It was one of these:

Southwestern Center for Herpetological Research - Amphibians of the American Southwest - Anaxyrus speciosus

I have read they're venomous and when Cookie bit into that one a few months back she foamed at the mouth, puked twice, and was kind of out of it all day after, though that could have been from the drugs she got at the vet's office? I was so hoping she learned her lesson last time, but she is nuts for hunting things. :(

How is this kiddo this morning? Hope all is okay...

Thankfully she didn't even come that close to getting the toad this time. But those stupid toads are the reason I have always taken her out on a leash after sunset. I'm kind of frustrated that she still wants to attack them after last time when she caught one and got sick.

We have bufo toads here too. They are seasonal and only come out at night but I have to watch my boys like hawks. The thought of what could happen is so scary to me. Glad your little one is doing well.

Sorry to hear about another close call. Dogs live 'in the moment' and she probably doesn't associate her becoming sick with her contact with the frog, not that it would stop a prey driven terrier anyway.


Is there any kind of frog repellant or frog proof fencing to use around the yard?

I'm so glad we don't have the bufo marinus toads that you guys have in Florida and that killed Meika. :(

What a nightmare those must be.

I can't imagine ever being able to suppress the hunting instinct in Cookie. I can get her to leave things pretty well in normal circumstances (even food) but if it's something alive and moving she wants to kill it and there is no stopping her other than physically picking her up and taking her away. Any time we go outside in the day she spends most of the time chasing lizards and squirrels. She is definitely all terrier.

I never thought I would be able to train mine not to eat food off the floor, and was surprised when the 'Leave it' training started to take effect. Even if it allows you a few seconds to get to her and pick her up I feel that would be worth it. Maybe try training her using a remote controlled mouse or something like that, a moving object. If it can prevent a pup from getting ill or worse, it's worth doing.


Another option is to toad proof your yard. Here's some links with suggestions on doing that, in addition to training it may help to avoid contact with unwanted wildlife.



How to deter frogs


Toad Question

yorkiefan and all others who are reading this, I want to share a little about the seriousness of Bufo toads. They were brought to Hawaii as well as Florida in 1930s to eat bugs in cane fields. They do mainly come out at night, so that's a good time to go hunting for them and dispose of any you find. We scoop them into a 5 gallon bucket with a rake and put the lid on. If we catch several, we transfer to a trash can lined with a trash bag. Then I dump some Clorox bleach on them.... kills them quickly. (sorry the recommended "humane euthanasia" called for in the article of putting them in the freezer for 3 days is just not going to happen here, it's gross).

Meika died within 1 hour of coming in contact with a Bufo at 2:30 in the afternoon, even though I discovered it quickly and immediately washed her foaming mouth out with water. She died on my lap in the car on the way to the vet. I really think she stumbled across a sleeping Bufo in the daytime, and she was startled and bit before thinking what it was. She would also react this way to a mouse or bird, so it is not surprising, nor something I could have trained out of her. So just know that they can be found in the daytime too.... usually sleeping.

My gardeners are on alert now and look for Bufos around plants and bushes every week. We have only caught 2 since March, but will never quit looking. They especially like moisture, so after a rain, or wherever there are sprinklers, or a fish pond.... they will be there.

So happy Cookie is ok.

You do have them in South Texas :(.

Cane toad - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


I am so glad Cookie is okay.

The Rio Grande Valley is a couple hundred miles South of me thankfully. But every toad I see I kill it and look it up to see if it's the dreaded marinus. Never has been so far. I usually just smash them with rocks after putting Cookie inside; I mean they're really slow and it kills them instantly.

The one Meika caught puffed up to the size of a baseball. I read that the largest record size of one was over 5 lbs. So Gross!

BTW the toxic slime from her mouth got on my arm and caused a rash... and I also got it on my face wiping away tears, even though I washed my hands thoroughly and made my cheeks red for a few days. Nasty evil stuff.

:thumbup: and ((((hugs))))

My yorkie puppy also nailed a toad and was foaming at the mouth because toads release a toxin from their glands. I immediately rinsed his mouth with water thoroughly and all checked out OK. However, seizures or tremors can result so take to a vet immediately.

ARGGGHHHH!!!! Just found another stinking bufo in the back yard about 10AM! It was hanging out on a tarp I use to cover an outdoor couch when there is rain. There was some water on the tarp and the toad was just hanging out in it. Cook walked right by it and I guess didn't see it, and went to the other side of the yard. So I scooped her up and took her back inside and then went out to kill the toad with a brick. First throw just missed and it ran under the couch. So I had to take the couch apart to get it and smash it, and then dump it in the trash can in the front. Thankfully Cook never got to it; I doubt she even noticed it. It was funny because I was preoccupied making sure no mushrooms were growing in the yard after a couple of days of rain, and instead I find a stinking toad!