# Bufo Frogs - R.I.P. Scruffy



## catahoulamom (Sep 23, 2010)

The past few days have been hard. Saturday night, Scruffy, my "nephew" passed away after biting a bufo frog. He was a black yorkiepoo, 8 pounds of pure insanity, pulled off the streets three and a half years ago. He did not belong to me but my best friend/coworker. We considered our dogs "cousins". I would babysit him and his min pin sister Emma when she would go out of town, and I saw him at work almost every day. Coming to work is definitely not the same without him here. Emma is having a hard time adjusting without her brother, they have never been apart.

I am writing this not for sympathy but to bring to light the HUGE danger of bufo frogs, for those of you that live in Florida and other humid states that are perfect environments for frogs and toads (hot, humid, on & off rainy). They are an invasive species and while they help control the insect population, they are extremely dangerous to our dogs (and cats) - especially for those of you who have little ones. We have so many non indigenous, invasive species here in South FL that I have no qualms with "doing away with" bufo frogs and cane toads, if I ever see one near my house. My neighborhood is filled with "roaming" cats as well as pet dogs and cats, lots of them small dogs, and I would rather put them (the toads & frogs) in the freezer so they can "go to sleep" and do away with them as humanely as possible than have that danger around my animals. 

I have never been one to kill innocent animals, not even bugs, but it seems to have become an epidemic here in SoFL. My dog CJ (who passed away last Nov @ 16 yrs) had gotten a hold of a HUGE one once (google these things - they really do get gigantic), luckily I got to her in time and was able to rinse out her mouth and rush her to the vet. It is not easy to get the poison off their gums, it's the consistency of peanut butter. She made it, just had a bit of nausea for a while, but she was a larger dog. I have heard and seen way too many small pooches die after getting a hold of toads, especially terriers. You can't prevent toads by being a responsible pet owner, they can dig under fences and even if you watch your dog when you let them out in the back yard - it just takes a split second for them to see that toad and grab it before you can get to them. I know of people who's dogs have grabbed them on walks, while they were on lead, and although the owner was there to get the toad out of the dogs mouth, their dog went into cardiac arrest. Heartbreaking.

Sorry for rambling - it's just been a hard few days, and after seeing this happen to such a responsible pet owner and a damn good doggy mom, I feel as though I need to spread the word, because it can happen to anybody. I consider people on this forum to be responsible dog owners, but still - not everybody knows about these dangers. It just takes a second. There are few ways to prevent this from happening, but knowledge is power and if you live in a "toad danger zone" it may be a good idea to at least have a "game plan" in case your dog gets a hold of a toad/frog, and everybody in your house should know what the toads look like (very different from a regular green frog) and what to do if the dog gets a hold of one.

They tried everything with Scruffy. He was soaked from her mom trying to rinse his mouth out before rushing to the vet. I hate to say that he didn't even make it to the vets office. He probably died of a heart attack.

Nobody should lose a dog this way - so suddenly, so young. He was only 6.

Scruffy, you have a special place in my heart, I will never forget you. See you at the crossroads.


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## Nani (Apr 14, 2010)

That is so heartbreaking I'm sorry for you and your friend's loss!!! Thanks for the info on these frogs.


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## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

R.I.P little guy... Thank you for the start of this thread, I do live in a place where i've seen large toads, i wasn't aware they posed a threat, I'm glad that my ignorance was brought to light with this, Very sorry for the loss of scruffy... too sad when a little one is taken too early...


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear about little Scruffy. Your friend must be beside herself knowing she did her absolute best but nothing could save the little chap. 
And, thank you for the education on those toads. I'm going to take heed now, I don't know if they are up here yet (just north of Ft Myers), but its something I need to educate myself about as I like to go areas off the beaten track.
My brother lost his German Shepherd to a cane toad in Queensland, Oz, where they are an epidemic, but I had no idea the bastards were here.


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## schtuffy (May 17, 2010)

I'm sorry for your loss :frown: I can't imagine having my dog die in my arms as I try to save him...that must have been totally heartwrenching. We have a lot of toads in our area too. Last year when Louis was still a pup, he would chase them and almost got one in his mouth. I went home and googled toad poison for dogs and was horrified. I had to keep constant watch on him, especially when I was walking him at night. Thankfully, he's less curious now. Thank you for bringing up this issue. RIP Scruffy, you will be missed <3


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## wags (Jan 31, 2009)

Awww that is so sad to read.I really didn't know about thisfrog thing! Horrible. Be careful anyone living in that warm climate area! Here in Illinois I just hear those banjo frogs and bullfrogs YUCK! Tell your friend I am sorry to hear of this sad loss.:sad:


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## catahoulamom (Sep 23, 2010)

Thank you all for your condolences, Emma & her mom got to come over last night to hang out with my pack and it seemed to take their minds off things for a while. 
Penny, sorry to hear about your brother's german shepherd, it certainly is a horrible way to go.  The toads were actually brought over from Australia to be used as pest control, I believe, and flourished in the humid client and are a real problem in South Florida, I'm sure they're up in Ft Meyers as well. I haven't seen any since I moved, but we had several at our old house. Be careful with Molly, I imagine she has a high prey drive.

Thanks Sophie, he really was a one of a kind dog. I was never one to really be into small dogs (no offense, most in Miami are strictly purse-dogs), but I really fell in love with him over the past two years. He was a total rockstar, if you ignored him he would jump up and nip at your hand, not hard at all, but then he'd just sit and look at you begging for some attention. It worked for everybody, that spoiled little jerk. 

Tobi, glad you read this, so many people don't know about the danger. I really think they're just as dangerous as snakes. 

Wags, I love the sound bullfrogs make, lol! It's not really green frogs that are dangerous, it's more toads like this: http://www.getalifepetrescue.com/Bufo g1.jpg The bumps on their back contain the poision, and when it feels threatened, or when the dog bites it, it secretes and goes into their bloodstream through their gums. I don't know if you have toads up in IL, I do know for sure though that they're in SC & NC, I used to see them all the time when I was growing up there.


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## SerenityFL (Sep 28, 2010)

Ok, for those of you in Florida...the bufo frogs, (toads, actually), are the ugliest things you can imagine. Some of them get rather large. Pretty much it's about the only toad you're going to see.

The history behind these is that they aren't even native to the area, they came from South America. In the 50s or 60s, ONE CRATE, one, fell off and split open at the Miami airport and most of those toads got away. (The reason they were brought was to help control insect population.)

They started to eat all the other frogs in the area. It's hard to find a "frog" anymore in Florida because of these hideous toads.

Here are some images so you know what to look for:

Bufo Toads

Those show a lot of different shades but really look for a dark brown UGLY looking thing. And again, they can get pretty big. 

Here's another site to discuss the toads and poisoning to pets:

Bufo Poisoning - What To Do

These toads are all over in Florida and it's very serious. Unfortunately, the above is not the first dog to die because of these things. Please always monitor your dog when you are out and about in FL. Not only for snakes and gators but for these toads, as well.

More information and humane ways to kill these toads:

More Info

Ways to tell the difference:

Not All Ugly Toads Are Bad Toads

Where they can be found:

Further than you think

All Areas In Red and Blue - Blue is native, Red is not


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## Janet At Nutro (Mar 11, 2011)

I am so sorry about your loss.


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## catahoulamom (Sep 23, 2010)

Thank you, Serenity, for that useful post. I realized after I submitted the thread that I made the mistake of calling them frogs. And you're right - I *rarely* see frogs in Miami. I didn't realize that the toads could eat them.

This was just the last straw... I have heard of so many dogs, with responsible owners, passing away from getting a toad, I just had to post about it. Everybody needs to know, they're just as dangerous as snakes.

Thank you for your condolences, Janet.


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