Page 10 - Martin Downs Bulletin - September '21

Page 10, Martin Downs

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Arts Foundation Of Martin Ovation Hotel are $1,750 per person

County Offers Cultural until Sept. 1, with a $500 deposit
also due by Sept. 1. The rate for
Excursion To Sarasota reservations made after that date is
$2,100 per person. All remaining
By Jackie Holfelder balances are due Sept. 24.
It’s travel time again as The Arts Foundation of Martin Rates are based on double occupancy
County prepares for its third exciting Cultural Excursion. (additional $300 surcharge for single
After two highly successful trips to Lenox, Mass., and room). Price includes two daily meals.
Santa Fe, N.M. in 2018 and 2019, the planned 2020 tour Contact Nancy Turrell, executive
had to be cancelled. director, at (772) 287-6676, Ext. 4 or
But you’ll definitely want to be part of the ARTventure nancy.turrell@martinartsfoundation.
during a unique and exciting excursion to beautiful org or visit https://www.martinarts.
Sarasota from Nov. 11 to 14. org/support_us/events/cultural-
This gem of a city on Florida’s west coast boasts excursions.html.
stunning architecture, a vibrant historic arts district,
botanical gardens, museums and SarasotaMOD weekend Photos by
modern architecture tours. Arts Foundation of Martin County Cultural excursion to Lenox, Mass.
Accommodations are at the 4-Star Art Ovation Hotel
in downtown Sarasota.
Also included are: tip of tHe tail
• Welcome dinner
• Entrance to the Sarasota Art Museum and lunch at
the museum café
• Entrance to the Ringling Museum of Art and lunch Bufo Toads ingested. If enough toxin is absorbed, the pet will begin to
at the museum café vomit followed by heart arrhythmias, breathing problems,
• SarasotaMOD Weekend Home Tour, featuring the seizures and possibly death.
modern architecture of Sarasota The most important thing you, as a pet owner, can do
• Entrance into the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is immediately flush and wipe out the mouth to remove as
• Live performance by acapella group “Straight No much of the poison as possible before it is absorbed. Point
Chaser” at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall the head down and flush across the mouth and not down the
• The Florida Studio Theatre throat. You do not want to drown your pet while trying to
• Live performance of Gioachino Rossini’s The Silken save him. You can also use a towel to wipe the poison out of
Ladder by the Sarasota Opera. the mouth and off the lips. After decontaminating the mouth,
• Preconcert talks by Dr. Marie Jureit-Beamish, call your veterinarian or pet emergency clinic. There is not
Professor Emerita of Music a specific antidote, but we can alleviate some of the clinical
Meet new people who share your enthusiasm for the signs. It may take 10 or 15 minutes for some of the more
arts, all while supporting the Arts Foundation of Martin serious signs to appear, especially in smaller pets. I often tell
County. The bufo toad first came to Florida in 1955 when it was owners of large dogs to rinse/wipe the mouth and observe
Early bird rate for four days, three nights at the Art accidentally released at the Miami International Airport by them for 15 minutes, but I tell owners of small dogs to rinse/
a dealer importing specimens from Australia to be sold as wipe the mouth and get them examined right away.
pets. They were later released into sugar cane fields to help There are a few things we can do to decrease the chance
control mice and rats. These toads thrive in areas with man- of your pet having an experience with a bufo toad. First,
made bodies of water such as canals and drainage fields. control insects in your yard by keeping lights off and using
They often drive out native species of toads because they appropriate insecticides. Do not leave your pet’s food or
will eat a wide variety of food sources. Most toads will only water bowls outside and keep your pets on a leash when out
eat live insects. The bufo will eat dead insects, dog/cat food for walks especially in the morning and evening. Keeping
and even baby rodents right out of their nests. They have bufo toads out of your yard requires completely enclosing the
a very heavily built body with short legs and no webbing yard with mesh screens that extend at least 20 inches above
between the toes. They will grow over 9 inches long and can the ground and 4 inches below the ground. Natural ways to
weigh up to 2 pounds. A key feature of their anatomy is an control bufo toad populations are being investigated, but do
external salivary gland behind each eye where you expect not look promising at this time.
an ear to be. This is where their clear or milky white toxin Exposure to bufo toads can result in minimal to no
is excreted when the toad is disturbed or annoyed such as problems at all, but if left untreated or unnoticed, can be
being picked up in the mouth of a dog. The toxin affects the fatal especially in smaller animals.
nervous system and the heart and is similar in action to the Established in 1981, Palm City Animal Medical Center
Cultural excursion to Santa Fe, N.M. cardiac drug digitalis. The tadpoles and eggs are also toxic, is dedicated to providing the best possible care for your
but usually to a lesser degree. pets. With focuses on compassionate care in surgery,
When a pet is exposed, the toxin is irritating to the lips physical therapy and rehabilitation, preventative medicine,
Advertise, and gums. Pets will salivate excessively and paw at their extensive diagnostics, and emergency service, Palm City

Check out our website! mouth. Sometimes, but not always, the gums will turn a brick Animal Medical Center combines exceptional medical
red color. It is always difficult to determine the amount of
care with a caring philosophy for pets and their owners.
www.seabreezepublications.com toxicity, but small breeds are often more severely affected For more information, call (772) 283-0920, visit www.
or call 746-3244 due to lower body weight. The toxin can be absorbed through palmcityanimalmedicalcenter.com or find us on Facebook
at www.facebook.com/PalmCityAnimalClinic.
the mucous membranes and doesn’t necessarily need to be

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O: (772) 233-4444
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