Jeff Dickey Webboard User Reg: 01-03-2005
Posts: 38
Loc: Austin, Tx
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We have had a wet spring in Austin, and there are lots of frogs about. Do I need to worry about my dog eating garden variety frogs? What are the dangers?
Dennis Jones Webboard User Reg: 06-13-2004
Posts: 3389
Loc: Richmond Va
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I'm no naturalist, but I do know frogs/toads have glands behind there head that makes them REALLY nasty tasting to preditors. Maggie got a hold of one once and that was the last time she did that. I don't know of any frog or toad in North America that is really poisonous. Texas however, its like a whole other contry....... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> I'd be more worried about snakes. I'm going to google it
I may be wrong but toads secrete a poisonous oil/foam (or something) from their skin when there are threatened. If a dog licks or eats the toad he will seizure, convulse,and die within an hour. I had a JRT that had always been a house dog and exercised in a park. When I took him with me on a camping trip, the first thing he did was hunt down a toad and eat it. He died within an hour after horrible seizuring and convulsing! Very awful to watch and nothing we could do. I don't know if frogs are the same but I live in south Texas and these toad are the same ones we had in Indiana when I lived there- regular brown colored toads. They have little cream and black stripes over their head and down their backs.
Top Paw Training: serving Canyon Lake & New Braunfels, San Antonio to Austin.
Jeff Dickey Webboard User Reg: 01-03-2005
Posts: 38
Loc: Austin, Tx
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Well, I think he got hold of one tonight, and since he did not convulse or die, I have an answer. He did, however, salivate profusely for about 10 minutes and sort of rubbed his mouth on the carpet (funny to watch) so I think the frog did, indeed, taste really really bad. I will watch him closely for a couple of days to make sure there are no lasting problems. Thanks.
I had a basset who would regularly mouth toads. She would find them in the backyard and suck on them and ended up all foamy for a while. She might have been getting some sort of high off it. She never seemed any worse for her habit; however, I don’t think she ever actually ate one. They were probably plains or American toads.
Eating amphibians is just a bad idea in general. Licking them is probably not a good idea either, but seems to be a matter of personal preference.
My female doberman loves the toads. We live in east Texas and can not stop her from them. Would also like some help. She foams like a rabid dog but will do it every night. Our male does the same if he is smart enough to get one before her.
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