Help! Tiger Salamander toxins!

[Monkey55]

My fiance was cleaning the salamander cage and our puppy attacked our pair of tiger salamanders! The salamanders are ok, however our puppy isn't. He's covered in a sticky residue from the salamanders. How do I free him of his misery.

 

[caudatadude28]

Tiger salamanders dont have toxins. You must have fire salamanders.

 

[Monkey55]

Okay, my puppy had foam on his mouth and face. Do you know of anything I can do to take the residue off him?

 

[caudatadude28]

Cant you just wash it off? What seems to be the problem with getting it off. I am sure i wont hurt you. If you are worried, put on some rubber gloves and take off the foam.

 

[Monkey55]

I've already tried that when it was in the foam stage. It's hardened like glue. I have tiger sals not fire. They secrete milky toxin that is very sticky. Thanks for your help. Trust me im not afraid to dirty my hands.

 

[oregon newt]

I would get that dog to a vet. It doesn't sound good if its mouth is foaming.

 

[Monkey55]

Sorry, i'm not very good at describing it. The foam came from the defense mechanism of the tiger sal. . When they are attacked they have glands that produced this sticky subtance. I think the vet is my only option. My pup can still eat and move, but like I mentioned the substanced had dried on his coat (long haired chihuaua). I've searched around the web, I found vaseline as my only hope other than the vet. It looks like my pup rolled his side of his face in super glue. Anyone else know anything I should do?

 

[caudatadude28]

You have a spotted salamander I bet. They do exactly what you say are yellow and black. http://www.caudata.org/forum/showthread.php?t=55654&highlight=spotted Does your sal look like this? Ambystomids dont have deadly toxins, just bad tasting ones that may make an animal sick but not die.

 

[Monkey55]

No they are wider with yellow bands. I've had them for 3 yrs they are tigers.Sticky defense.

 

[Monkey55]

 

[superfin]

ok that is definitly a bared tiger salamander.As for the dog personally I have no idea about salamander toxins.






sorry


chris:wacko:

 

[oregon newt]

Tiger salamanders dont have toxins. You must have fire salamanders.

All salamanders are toxic. Some more than others.

 

[ferret_corner]

We have some toxic toads here in the southwest and when my cats were young they would catch them and get a mouthful of toxins.

In regards to them as long as they don't eat the toad or swallow to much of the toxin - they only get the foamy mouth thing.

All amphibians are toxic (as I was told) to some extent. The amount of toxicity varies from species to species and POSSIBLY from diet. I find it hard to imagine that a simple tiger sal could cause that much of a reaction unless your dog was allergic or you've been the sal toxic bugs from the rainforest.

When my cats got hold of a toad - I held them upside down, mouth pointed at the sink, turned them sideways into the stream and let the faucet rinse their mouths out. I never left it in them/on them long enough to dry and harden so I'm not sure whats happening over there.

The original message was 16 hours ago and your last reply was 11 hours ago. Hopefully you figured out a solution in the intervening hours.

Sharon

 

[Monkey55]

It wasn't until he returned with the tank that our puppy was struggling with the foam,it was already sticky. As soon as we seen him we rushed him to the sink and washed him first with running water and then with puppy shampoo. I do think running cold water made it harden faster, although i can't be entirely sure because this is my first experience with the foam. Since then the vaseline has been much help in breaking down the glue like substance. I've never experienced anything like this before, I wasn't concerned with the toxicity but more with the affects of the sticky substance clogging his nose, and sealing his eye shut long term. Thankfully his eye is open and he can breathe.Thanks for yor help.

 

[spendday]

i have heard reports of tiger salamanders giving off a substance when startled or attacked (i assumed this was common knowledge) as far as i was aware this made them taste bad but wasnt particually harmful. your dog must be having a bad reaction.

ill see if i can drag up some sources might be worth looking into