Cane Toads (eek!)

[LouBon]

Using Dettol is pathetically cruel and unnecessary. Imagine being sprayed with strong Hydrochloric acid and left for dead. Its stupid that people still bother to suggest this. People should have the guts to kill them instantly or in the fridge. If not, walk away and let someone else do it.

[ninahartland]

Using Dettol is pathetically cruel and unnecessary. Imagine being sprayed with strong Hydrochloric acid and left for dead. Its stupid that people still bother to suggest this. People should have the guts to kill them instantly or in the fridge. If not, walk away and let someone else do it.

Yep, thats what I say too LouBon. They are still a living,breathing thing and feel pain just the same as anything else.

[Catahoula]

C'mon guys/gals........... Yes i agree Dettol is NOT the preferred method, but one of the only ways for the "wusses" (as someone referred to themselves previously) to rid them! Don't forget about the poisoning they do to the dogs, pups, numerous amounts of wildlife etc.....

I don't do the dettol thing as they can crawl away briefly & hide then the dogs can find & chew the next day (hasn't happened but sure it would/could).

I'm a golf club or grab by the back leg, smack on the head & bin man........SORRY no mercy here for them.

[Sydoo]

Billie is confined to our upstairs verandah after dark to keep her away from the rotten things. Haven't had a problem during the day and she spends very rainy days upstairs or inside so that shouldn't be a problem.

My childhood lab stayed clear of cane toads but thought large green frogs where the best 'squeak' toy ever...she would follow them around, nudging them with her paw so they would croak.

[noisymina]

Definitely Dettol here. There would not be enough room in the fridge for the numbers we get here, even if I was interested in putting them in with our food.

The dog is not terribly interested in the big ones, but she sometimes plays with the smaller ones. Once they are dead, she's not interested. Partly because they don't run and excite her and partly because she doesn't like the Dettol smell anyway.

We are near the coast and no ticks here. None that we've seen, at least.

When I got my first dog (a rescue Poodle in not-so-good condition) she had a number of ticks - up to five in a week, but after a while she just stopped getting them. I'm sure there is such a thing as tick resistance - just not sure how it works in dogs.

Edited August 19, 2010 by noisymina

[Monah]

This is all facinating and relevant to me as we will be moving to Darwin in the near future.

For the last 4 years since we moved to Darwin I had to kill 5 cane toads that came in our backyard. So, it's not overwhelming. And if you get your property fenced with chicken wire you should be fine.

Our dog loves to play with green tree frogs that we have around the place and I was afraid that he may try the same with cane toads, but for some reason he stays away from them. However, you need to be vigilant.

Our dogs love green tree frogs too! I feed the frogs with moths etc.

They do secrete a toxin through the skin though, and a couple of people have lost their dogs to green tree frogs, so hope everyone is aware of that.

The toxins all frogs secrete are to deter bacteria, fungi and predators and most are deadly to snakes and can be pretty bad for other animals too. If your dog licks a frog you may see it react as though it has tasted something revolting. It can make them quite sick, depending on the frog. The most populous one in the far north, Litoria dahlii is really toxic.

[felix]

Our dogs love green tree frogs too! I feed the frogs with moths etc.

They do secrete a toxin through the skin though, and a couple of people have lost their dogs to green tree frogs, so hope everyone is aware of that.

The toxins all frogs secrete are to deter bacteria, fungi and predators and most are deadly to snakes and can be pretty bad for other animals too. If your dog licks a frog you may see it react as though it has tasted something revolting. It can make them quite sick, depending on the frog. The most populous one in the far north, Litoria dahlii is really toxic.

I have heard people claiming that their dogs got poisoned by green tree frogs. I don't know what to think about this, since officially all Australian poisonous frogs belong to genus Pseudophryne, and not Litoria (tree frogs).

Australian poisonous frogs

[t-time]

We are near the coast and no ticks here. None that we've seen, at least.

I think you are just lucky Noisymina - there are several renowned tick areas on the Brissy sth side - you can get ticks at the Durack showgrounds! - and it gets even worse once you get into hinterland behind the Gold & Sunshine Coasts. Toowoomba/Warwick/Nanango - it all becomes tick free.

[Monah]

Litoria do have toxins. They are not officially a recognised 'poisonous' frog but are very capable of poisoning a snake or other animal that is vulnerable to the toxins.

I like people to know there is a risk, rather than think it cannot happen. I know my dogs haave licked and never done it again, maybe small dogs who are persistant have a bad outcome. It could even depend on if they have eaten recently, or have a drink afterwards etc.

better safe than sorry

[Marion 01]

Cane toads don't have many enemies, but Magpies know how to kill them without being poisoned. They turn them over on their backs and eat their

insides out. Living in the mountain area and having dams where the cane toads can breed readily is a real problem. Two of my dogs like to rush at the toads to make them move and when they move they mouth them. I have a squirter bottle with water in it, and if the dogs do happen to get any poison, I flush their mouths out well until they stop drooling.

Be careful hitting the toads with shovels or golf clubs, as if you happen to hit them in the poison sacs the milk squirts for a fair way. I have been hit in the face with the milk while hitting one between the eyes with a stick. We used to use a slug gun and shoot them between the eyes and when you see them throw their back legs out full length and quiver you know that they have been killed. In later years we have taken to collecting them in a bucket and putting them in the freezer which is the way that was suggested on a Wildlife program. Ticks, cattle or paralysis tick haven't been a problem for us. So far we have only had 2 paralysis ticks, and they were bought in by livestock from a tick area, and over the years just the odd

cattle tick has been found on the dogs. What you need to do is find out if you are moving to a paralysis tick area and take precautions accordingly.

Marion01

[felix]

Litoria do have toxins. They are not officially a recognised 'poisonous' frog but are very capable of poisoning a snake or other animal that is vulnerable to the toxins.

I like people to know there is a risk, rather than think it cannot happen. I know my dogs haave licked and never done it again, maybe small dogs who are persistant have a bad outcome. It could even depend on if they have eaten recently, or have a drink afterwards etc.

better safe than sorry

You are of course right. Whenever there is a risk people should know. My understanding is that the substance they produce serves as deterent because it tastes bad. It can be toxic to some animals (apparently snakes) and not to others.

As I said, I don't know what to think myself. My dog is frequently playing with 'our' green frogs. We have a few that live on the veranda and are quite friendly. He even carries them in his mouth around without ever hurting them. I was very concerned about this, but he never showed any symptoms of poisoning.

What I think, which is strictly my opinion, is that frogs actually produce these substances when they feel threatened. If I am right about this, than our frogs may actually enjoy all this attention from big, brown poodle.

[Monah]

Felix. I adore poodles!! My spinone has a very soft mouth too, she can carry birds and then they just fly out of her mouth!!

Supposedly the toxins are there all the time, which is why people are not meant to pick them up or at least wash hands first (for the frogs sake) as if the toxins are removed, even for a short while, it leaves the frogs vulnerable to bacteria and fungi and other microbes. It does ahve the added advantage of tasting terrible, which is meant to deter predators.

Sounds like you lovely poodle may like the taste! xxx

[felix]

Felix. I adore poodles!! My spinone has a very soft mouth too, she can carry birds and then they just fly out of her mouth!!

Supposedly the toxins are there all the time, which is why people are not meant to pick them up or at least wash hands first (for the frogs sake) as if the toxins are removed, even for a short while, it leaves the frogs vulnerable to bacteria and fungi and other microbes. It does ahve the added advantage of tasting terrible, which is meant to deter predators.

Sounds like you lovely poodle may like the taste! xxx

OMG, he may be addicted.

And it's not just him. My youngest son (12) also carries them around.

Maybe we are all crazy up here. You know, the heat.