because symptoms that start as excessive salivation can progress to seizures, tight clamped jaws, heartbeat irregularities, and even death.
Bufo toads are found around the world in tropical areas but are not native to Florida. Their habitat is mainly in disturbed areas such as around buildings and in yards, and along canals and ponds. They subsist on insects, vegetation, small birds, mammals, snakes, table scraps and pet food. They are most noticeable during the wet season, and they begin calling for mates in late March. The amorous marine toad makes a sound like a distant tractor.
The Bufo breeds from April to September. The female lays her eggs on the surface of water or wrapped around vegetation in the water. In about three days the eggs hatch into small black tadpoles that go through a metamorphosis into the adult form in 45 - 60 days.
Their skin secretions are highly toxic to dogs, cats, and other animals, and cause skin irritations in humans. Contrary to popular belief, toads do not cause warts.
One solution to the Bufo toad problem is to not attract them in the first place. Do not leave pet food in open containers in the yard. Nuisance toads can be removed and disposed of by placing them in a plastic container in the freezer for three days and then burying the carcass. Wear gloves while handling. It is legal to remove this species because it is non-native. It is illegal, though, to introduce non-native species into the wild.
There is a native species that is similar in appearance to the Bufo toad, the southern toad. The southern toad is smaller in size and has distinctive knobs on the top of its head. There is no indication that this native toad is any threat to our pets and should be left in peace.
With Dr. Cox's help, Kelly recovered completely and is back in the yard chasing squirrels.
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Bond With Your Pet Through Obedience
We routinely recommend obedience training, especially in young dogs, but dogs of any age will benefit. Many owners wonder abut the value for their particular pet, especially if their pet only stays home with the family. The advantages are many.
- Your dog will learn to watch you for an appropriate response when there are other things going on around you. This is a real plus when other dogs are competing for your dog’s attention.
- Your dog will learn specific behaviors that are good, and which result in reward and praise. These simple ‘tricks’ such as sit and down give the dog a clear path to follow if he finds himself in a confusing situation where he doesn’t know what you expect of him.
- Obedience training, especially if started a young age, strengthens the owner-dog bond and reinforces desirable behavior. A dog that knows what is expected of him is a long way along the road to being a good pet. This is important because the number one reason why owners euthanize their pets is behavior problems.
- A trained dog is much more acceptable in many situations, even visiting. Well trained, responsive and gentle dogs are usually able to be certified for use visiting hospitals as pet therapy dogs. (If you have an interest in this, call us and find out when our next certification will be held.)
- Obedience training can save your dog’s life. In an emergency, it is important that your dog will listen
to you. A situation like this happened with my own beloved dog, Sabra many years ago. I had her out in the yard off-leash and we were tossing a ball. A stray dog happened to approach and Sabra took off hot at his heels after him. They were nearing the road just as a car came barreling down. I screamed a stop and come command to my dog as the other dog dashed into the road; Sabra had reached the curb and was ready to run out into the path of the car herself. Even with all of the excitement of the chase and the distractions she heard me. Since we had established a very close bond and she was used to responding to me quickly, she stopped instantly and started to turn to come back to me; the car barely grazed her shoulder. Sabra ended up with only very minor injuries; unfortunately the other dog was killed instantly.
Basic obedience usually consists of learning to walk on a leash properly, learning to walk next to the owner at a command of heel, and learning sit and down. Beginning classes start to work on stay as well, usually for a short time on a leash at firs, and gradually increasing time and distance. The command come is also included, on leash for starters.
Obedience classes are fun and a great way to teach your dog while there are many distractions of other dogs and owners. A metal link training collar is used for quick corrections. While also known as a "choke collar" it is not meant to choke but to merely get the dogs attention with a quick pull and release. I caution that these collars should only be put on the dog for training, because in other situations it is possible for a dog to choke or hang itself. Use a regular buckle collar with identification tags at all other times.
With a period of classes and consistently spending at least 10 minutes a day practicing, you and your dog will be off to a great start and a much more enjoyable relationship.
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"No bad puppies"
Choosing your puppy wisely to begin with can help minimize problems.
We often see cases where an owner and their dog are completely mismatched and the owner is unhappy with the pet. Abandonment of the pet is often the sad result.
Case 1: A family with young children buys a little 12 week old Bichon puppy. The three year old child reaches into the puppy's food dish and the puppy snaps at and bites the youngster in the face.
Case 2: The large male adult Akita dominates the household. At night he jumps into bed next to the wife and growls if the husband approaches. The only way the husband can get into his bed is by tossing a dog biscuit down the hall and then jumping into bed as the dog runs to retrieve it.
Are the above two cases a result of poor breed selection, a behavioral problem with the particular dog, or lack of knowledge or training by the owner? Often it is a combination of problems.
Behavior traits that are common to different breeds strongly influence how a dog behaves. Researchers have developed behavior profiles for 56 popular breeds (borrow the book "The Perfect Puppy" by Hart from our lending library). It is important to understand these breed profiles and match them with your specific household needs and desires before purchase.
The breeds were ranked on the basis of 13 behavioral traits. Some of the traits, such as excitability and general activity, can be predicted with a high degree of certainty. Others, such as ease of housebreaking and destructiveness are, unfortunately, among the least predictable.
Before deciding what type of puppy to introduce into your household, you need to focus on which traits are most important to you (Table 1). A list of dog breeds can then be compiled that fit your needs.
Some of the questions you'll need to consider are: how much space do you have available? What are the ages of the family members? Is someone at home during the day? How much time do you have available for walking or exercising? How much time and/or money are you willing to spend on grooming? Why do you want a dog (companionship, security, sport/hobby, showing, other)? What behavior traits are most important to you (See Table 1)? After you've answered these questions, we can help you decide on an appropriate breed.
There are also predictable differences between males and females that can help in making a choice. Males show more aggression toward other dogs, more dominance over their owners, and are more apt to defend their territory. Neutering will help lessen these tendencies. Male dogs are also slightly more destructive and playful than female dogs, and have a higher general activity rating.
Females tend to be easier to housebreak and train and they show a slightly higher demand for affection. There seem to be no other gender differences among the other listed traits. This information is useful to minimize undesirable traits in a breed you otherwise like. For instance, a breed such as a Chow rates high on dominance over owner. Choosing a female may help lessen this trait and improve the relationship.
After deciding on the right breed, be sure to choose a reputable breeder. Then plan on spending at least an hour with the litter at about 7 weeks of age to determine the basic personality of each individual puppy in the litter. Important testing can be done to find the right puppy, such as dominant or submissive, quiet or bossy, that fits into your family or situation. For example, a bossy pup would probably not fit into a home with small children or elderly folk. Please ask us for a copy of the Puppy Behavior Test, or take out Campbell's "Behavior Problems in Dogs" from our lending library.
Choosing correctly may mean one less dog among the 13 million unwanted and unclaimed pets yearly. Please ask for help in making a sound, logical decision before picking that cute doggy in the window.
Table 1: 13 Behavior Traits of dogs
- Excitability
- General Activity
- Snapping at children
- Excessive barking
- Demand for affection
- Territorial defense
- Watchdog barking
- Aggression towards other dogs
- Dominance over owner
- Obedience training
- Ease of housebreaking
- Destructiveness
- Playfulness
Table 2: Choosing wisely
- Answer questions relating to your reasons for choosing a puppy.
- Decide what traits are most important.
- Choose a breed based on 1 & 2.
- Decide on gender.
- Find a reputable breeder.
- Pick the desired personality of a puppy by using the Puppy Behavior Test.
- Use puppy kindergarten (call to schedule) and obedience classes.
- Consult our veterinarians for help on selection, training, and care.
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How long can a puppy "hold it"?
Puppies, especially if they are crated, will try not to soil their area, but you shouldn't ask a puppy to hold it longer than he possibly can.
Use this rule of thumb: A puppy can hold his bladder for the number of hours equal to his age in months plus one. So a five-month old, for example, can stay in the crate for six hours before he needs to go out (but I wouldn't ask any dog, not matter how old, to try to hold it more than eight hours). If you work all day, and can't get home, consider hiring a pet sitter to come in on a daily basis to give your pet some exercise and a chance to relieve himself. It will make both of you feel so much better!
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Estrus (Heat) in Dogs
The fertile period of a female animal's reproductive cycle (the mating period) is called estrus, commonly referred to as "heat" or being "in season". The female will not mate with a male except during this period.
The average female cat (queen) or dog (bitch) reaches sexual maturity at about 6 months of age. Some female cats and small-breed dogs begin to cycle sooner.
Mating Behavior in Bitches
Bitches (female dogs) normally go into "heat" every 6 months. Each cycle normally lasts 1-2 weeks. A bitch in heat may show little change in temperament or activity as compared with the exaggerated displays of many female cats. Some dogs become somewhat lethargic, while others become anxious and possibly aggressive. The bitch may become restless, making frequent escape attempts.
At no time should a bitch in heat be left unsupervised in the backyard or off a leash during walks. Close supervision prevents undesired mating or injury.
During walks, the estrual female urinates more frequently than usual, leaving a trail of scent to your home.
Male dogs can detect powerful chemical signals in vaginal secretions and urine from a distance of several miles. The estrual bitch may also attract neutered dogs that are aroused by the changes they sense.
If your dog has been undesirably bred, contact your veterinarian within the first few days after mating to discuss your options.
Physical changes associated with estrus tend to be more obvious in bitches than in queens. The nipples may become slightly enlarged in anticipation of milk production associated with pregnancy. The vulva may appear inflamed and swollen, with a normal bloody discharge. These physical changes normally regress if the bitch does not become pregnant.
During intercourse, the male dog's penis becomes engorged with blood, and the male may be unable to detach himself from the female for as long as a half hour. During this period, it is normal for the male to dismount and stand tail to tail with the female, joined by his penis. Do not be alarmed by this sight, and do not try to separate them. When the male dog's erection subsides, the dogs become separated.
Spaying Prevents Estrus
Spaying your female cat or dog is a surgical procedure usually performed at 6 to 8 months of age. There are many more reasons to have your pet spayed than not to have it spayed.
