Poisonous Giant Toad in PR - aka Marine Toad, Cane Toad & Bufo Toad

Cane toads (Rhinella marina) are dangerous - if you eat one. Don't eat one, and you'll be OK. I have handled hundreds of these animals (literally) with no ill effect - because I've never eaten one. My daughter has also handled many. (But I strictly prohibit her from eating them.)

On a serious note, there are occasional reports of dogs being ill or dying from eating cane toads, so, yes, it is something to be aware of. On the other hand, I have friends who keep their dogs outside all the time in areas where cane toads are relatively common in PR and have not had any problems.

Thank you for the information!

With 2 dogs, one that is 5 pounds and another that is 8 pounds, I guess I will need to be careful that the Toad (Sapo) does not eat my dogs. Here in the mainland I have to keep an eye on cats and birds of pray since my dogs while old are full grown and their size makes them easy pray.

We have a small dog that lives in the (fenced in) yard when we're awake. I've those big toads in the yard every now and then but it looks like the dog isn't chasing them.

Thanks for the shared input everyone.

My two dogs are sporting dogs that are part-cocker spaniels.
They would feel irresistibly compelled to chase down and bite their teeth into these toads. The toads could look to them to be like a rubber dog toy too. The toads often just sit, frozen-like in one spot. This makes them so easy for my dogs to just walk over and pounce on and die from. 

When I go out, at or after dusk, I must keep my dogs on a leash when walking with them. Otherwise, I KNOW them so well, that for a fact, I'll be rushing them to the vet after hours, with me holding back distraught tears, watching them writhing in toad-induced pain. 

Fire ants are enough to protect my dogs from, now there are poisonous toads. 
I wonder what other wildlife to be on the lookout for, other than the mosquitoes, fleas and ticks, and birds of prey?? and the prickly-stickly painful on the paw plant-life called "burrs?"

By the way, I've learned the hard way, how much better it is to use a tweezer to pick off those little round burrs, out of my dog's soft & curly cockapoo fur, and off their tender paws. I've been pricked often by them, and pricked the dogs even more by trying to dig them out of between their paw's pads.

DeborahMarchant wrote:

Thanks for the shared input everyone.

My two dogs are sporting dogs that are part-cocker spaniels.
They would feel irresistibly compelled to chase down and bite their teeth into these toads. The toads could look to them to be like a rubber dog toy too. The toads often just sit, frozen-like in one spot. This makes them so easy for my dogs to just walk over and pounce on and die from. 

When I go out, at or after dusk, I must keep my dogs on a leash when walking with them. Otherwise, I KNOW them so well, that for a fact, I'll be rushing them to the vet after hours, with me holding back distraught tears, watching them writhing in toad-induced pain. 

Fire ants are enough to protect my dogs from, now there are poisonous toads. 
I wonder what other wildlife to be on the lookout for, other than the mosquitoes, fleas and ticks, and birds of prey?? and the prickly-stickly painful on the paw plant-life called "burrs?"

By the way, I've learned the hard way, how much better it is to use a tweezer to pick off those little round burrs, out of my dog's soft & curly cockapoo fur, and off their tender paws. I've been pricked often by them, and pricked the dogs even more by trying to dig them out of between their paw's pads.

Also Snakes, Centipedes, Scorpions, and Spiders. Best to teach them to stay away from them. I thinks that is all of them not to mention plants like poison ivy and others. Keep them off the woods unless on a leash and don't move large rocks or logs when they are around.

They will be fine, most PR dogs have gotten a taste of the Sapos and learned not to try again and survived just fine. Typically a dog will cash one and immediately spit them out, Not sure if due to taste or unpleasant sensation in the mouth from the toxin. If they swallow the frog, now you got trouble, but not likely they will.

Thanks again for the added input.

I am happy to hear that people that handle these toads, and dogs that have had physical contact with them, are okay.
As for me, I'm not taking any chances with my own dogs. A lethal or sickening dose could still occur.