Every summer vet clinics is South Dakota, get calls about dogs that just went outside and now they are drooling profusely. In most cases the dog has just encountered a South Dakota toad. Specifically, Woodhouse toads are common in our area. They toads hop around making them attractive “toys” for dogs and cats. However, glands in the toad’s skin secrete a bitter mucus that is designed to make predator animals drop them, thus sparing the toad from becoming dinner. The bitter secretions cause profuse salivation as the dog tries to “wash” the bitter substance from its mouth. Some dogs will also vocalize, vomit, wretch, rub their face a lot, or paw at their mouth until the unpleasant sensation passes. While some toad’s secretions can be very toxic to pets, these species are not found in South Dakota.
