A hiker whose canine died in Fujairah after selecting up a venomous toad has warned pet house owners to maintain their animals away from wildlife within the mountains of the UAE.
Adrienn Remenyi, who’s Hungarian and lives in Ras Al Khaimah, was walking along with her husband and two miniature dachshund dogs, Frankie and Porter, on March 8 in Fujairah.
Recent rains had left many wadis within the space brimming with water, and teeming with wildlife.
I didn’t think about that Arabian toad venom may kill a canine, so that is very uncommon
Sandra Goutte, frog specialist at New York University Abu Dhabi
Arabian toads had been a standard sight on the walks the couple often took within the Wadi al Fay space, however Ms Remenyi had no thought their dogs could be in danger.
“We’ve been going hiking in the Dahir sulphur pools for years now and we’ve seen the toads before. They were there on that particular day,” mentioned Ms Remenyi.
“At the time, we thought they had been innocent frogs.
“Porter ran after one and bit into it. He then started shaking and foaming at the mouth.
“He dropped the toad and I flushed his mouth out with some water I had on me.
“Not even then did it occur to me that it was toxic.”
Fast-acting toxin
While the toad disappeared apparently unhurt, Porter’s well being started to rapidly deteriorate and his snout started to swell.
The couple returned to the automotive and referred to as an area vet for recommendation.
“When we arrived home he started vomiting and I noticed that the swelling wasn’t improving, but getting worse,” mentioned Ms Remenyi.
“We took him to Dubai to see our usual vet.
“With a heavy heart, we came home, and got a call the next morning to let us know that there was no change in his condition.
“A couple of hours later, they called me again and said his breathing was getting worse so they were going to put him in an oxygen chamber.
“On the way in to see him, I got the call that he was given three rounds of CPR but he had died.”
Vets on the British Veterinary Hospital in Jumeirah 3 mentioned the canine’s signs had been much like a snake chew, and if that was the case they may have administered anti-venom.
But as Porter had ingested toxins from the toad, there was no appropriate anti-venom available.
An post-mortem confirmed swelling within the canine’s head, thinned blood however no different organ harm – that are typical signs of toxicity. The veterinary payments totalled greater than Dh8,000.
Dr Gareth Enslin, a vet at BVC who handled Porter, thought the canine had been bitten by a snake initially resulting from its signs.
“Normally, we see this kind of reaction with snake bites, when you get that kind of that swelling,” he mentioned.
“We searched everywhere over his body and inside his mouth looking for any puncture marks that could indicate there was a snake.
“There were no wounds of any kind, so all we had was the detail of the toad inside the mouth.”
Dr Enslin mentioned if Porter had eaten a frog a few months earlier than, it may have been an allergic response.
“When he contacted again, maybe that started the anaphylactic reaction,” he mentioned.
“If a dog interacts with anything like a frog or a snake, it is important to get him to the nearest vet as soon as possible, and try to record an image of what it has been in contact with to help the vets respond correctly.”
Low danger
The danger of encountering a venomous species within the UAE stays extraordinarily low.
Of the 13 natives species of snakes, solely the 4 vipers that reside in rocky or sandy areas are trigger for concern.
The distinctive triangular heads of the Arabian horned viper, Sindh saw-scaled viper, Oman carpet viper or Hajar saw-scaled viper, and Persian horned viper assist establish these hardly ever seen, venomous snakes.
Scorpions such because the Arabian thick-tailed selection, present in sandy deserts and the Hottentotta Jayakariextra generally seen in mountainous areas, are additionally unlikely to pose any risk to people.
Red again spiders are the probably to trigger discomfort with their bites, inflicting ache, vomiting and sweating.
The most venomous spider within the UAE is the violin spider or brown recluse spider, which may trigger necrosis if it bites, though sightings are uncommon.
The Arabian toad is considered one of two discovered within the wadis of the UAE.
The different is the Dhofar toad which is inexperienced or brown with speckled markings and bulging eyes, however with out the distinctive patterns of the Arabian toad.
Sandra Goutte, a analysis affiliate and frog specialist at New York University Abu Dhabi, mentioned Ms Remenyi’s case was extraordinarily uncommon and the toads had been typically innocent.
“Typically these toads are found in wadis or a little bit higher up in altitude,” she mentioned.
“Behind the eyes, the Arabian toad has these big glands which contain poison, but it’s only for defensive purposes.
“This did exactly what it is meant to – defend against anything that tries to eat it.
“Typically not much does eat them, maybe birds but they know how to avoid the gland that secretes the poison.
“I did not imagine that Arabian toad venom could kill a dog, so this is very unusual.
“If people see them out when they are walking, they shouldn’t touch them at all and just leave them alone.”
Both of the UAE’s native toads are extraordinarily resilient and might survive in dry, scorching environments throughout the Arabian Peninsula the place different amphibians would perish to the intense warmth of summer time.
“Unless there’s definitely something else wrong with the dog, I find it extremely unusual it could have this reaction,” mentioned Johannes Els, head of herpetology (snakes and reptiles) and freshwater fish on the Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife in Sharjah.
“There are stable populations of the Arabian toad here and elsewhere.
“But because of the location, my immediate suspicion was the dog was bitten by a carpet viper.
“They are fairly common and feed on the toads.
“I suspect the dog came across one of these and the snake gave it a bite, but it would be hard to tell.”
Updated: March 28, 2024, 3:00 AM
