The Sonoran Desert Toad is also known as the Colorado River Toad. Because we're located in the Sonoran Desert, I will refer to it as such :) This toxic toad doesn't get the same amount of attention as the rattlesnakes we have. They can both easily kill an animal, but snakes always instill much more fear into us humans :) For starters, the Sonoran Desert Toad lives primarily in central and southern Arizona and extend south into Mexico. They creep into parts of southern California and New Mexico, but the areas are very limited. The toads are active May-September but primarily during monsoon season, and are mostly nocturnal
Now if you see a toad during monsoon, don't automatically assume it's a toxic Sonoran Desert Toad. We have a handful of toads in southern Arizona and it's important to learn the distinguishing characteristics of toxic toads. Just because they are toxic doesn't mean you should go running in the opposite direction, you can safely get close enough to decide if it is a toxic toad. Sonoran Desert toads are NOT slimy - their toxins are merely secreted through glands on their body when they are threatened. The distinguishing characteristics of Sonoran Desert Toads are: 1) Large prominent parotoid glands behind each eye and 2) a white wart at the corner of the mouth. Often, you can even see more parotoid glands on their back legs. The parotoid glands are what secrete the toxins. If you do a google search for Sonoran Desert Toads, you can become familiar with what the parotoid glands and white warts look like. The actual colors of the toad's skin can vary greatly, so color and skin smoothness are not a great determining factor.
Because our dogs and cats are curious creatures, they often bat at or mouth a toad trying to play with it. The toxins are strong enough to kill a dog but if you act quickly you can save your dog's life! (I'm focusing this on dog's since they are usually more mouthy than cats). If your dog encounters a toad and licks it or picks it up in their mouth, the best thing you can do is get your dog to the hose and gently spray/rinse their mouth out from the SIDE of the mouth - not directly into the mouth. The hose does not need to be at fire-hose pressure, so there's no need to turn it on all the way. Make sure their head is tilted down or to the side so water can drain. They will foam at the mouth and heavily salivate as a reaction to the toxins, so do not panic but continue to rinse their mouth with a steady flow of water, allowing it to drain out of their mouth. Continually rinse the mouth out for at least 10 minutes. You also want to rinse away any foam or excess saliva from their gums during the rinsing process. After this (or during, if someone else is around) call your vet and if they're not available call your local emergency vet. They will be able to further instruct you if they feel your dog should still come in for monitoring. Sometimes during these toxicities, your dog's temperature can sky rocket upwards of 105*F so it's always good to call a vet no matter what.
Similar to rattlesnake avoidance training, there is also toad avoidance training for those extra curious pooches. Call around for trainers or ask your veterinarian who they recommend. Most important of all, stay calm cool and collected if your dog encounters one :)
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Have you ever had to do this (rinse mouth etc.) with an animal?
ReplyDeleteI never have, not even when I worked in the animal hospitals. It seems like rattlesnake bites are much more of a problem than Sonoran toads. Both life threatening but pet owners can take the first step after a toad encounter, after a rattlesnake bite pet owners need to rush their pets in.
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