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We just found out the hard way about the Bufo Toads that seem to be everywhere in HPP. They excrete a deadly toxin when threatened (either bitten, stepped on...etc) and can kill both dogs and cats within 15 minutes if ingested or chewed on. The toads come out at night or when its wet outside (during the daytime). Their toxin can even poison humans if absorbed through a cut in the skin.
Our cat cornered one last week in our yard and decided to play with it. We rushed our cat to the vet.....and to make a long story short....they saved her (just barely in time). It took almost a week before she was out of the woods....and $500.00 in vet bills.
But what we didn't know (we just moved here from the mainland recently).....was that if you notice bufo toad poison symptoms in your dog or cat (staggering walk, and most noticeably "repeatedly using its paw to try and get to the poison that entered it mouth"
....you can increase its survival rate dramatically by just rinsing your animals mouth out with water (don't force water down their throat ...just rinse) and wipe around their gum area with a wet cotton swab. (easier said than done with cats).
We had hoped that something as important and dangerous to our pets as the bufo toad would have had a thread here to warn new members of our community about them and what action to take if your animal encounters one. So we decided to post this message in the hope it will help other pet owners in the park.
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Thank you for your post. My neighbor here in HPP has a dog that has repeatedly been ill as a result of encounters with those toads. You would think he would catch on by now to the cause of his distress. The mouth rinsing is a great suggestion and could save a pet's life. The smaller the pet, the greater the risk due to the ratio of toxin to body weight, I am told.
Aloha,
Jerry
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I've seen these toads. They are huge. It's sad about your pet cat. I wonder if it will remember and not mess with those toads again?? Not sure if the killer instinct or memory will be stronger.
On another note since you posted this topic I Googled the species and found some articles about Bufo Toads in South Florida. They eat a lot of bugs and also eat other amphibians. I know they are nocturnal. I wonder if they eat Coquis? Hmmm. Wouldn't be a bad trade if it weren't for the chance of harming pets.
Edited by - Andrew on 04/29/2006 22:46:41
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Is there a photo of these toads? I wonder about my little chihuahua, "Chuy." He is a happy guy and pretty curious. You say bufos are big?
Carrie
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Edited by - Carolann R on 05/01/2006 14:42:51
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Here is a link to page write up by the honolulu star bulletin and a picture of the toad:
http://starbulletin.com/2005/03/18/features/story7.html
Bufo's can be big (10-12 inches)....but most of the ones I've seen are about4 to 5 inches....
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Holy Crap is that UGLY! I will be sure to watch Chuy - he is usually pretty close to us but...whoa...and these things can weigh like 2 pounds???
They are UGLY, though. Really. UGLY. Except maybe to another Bufo, yeah?
Carrie
Edited by - Carolann R on 04/30/2006 12:40:27
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Hey, any of the bufos you don't want, you can relocate to my yard! They are great in gardens since they eat a lot of bugs. They may even eat coquis, do you think?
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Kurt Wilson
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This topic came up on another forum once, and one of the locals gave some helpful advice. She said that if you pack your pets mouth with salt it will somehow help them expell the poison. Not sure if they gag it up or if the salt somehow extracts the toxin, but she said it has worked for her many times with many different dogs. Sometimes the most simple of treatments is the best.
Aloha,
Mark
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I did a post to warn about Bufo's in the post called Pets and Vets. It is back a few months.
I would add that, it is not a good idea to pack the mouth with salt. I know that hte poster was well intended and it may have been used in the past, *but* Just as a human injesting too much salt that can surely cause problems, it is also possible with a dog/cat. It is much better to rinse out the poison by rinsing for quite a bit of time.
Aloha,
Lucy
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Lucy
Having another Great day in Paradise, Wherever that Maybe!
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Yeh-I had an encounter with one of these cuties. I lived in H.Acres in the eighties.Our bathroom was downstairs and we had to go outside,down the stairs and into the lower level of our home with a lantern.(off power, of course).I got myself to the toilet, and hoisted my nightie,was halfway to the seat when I heard a strange noise coming from-well, you know where! I turned to see the largest, ugliest toad I've ever seen,in the toilet.I experienced a moment of an interesting mix of fear and loathing/hilarity, as I could only imagine sitting and having that guy leap up under me.
