I had a spinal injury a few years ago and the surgeon warned me of permanent nerve damage causing incontinence being a potential consequence if it got worse. It's called "cauda equina syndrome", I did a quick search and it looks like it occurs in dogs too. Essentially you lose all nerve feeling on your bowel, hence not knowing when you need to go. I'm not sure what the solution is (if any) but it could be a clue.
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So I got home from work yesterday and the minute I opened my bedroom door, the smell of poo was overpowering. It seems that Liyah had severe diarrhea in her crate - covered everything inside (including in her water bucket - weird), as well as the floor around it. There was only diarrhea in her crate, no vomit that I could find (not a spot on her except on the bottom of one paw).
So I did the big cleanup and was trying to figure out what could have caused it and couldn't come up with anything really - maybe she ate something in the yard, but I was with her the night before and that morning and don't remember seeing her put anything in her mouth - not even grass. I only remember her chasing some toads in the yard.
I skipped her dinner last night and gave her a couple tablespoons of Oikos organic yogurt. About an hour later I took her out and she had an explosion of water diarrhea. I took her up to bed around 9pm (left water for her and heard her drink quite a bit) - she slept thru the whole night and no more diarrhea.
This morning her poo is back to normal (not much, but it is formed and firm). I gave her half her breakfast and left a kong with the other half (hopefully I don't regret it).
So I was talking with someone about it here at work (he's from Florida originally) and he told me it reminded him of someone he knows in Florida whose dog licked a toad and had terrible diarrhea as a result. I hadn't told him about Liyah chasing toads - she is always chasing them in the pen (Ruby and Brando seem a little afraid of them :D:D:D). Now I don't think she ate one (although I've thought for a while now it is only a matter of time) - but I wouldn't rule out her licking one - I've seen her push them along with her nose so that they jump and she chases them so they jump thru the chainlink to the other side of the fence.
I've never been too concerned about the toads (tiny to 3" in size - there is an occasional frog as well) I just don't want to see them eat one. I live in Maine, did a search and came up with nothing for Maine/NewEngland about poisonous or toxic toads/frogs or dogs getting sick in this area as a result of toads.
It could just be some freak 24hr thing, but it is so weird that someone would mention toads unprompted by me. Knowing the Forum folk have encountered everything, I figured I put it out there. Anyone think the toads could have been the problem?
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:rolleyes:This sounds so fimiilar…my Shango, got sick a couple of weeks ago, The big Diarrhea everywere in the kitchen, thats were his crate is. Then off and on for the next couple of days, he'd get better, that again diarrhea....now that you mention it, we have toads and lizards....Shango was the only one sick, not the other B's. I took him to the vet, after a modest bill, The doc gave me this probiotic stuff, that actually smelled like yogurt.....I learn my leassons the hard way $$$, but I believe you are right...I regulary find toads in the outside water dish.......I guess we keep yougurt on hand , and we have "toad eaters":rolleyes:
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My guess is that the toad is as good a culprit as any. they definitely can make a dog sick. I always assumed it would present as vomitting, or neuro symptoms, not lower gi…but it may be possible. Usually once a dog tastes a toad, they never want to again. Assuming the don't actually consume the toad, there generally isn't a lot of danger. I hope she feels better today...
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toads can be poisonous to dogs, the reactions from licking or even eating toads vary from dog to dog, some get nothing, other get diarhea and foaming mouth, other can get parallized or even die….
the last two are very rare, but toads can be very poisonous to dogs, I think when you google on " toad poison dogs" you can find more info
give her a big hug, she will be allright soon , I am sure!
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Yes - the toad is the culprit according to my vet diagnostic friend. There is some toxic compound in the slime on their skin that can cause death if enough is ingested. I didn' ask about lizards.
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Thanks guys…Liyah is fine. She had no other symptom than explosive diarrhea and was done with it that night. The day I wrote the original post I gave her half her breakfast and then the other half I left in a kong for the day and I came home to a clean crate. :D:D:D She did a normal poop outside...so the problem lasted less than 24 hours.
I asked my vet about the frogs/toads and we don't have poisonous ones around here, but it still is possible that licking a toad caused the GI problem. They didn't seem concerned and didn't want me to bring her in unless her symptoms continued or got worse.
I googled a bunch and could only find info about toxicity of toads/frogs in the south and in the west (I'm in Maine - so northeast). Just for the heck of it though, I'm going to post a question about it on our local dog site and see if anyone in my area has ever had a problem and how serious it was - just out of curiosity.
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Some toads express a toxic substance through their skin when threatened. I would say it was the toad. Sugar licked a toad up here last year, let's just say I don't think she'll do it again! LOL
Sometimes, you can actually see the substance excrete through the skin if you scare them enough. Not that you should go out and do it, but I've seen it happen.
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Sometimes, you can actually see the substance excrete through the skin if you scare them enough. Not that you should go out and do it, but I've seen it happen.
Yuck…I'll take your word on it. :D;)
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Yup, Arlene is right ALL toads can excrete a toxic goo. And the more they are bothered, the more they will produce it. Some species of toads are more toxic than others, and some dogs are more sensitive to it than others. But, for the record, I have never heard of a dog dying from messing with an American toad (Bufo americanus), which is what most of us US northerners deal with.
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Toads - that explains one of my dog's illness a couple months ago. Miss Priss is always trying to catch and eat something in the yard. She had all the symptoms mentioned and was very sick for about 24 hours. Priss couldn't keep anything down. I gave her a little Pepto and 7up to calm her tummy, she stopped vomiting, and then slept for hours - the next day Priss ate yogurt and nothing else.
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Really great info everyone. I'll be watching the dogs with the toads a little more closely from now on.
although hopefully Liyah has learned her lesson. I love this forum, it is amazing what you learn here.
