Davinia not feeling after throwing up from trying to get a frog
I was considering just not having a post ready for 9am Wordless Wednesday but Davinia is sleeping now and seems to be feeling better so I am going to use this as a educational post. Earlier tonight when we were in the front yard for our evening potty walk Davinia saw a frog hop by and decided she wanted frog legs for dessert. I knew right away because she started making funny noises with her mouth and I could see her head twitch. I rushed the girls inside and washed Davinia's mouth with my hand until it was no longer slimy and there was no more foam. I also did the same for Indiana because she got near the frog and was starting to foam. I ran outside with a flashlight to see if she had just gotten it in her mouth it or if the frog was dead so I could know how much toxin she likely got in her mouth. The frog was completely gone so I knew it could not have been that much toxin. I washed out Davinia's mouth some more water as she was still twitching. I put both girls in their crate and they seemed just fine.
Apparently Davinia still had frog toxin in her mouth or throat and within a half hour she was vomiting foamy yuck mixed with her dinner. She vomited 5 times total and while she wasn't happy about it she was able to get the toxin out of her body which is all that matters. Indiana is fine although a little put off that I was putting her in her crate next to Davinia to keep her warm instead of letting her roam around the house. They are both sleeping in their crate right now all cuddled up even though the door is open.
Well Frogs and Dogs especially little dogs just don't mix well. Frogs are very toxic to dogs they cause foaming at the mouth, twitching, seizures, and in some cases can be fatal. Having lived in Hong Kong where we had one vet for our area of the Island who could be called at home for emergencies I had to learn how to be the first line of defense when a frog hopped by and the dogs went after it. This is the system I worked out and it really worked the best for me. You will need to improvise with the things you have available to you but once you know what needs to be done and can calm yourself down you will be able to think on your feet and use what you have available at the time.
If you live in an area with frogs ask your vet today what they feel is the best way for you to be the first line of defense to help increase the odds for your dog in an emergency. Leaving a large amount of toxin in your dogs mouth while rushing to the vet could be fatal and your vet should recognize this and explain how you can work as a team to help your vet.
- If you suspect your dog just ate or bit a frog pick up the dog or walk your dog home immediately get your dog home.
- For Davinia and Indiana I would put them in the shower and use the hand held shower head pointed at their mouth to try and get all the slime left by the frog out of their mouth. I did this for about a minute.
- If you can't get your dog in the bath wipe the slime and foam with a towel out of the dogs mouth quickly
- Rinse the dogs mouth with the garden hose, kitchen sink sprayer, or with your hand until you don't feel any more slim in their mouth.
- Keep checking inside the dog's mouth to see if you removed the toxic slime. It will feel like raw egg whites.
- If the dog throws up, that is ok, the VET would induce vomiting if you go to their office
- When you feel you have the slime removed, squirt (vet recommended dosage of Pepto Bismol at the back of the dogs tongue so it swallows and coats the back of the tongue
- Some vets prefer to use hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting at this point.
- Neither Davinia or Indiana has ever been able to swallow the frog before I realize what is going on but I have had to pry both of their mouths open and watch the frog hop away. I have never used anything other then water and a towel to treat frog toxin.
- Wait and watch the dog in a confined space like the bathroom or crate for several hours
- The dog might be vomiting and gagging, keep your dog as calm as possible.
- At any point in time CALL THE VET or get someone else to call explain what occurred and what you are doing to treat it.
- If you cannot get the slim out of your dogs mouth or they continue to twitch it would be a good idea to at least call your vet to see what else you can do to get the toxin out of their bodies.
- If your pet starts to have seizures get to the VET immediately
- At any point if your dog's gums get bright red... immediately get to the Vet. This would indicate serious poisoning.
Davinia and Indiana resting a few hours after the frog