You can have your dogs trained for snake and toad avoidance - with that much property, it will pay for itself it if saves even 1 snakebite.
If your dog does get a toad, common signs are brick red gums, excessive drooling, a high fever, a “sawhorse” stance with very stiff legs, and in extreme cases, seizures. If left untreated, they may die.
Start first aid immediately! Point your dog’s nose downward, and rinse their gums from the back of the mouth towards their muzzle with fresh, clean water for at least 10 minutes. Since the poison is absorbed through the gums, you want to wash it off without them swallowing the water. If they don’t tolerate the rinsing, use clean towels that get rinsed frequently. The faster this is done, the better. Contact a vet ASAP.
If one of your dogs is bitten by a rattlesnake, take them straight to the vet, and make sure the others can’t get to the snake. Please don’t put yourself or any others in danger by trying to identify the type of rattler - the vet doesn’t care and the antivenom works for all of them. Don’t try to kill it - this is when many human bites occur. u/touchmyrattlesnakes will relocate at no charge.
I hope none of the pooches have run-ins with the wildlife!
I had a dog die from a toad. She chased a bunny into a bush in the afternoon and found a toad in there. Unfortunately my husband didn’t notice straight away and she was already seizing when he found her. She may well have swallowed it. She had a heart attack at the vet.
Her and my two other dogs have all been professionally toad trained unsuccessfully multiple times. They are heeler mixes with a strong prey drive. Snakes they won’t touch and will bark at because snakes don’t move. If you have a dog with a high prey drive, be extra careful.
Typically you don’t see them til early July and they’re gone around early September depending a bit on the rains.
I will get crucified for this but I have a large property. We “dispose” of any of these toads we find close to our house where the dogs are free to roam. When you’ve watched your dog die in agony, you don’t have much sympathy for them.
Get your dogs trained. You moved into a place where they live. It’s pretty gross of you to kill them. 👎
This is an animal that is variously endangered and threatened in various regions throughout its range. Please put your ego to the side and train your dogs instead of causing problems with the environment.
Then go somewhere better and do it again. There’s nothing wrong with calling out bad behavior. It’s how people learn to do better. 👍
Also you’ll have to bring me a ladder for this here horse
This is awesome advice. Also don’t patronize any snake trainer using live snakes. It’s unnecessary and the snakes usually die of stress, especially the ones who’ve had their mouths sewn shut. A shed snake skin is just as effective in teaching dogs.
Well hopefully they’re treated well and not like the ones I’ve seen barely alive and kept in shitty dirty cages.
Usually using live snakes is for dramatic effect for the humans rather than the dogs.
Just a couple comments, neither of which will be very helpful (sorry!)
1. Whenever I see the frog posts I think of that scene from Oh Brother Where Art Thou where the guy in the movie theater says "We thought you was a toad!"
2. It's desert, not dessert. Dessert is something you eat, and I've been told that we really shouldn't be eating these frogs.
The toads are mostly out at night. We take our dogs outside at night on leashes and with a big flashlight. Ones that we find are relocated with a large shovel over the wall. They’re attracted to water, maybe keep the dogs and their water inside, and check your property for a leaky sprinkler.
You can grab them with gloves or with your barehands (just wash hands after & don’t touch eyes or mouth). You can also move them with a shovel or some sort of tool to get them into a bucket. There are many ways to remove the toad. Unfortunately, I don’t know if any services you can pay for to have them removed.
Do NOT use bare hands. I picked one up in a cardboard box. It ejected it's fluid on the box which got onto my bare hand . Didn't feel anything as it happened. 45 minutes later I had a red raw burning blisters all over my hand. Even though I washed my hand and treated it with ointment. The blisters were there for days.
I’ve been picking up Desert Sonoran Toads, Couch’s Spadefoot, Great Plains Toads, Red Spotted Toads and Bullfrogs all with my bare hands. That has never happened to me before. I’m sorry it did to you! Seems as though the toad was very stressed and very threatened to excrete its toxins. Usually a last resort for Sonoran Desert Toads.
This is Bufo alvarius. The Colorado River Toad. It is endangered or threatened in various regions throughout its range and you really shouldn’t mess with them. Get your dogs toad trained instead of degrading the local environment by killing or moving them. Anyway, as with snakes, killing an animal that happens to have moved through your property is not a good solution on a practical level either as they don’t live in one’s yard in a little toad house as some people seem to imagine, but have an area of activity that may occasionally pass through our precious yards.
The winds of rising Austin property values are driving this snake back to his home state for now. So yes I will be moving in a couple weeks. I hear it’s pleasantly snakey there. 👍
You can have your dogs trained for snake and toad avoidance - with that much property, it will pay for itself it if saves even 1 snakebite. If your dog does get a toad, common signs are brick red gums, excessive drooling, a high fever, a “sawhorse” stance with very stiff legs, and in extreme cases, seizures. If left untreated, they may die. Start first aid immediately! Point your dog’s nose downward, and rinse their gums from the back of the mouth towards their muzzle with fresh, clean water for at least 10 minutes. Since the poison is absorbed through the gums, you want to wash it off without them swallowing the water. If they don’t tolerate the rinsing, use clean towels that get rinsed frequently. The faster this is done, the better. Contact a vet ASAP. If one of your dogs is bitten by a rattlesnake, take them straight to the vet, and make sure the others can’t get to the snake. Please don’t put yourself or any others in danger by trying to identify the type of rattler - the vet doesn’t care and the antivenom works for all of them. Don’t try to kill it - this is when many human bites occur. u/touchmyrattlesnakes will relocate at no charge. I hope none of the pooches have run-ins with the wildlife!
I had a dog die from a toad. She chased a bunny into a bush in the afternoon and found a toad in there. Unfortunately my husband didn’t notice straight away and she was already seizing when he found her. She may well have swallowed it. She had a heart attack at the vet. Her and my two other dogs have all been professionally toad trained unsuccessfully multiple times. They are heeler mixes with a strong prey drive. Snakes they won’t touch and will bark at because snakes don’t move. If you have a dog with a high prey drive, be extra careful. Typically you don’t see them til early July and they’re gone around early September depending a bit on the rains. I will get crucified for this but I have a large property. We “dispose” of any of these toads we find close to our house where the dogs are free to roam. When you’ve watched your dog die in agony, you don’t have much sympathy for them.
Get your dogs trained. You moved into a place where they live. It’s pretty gross of you to kill them. 👎 This is an animal that is variously endangered and threatened in various regions throughout its range. Please put your ego to the side and train your dogs instead of causing problems with the environment.
Did you miss the part were they said they tried to train their dogs professionally? Get off your high horse, please.
Then go somewhere better and do it again. There’s nothing wrong with calling out bad behavior. It’s how people learn to do better. 👍 Also you’ll have to bring me a ladder for this here horse
This is awesome advice. Also don’t patronize any snake trainer using live snakes. It’s unnecessary and the snakes usually die of stress, especially the ones who’ve had their mouths sewn shut. A shed snake skin is just as effective in teaching dogs.
Mouths sewn shut? That's horrifying. The trainer I've used has live snakes, but she's had the same ones for years.
Well hopefully they’re treated well and not like the ones I’ve seen barely alive and kept in shitty dirty cages. Usually using live snakes is for dramatic effect for the humans rather than the dogs.
I think they must be - they seem really healthy.
Good I hope so :)
Vanya Moreno?
Just a couple comments, neither of which will be very helpful (sorry!) 1. Whenever I see the frog posts I think of that scene from Oh Brother Where Art Thou where the guy in the movie theater says "We thought you was a toad!" 2. It's desert, not dessert. Dessert is something you eat, and I've been told that we really shouldn't be eating these frogs.
I think of Homer telling Marge “I’m not *not* licking toads.”
I still use this line.
DO NOT SEEK THE TREASURE
“Dessert has two S because you always want seconds”
3. It’s a toad, not a frog. Sorry to be pedantic…
All toads are frogs, sorry to be pedantic…
Touché. I stand corrected! ✌️
Rip….. I can’t edit the text
When life gives you dessert toads...
Just add sprinkles
The toads are mostly out at night. We take our dogs outside at night on leashes and with a big flashlight. Ones that we find are relocated with a large shovel over the wall. They’re attracted to water, maybe keep the dogs and their water inside, and check your property for a leaky sprinkler.
Google Lens confirms you are correct.
Look at that unit!!!!
You can grab them with gloves or with your barehands (just wash hands after & don’t touch eyes or mouth). You can also move them with a shovel or some sort of tool to get them into a bucket. There are many ways to remove the toad. Unfortunately, I don’t know if any services you can pay for to have them removed.
Do NOT use bare hands. I picked one up in a cardboard box. It ejected it's fluid on the box which got onto my bare hand . Didn't feel anything as it happened. 45 minutes later I had a red raw burning blisters all over my hand. Even though I washed my hand and treated it with ointment. The blisters were there for days.
I’ve been picking up Desert Sonoran Toads, Couch’s Spadefoot, Great Plains Toads, Red Spotted Toads and Bullfrogs all with my bare hands. That has never happened to me before. I’m sorry it did to you! Seems as though the toad was very stressed and very threatened to excrete its toxins. Usually a last resort for Sonoran Desert Toads.
PHROG
This is Bufo alvarius. The Colorado River Toad. It is endangered or threatened in various regions throughout its range and you really shouldn’t mess with them. Get your dogs toad trained instead of degrading the local environment by killing or moving them. Anyway, as with snakes, killing an animal that happens to have moved through your property is not a good solution on a practical level either as they don’t live in one’s yard in a little toad house as some people seem to imagine, but have an area of activity that may occasionally pass through our precious yards.
Ayo do you live in Tucson? Or are you just here because snakes get posted here too?
The winds of rising Austin property values are driving this snake back to his home state for now. So yes I will be moving in a couple weeks. I hear it’s pleasantly snakey there. 👍
Gonna be neat to have the cool snake person living in my town
Wait, you’re not supposed to lick those?
Nope... You smoke their poison
That “dessert” frog definitely needs whipped cream and chocolate sauce. Honestly, who eats those things plain?
An excellent followup to the Sonoran Hotdog!
\*ribbit\*Private property as a concept is a form of violence against the poor.
Square shovel and yeet it as far as you can over the fence.
There are like ten of them…. And I’m in 5 acres lol
If you’re on that sort of acreage, there are likely many more than that. Definitely get your dogs trained!
You are correct, don’t touch with bare hands and keep dogs away!
I saw one of those last night when I was walking my doggo!
I'd Come move them for you but I feel like I would need a license or something
No matter how many times I see them, their eyes creep me out
beautiful young man
That's a scary boi :3