Cane toads are one of the most serious threats to dogs in Queensland and Northern NSW. Their toxin is fast-acting and potentially fatal — and unfortunately, curious dogs often find them before you do.

If you're reading this because it's just happened, skip straight to the What To Do Right Now section below. Read the rest later.

What To Do Right Now

Step 1 — Get your dog away from the toad

Move your dog indoors or to a safe area immediately. Do not let them mouth the toad again.

Step 2 — Wipe the mouth and gums

Use a damp cloth or rag to wipe the inside of your dog's mouth, gums, and tongue. Wipe from the back of the mouth outward — you're trying to physically remove toxin, not push it further in.

Step 3 — Gently flush the mouth with low-pressure running water

If safe to do so, gently flush your dog's mouth using low-pressure running water from a tap, bottle, or lightly running hose.

Hold your dog's head tilted downward and to the side so water flows out of the mouth, not down the throat. Allow the water to run across the gums and tongue and drain out. Continue for several minutes.

Important:
- Do not use a high-pressure hose spray
- Do not force water directly down the throat
- Do not tilt your dog's head backward

The goal is to dilute and wash away toxin — not to make your dog swallow water.

If running water is not immediately available, wipe the gums and tongue repeatedly with a wet cloth while preparing to rinse properly.

Step 4 — Watch for these warning signs

Call your emergency vet immediately if you see:

  • Seizures or muscle tremors
  • Gums turning bright red or pale
  • Vomiting repeatedly
  • Loss of coordination or collapse
  • Rapid or irregular heartbeat

Step 5 — Call your vet

Even after rinsing, call your vet and describe what happened. They will advise whether you need to come in. If it's after hours, find your nearest 24-hour emergency animal hospital before you need it — not after.

Important: Our Emergency Toad Kit does not replace veterinary care. It buys you time and helps you act correctly in those first critical minutes. For any serious symptoms, go straight to an emergency vet.

Why Cane Toad Toxin Is Dangerous

Cane toads (Rhinella marina) release a white, milky poison called bufotoxin — also referred to as bufo toxin — from large parotoid glands behind their eyes. When a dog mouths or licks a toad, this toxin is absorbed through the mucous membranes of the mouth, tongue, and gums almost immediately.

Unlike snake venom, which requires a bite to inject, bufotoxin starts working as soon as it makes contact with soft tissue. This is why rinsing fast matters so much.

The toxin is a powerful mix of compounds that affects the heart and nervous system. In large doses — or in small dogs — it can cause heart arrhythmias and seizures.

A Note From Our Founder

When we lost our dog Billy to a cane toad, we weren't prepared. We didn't know what rinsing looked like. We didn't know how fast it could escalate. We didn't have a vet's number saved.

What I wish I'd known:

  • Rinsing the mouth within the first 2 minutes makes a significant difference
  • The early symptoms (drooling, pawing at face) are easy to dismiss — don't
  • The kit doesn't save your dog — getting to a vet saves your dog; the kit buys you those critical minutes

That experience is why we built the Emergency Toad Kit. It has everything you need for those first five minutes in one place — because when it happens, you won't have time to look for anything.

Clear line: the kit buys time. Your vet saves lives.

How to Protect Your Dog Going Forward

A single toad encounter is a warning. If your dog found one toad, they will find another.

The three most effective layers of protection:

1. PetSafe Barrier fencing — physical exclusion that stops toads entering your yard. The only permanent solution.

2. Regular removal inspections — our team removes toads from your property on a scheduled basis during toad season.

3. Tadpole trapping — stopping the lifecycle at the source by removing tadpoles from your water features before they become adult toads.

Any one of these reduces risk. All three together provide real peace of mind.