Today we will talk about such a misfortune as cane toads. Everyone who lives in their habitats has heard about the dangers of toads for dogs. Even playing with a toad can end badly if the toad splatters with poison and gets into the dog's mouth, nose, or eyes. And even trying to bite or eat a toad is completely deadly, especially for such a small dog as that poodle. Let's try to figure out how you can minimize the risk of meeting with a cane toad in your territory.

The first rule of any dog owner is never to leave a dog outside unattended. In addition to toads, Australia has a huge number of poisonous animals and insects, and in the case of a tiny toy poodle, you should not brush aside the danger from large birds of prey, as well as foxes. So in our absence we always keep pets in a comfortable closed room.

Second - keep your site in order: regularly mow the grass, remove fallen branches, do not allow debris to accumulate - toads love to hide under fallen leaves, rags, among a hill of bricks, etc. So we try not to make it easy for them to find shelter and make the space unattractive for toads.

Third, the fence. Luckily, toads, unlike frogs, can't climb fences, but they are great at squeezing through holes and crevices. So installing a solid fence close to the ground or closing the gap between the fence and the ground with a fine metal mesh can significantly reduce the number of uninvited guests.

The fourth is food. Firstly, never leave bowls of food and water for animals outside overnight. Secondly, remove food sources for toads - get rid of all places where mosquitoes can breed (various buckets, pots, if you have a pond, put fish in it that will eat the larvae). If necessary, treat the area near the house with insecticides. The logic here is simple - where there is nothing to eat, toads do not live.

Fifth, if you have a dam or pond, check the water regularly for filaments of cane toad eggs. If you find one, pull it out of the water.

All of these actions will help reduce the number of toads living in your yard. But it is also worth following the simple rules of safe coexistence with the local fauna: at night, the dog should be indoors, since most animals that can cause harm are nocturnal, the dog should never be outside alone (this will also help eliminate problems with barking dogs and disgruntled neighbors), do not leave food and water freely available.Also, do not leave lights on at night - the light attracts insects, insects attract those who want to feast on them, including cane toads.

 

If you still didn’t keep track and the dog got to know the cane toad closely, you can determine this by the abundant white foam flakes from the mouth. Looks like a dog bit through a can of shaving foam. Immediately wipe the dog's mouth with a wet cloth - try to collect all the poison and saliva on a cloth. Do not rinse the dog's mouth with a hose - you can get the dog to swallow the poison. It is better to limit yourself to thorough wiping with wipes and an immediate visit to the veterinarian. Do not try to save money and wait until the morning - go to the  vet emergency, that poodle may not live until the morning.

PS: The address and phone number of the nearest 24-hour veterinary clinic should always be at hand. Find the nearest hospital right now on the Internet and write down its address on your phone, as well as on the refrigerator. When the emergence situation comes, there will be no time to search the Internet.

 

 

Be safe and happy,

Sincerely

Gingerbreed Toy Poodles.