Keeping your cat safe from
Red Back Spider & Cane Toads.

Red Back Spider and the Cane Toad commonly cause problems for pets. It is important that you know the dangers and how to help your cat should it become poisoned by one of these nasty pests.

Red Back Spiders
In America, the Red Back is known as the Black Widow and in New Zealand, they call it the Katipo. The spiders mate in December and January and the female then produces a web with several round egg sacs. These sacs hatch about three weeks later.
As pets go, guinea pigs are the most susceptible to the bite of a Red Back. Cats come next and dogs are the most resistant to the bite, but they are certainly not immune.

Signs of Red Back Poisoning
After a Red Back bites, your pet will show intense pain at the site of the bite, especially if touched. Cats will usually salivate excessively and will produce thick, ropy saliva. The cat will be distressed, restless and breathless. It will usually show muscular weakness or tremors and muscle paralysis.

Red Back Spiders often bite cats on the tongue which causes great distress. The tongue will protrude from the cat's mouth. Another occasional and unusual symptom veterinarians have reported is the sporadic "stretching" of the outside toe of the hind limbs as if it the cat has a mild cramp.

An antivenene is available and is rapidly effective. While it is not always used in dogs, it is usually lifesaving with cats.

Cane Toads.
Toads are a common cause of poisoning in dogs. The toad can poison cats too but this is not very common. Toads exude a milky white toxin from poison glands behind their eyes. They squeeze this poison onto the surface of their skin when they are under threat. Toads do not spit or squirt the poison as commonly believed, and they don't bite. Dogs and cats are poisoned when they mouth the toad or sometimes when the toad's poison gets into their eyes.

The toad's poison is also dangerous to humans and deaths have occurred. Some adults have even been affected when they absorbed the poison through cuts in their skin after handling a toad. In China, toad poison has been used as an expectorant, a heart stimulant and as a diuretic. It has also been used as a remedy for toothache and sinusitis. In Africa and South America, toad venom has been used on the tips of arrows as a poison.

Toads were introduced into Australia in 1935 to control the cane beetle - a disastrous move as toads have no natural enemies in Australia. Australian Terriers and Fox Terriers also think this was a dumb idea, as they are the breeds of dog which often chase small animals and are therefore most often affected by toad poisoning.

Signs of Cane Toad Poisoning
Due to its corrosive and irritant nature, the poison will cause profuse salivation soon after your pet bites the toad. Following this, vomiting often occurs, especially in cats. Cats also show hindquarter weakness and a fixed trance-like stare. The poison can also affect the heart of dogs and cats, causing immediate cardiac arrest. After it has mouthed a toad, it is vital that you remove all trace of the poison from your cat's teeth and gums. Using a jet of water from a hose is an effective way of doing this. The water jet should be directed forward out of the cat's mouth, not down into its throat. Toads are a nocturnal menace another reason to keep your cat inside at night! If your cat. is poisoned If you suspect a Red Back Spider, a toad or anything else has poisoned your cat, you will have a good chance of saving its life with prompt action. Make contact with your veterinarian and transport the cat to him or her as quickly and quietly as possible. Keep it warm and gently restrained. If it is convulsing, it can damage itself by knocking against objects and it may not recognize you. The cat may also become quite vicious. Handle an affected animal with extreme caution. Be on the look out for Red Back Spiders and Toads - they are a danger to all pets.

_{source Cat & Kitten Mag.}