Collier County - Pet owners beware! A poisonous toad is sending dogs and cats to emergency vet clinics. A toad killed a Collier County woman's dog.

"You think they're safe fenced in", says Emily Thoemke. Emily knows better now. She let her terriers, Bailey and Gracie out in the morning last week when it happened.

"He started foaming at the mouth about maybe two minutes after the got in the house."

After the foaming came seizures and then the 20 pound terrier went into a coma.

"Most of the time they come out of it, but he did not," says Thoemke. "It was the most heart wrenching thing."

The emergency vet told Thoemke a toad poisoned Bailey.

"They knew exactly what it was. I couldn't believe after living here all these years, that I had no idea the toad existed."

The poisonous toad is a bufo, or cane toad. When it feels like it's in danger, glands behind its eyes release toxins.

Director of the Naples Zoo, David Tetzlaff says the toad is an invasive species that's a problem on the east coast, and one that could become a bigger problem here. "We have a climate that's hospitable to these native invasive species that have set up shop and it's easy to reproduce", said Tetzlaff.

A bufo or cane toad is big, about the size of your fist, or bigger. Tetzlaff says the largest ones top out at nine inches long and around two pounds.

Thoemke plans on keeping Gracie on a short leash. "I'm not letting her out anymore without being right there." She's thankful Gracie wasn't hurt too. "I could have lost both of them."

Vets at an emergency clinic near the Golden Gate Estates area say they see three to four poisonings a month. Most cases are treatable, not deadly.

Symptoms of poisoning include red, fleshy gums, foaming at the mouth, and seizures. Veterinarians say if you think your dog has been poisoned rinse its mouth out right away using a garden hose then take it to an animal hospital.

Animal experts say if your dog starts sniffing in one particular area, check out what it's going after. They also say don't leave your pets food outside, the toads will eat it and the toads tend to be out at night and in the morning.