PupkeeperToxicEmergency
Toads (Asian toad, cane toad and others) and dogs: what to do
Toxic. Licking or biting a toad causes drooling and can be deadly. The cane toad, Colorado River toad and Asian common toad have killed dogs.
If your dog ate or touched this, call your vet or a pet poison line now
United States
Poison lines in other countries: United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand
What to do now
- If your dog is awake, rinse its mouth with running water for 5 to 10 minutes, nose pointed down so the water runs out.
- Rinse the face and eyes too.
- Then call your vet or a pet poison line and go in, whatever the toad, especially with a small dog or if you're not sure which toad it was.
- Go straight to an emergency vet if your dog has a seizure, trouble breathing or collapses.
Don't
- Don't let your dog swallow the rinse water.
- Don't make your dog vomit unless a vet tells you to.
Signs to watch for
- Heavy drooling or foaming at the mouth
- Very red gums
- Pawing at the mouth or crying
- Vomiting or diarrhea
- Stumbling or tremors
- Seizures
- Trouble breathing
- Abnormal heartbeat
When signs appear: Within minutes
Why
Toads release toxins (bufotoxins) from glands on the skin, including the raised ridges behind the eyes. The Asian common toad lives in gardens, lawns and drains across Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, and has caused a fatal poisoning in a dog. The cane toad and Colorado River (Sonoran Desert) toad are also very dangerous.
Sources
- VCA Animal Hospitals: Toad Poisoning in Dogs
- Lodhi, Adv Anim Vet Sci (2018): Fatal Asian Common Toad Poisoning in a Dog
- Ecology Asia: Asian Toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus)
- ASPCA: The Trouble with Toads
Guide reviewed 9 October 2026.
General information from the sources above, not a diagnosis. When in doubt, call your vet.