Cane Toads in South Florida: Why They're Deadly to Dogs (and What to Do)

If you own a dog or cat in South Florida, the cane toad — also called the bufo or marine toad — is the single most dangerous animal it is likely to meet in your own backyard. Every rainy season, emergency vets across the region fill with pets that licked, bit, or mouthed one of these toads. Many don't make it. The good news is that this is almost entirely preventable once you understand the threat.

Why Cane Toads Are So Dangerous

Cane toads defend themselves with bufotoxin, a milky poison secreted from large glands behind their eyes. When a curious pet bites or licks the toad, that toxin is absorbed almost instantly through the gums and mouth. Unlike a bee sting or a minor irritant, this is a fast-acting poison that attacks the heart and nervous system.

How to Identify a Cane Toad

Cane toads are often mistaken for harmless native Southern toads. The differences matter:

• Size: Cane toads are large — often 4 to 6 inches, sometimes bigger than a softball. Native toads rarely exceed 3 inches.
• Glands: Cane toads have large, triangular poison glands that run down the shoulders behind the eyes. Native Southern toads have small, oval glands.
• No ridges: Cane toads lack the prominent ridges across the head that native toads have.
• Color: Usually reddish-brown to gray, with a pale belly and dry, warty skin.

Symptoms of Cane Toad Poisoning in Pets

If your pet has contacted a cane toad, you may see any of these signs — often very quickly:

• Excessive drooling or foaming at the mouth
• Bright red, inflamed gums
• Pawing at the mouth, distress, or whining
• Disorientation, stumbling, or loss of coordination
• Vomiting
• Seizures or collapse (a medical emergency)

What to Do Immediately

1. 1.Rinse the mouth right away. Use a hose or wet cloth to wipe the gums and tongue from side to side. Point the head downward so water runs out of the mouth, not down the throat. Do this for 5–10 minutes.
2. 2.Wipe, don't flood. The goal is to physically remove toxin from the gums without your pet swallowing the rinse water.
3. 3.Call your emergency vet and go. Even if your pet seems to recover, get them checked — cardiac effects can appear later.
4. 4.Tell us. Once your pet is safe, contact Toad Shield so we can find and remove the toads on your property and barrier your yard.

For a printable, step-by-step version of this, see our guide on emergency steps if your dog licks a bufo toad.

Prevention Is the Real Solution

Reacting fast saves lives, but never having the encounter is far better. Cane toads breed in standing water and are most active at night and during the wet season. A professional cane toad barrier and removal program removes the toads already on your property and physically blocks new ones from getting in — so your pets can enjoy the yard without the risk.