Page 16 - Martin Down Bulletin - September '24

Page 16, Martin Downs

tip oF tHe tail

Bufo Toad Intoxication particularly at night. Unfortunately, dogs seem to have a If you live in central or south Florida, take a moment
knack for finding them, and our dogs’ inquisitive nature can to do an Internet search for bufo toads and familiarize
lead them to lick, bite, or ingest the bufo toad, which can yourself with what these toads look like. If you encounter
result in exposure to the toad’s toxic secretions. these toads often in your yard, keeping your dog on a leash
If you think your dog has been exposed to a bufo toad, may be best when taking them out at night.
rinse the inside of their mouth (tongue, gums and cheeks) Established in 1981, Palm City Animal Medical Center
thoroughly and repeatedly with water-soaked washcloths. Do is dedicated to providing the best possible care for your
not use a hose or sink sprayer to rinse their mouth, as it is pets. With focuses on compassionate care in surgery,
too easy to drown your dog by doing this. After rinsing their physical therapy and rehabilitation, preventative medicine,
mouth, take your dog to the vet right away for assessment extensive diagnostics, and emergency service, Palm City
and further care. Animal Medical Center combines exceptional medical
The effects of bufo toad toxin exposure occur very care with a caring philosophy for pets and their owners.
quickly. These effects can include foamy salivation, difficulty For more information, call (772) 283-0920, visit www.
breathing, dark red gums, difficulty walking, vomiting, palmcityanimalmedicalcenter.com or find us on Facebook
seizures, and an irregular heartbeat. There is no antidote for at www.facebook.com/PalmCityAnimalClinic.
Along with the Florida summer rain comes an increase bufotoxin, but your vet can provide care to help your dog
in bufo toads around our yards and pools. Bufo toads, also survive exposure to it. Without treatment, death is possible,
known as cane toads, are an invasive species of toad that are if enough bufotoxin was absorbed.
poisonous to most animals, including dogs and cats. Bufo
toad intoxication is much more likely to occur with dogs than
with cats, with very few cases ever having been reported in
cats. Small dogs represent the vast majority of cases.
Bufo toads are reddish-brown to gray-brown in color
and have a slightly raised gland between their eyes and
shoulders that secretes a
toxin (bufotoxin) as a defense
against predators. Bufo toads
are most active during their
breeding season, March
through September.
Bufo toads seem to sit
very quietly even if you are
right next to them, which
makes them difficult to spot,

real estate

Treasure Coast Real Estate
Report

Lower Mortgage Rates And Dropping
Prices Could Create A Buyer Frenzy

By Jim Weix
There may be good
news for both home
sellers and buyers. It
looks as if mortgage
rates will drop and
the median sales price
of homes in Martin
County has dropped
slightly. The inventory
of existing homes for
sale has increased by
55.2 percent over the same quarter a year ago.
Many buyers, sidelined by mortgage rates, may
decide that now is the time to get off the fence. This
pent-up demand could result in increased home sales,
which were down 2.8 percent compared to the second
quarter of last year.
Buyers are paying 94.5 percent of the asking price
and properly priced homes are selling within 81 days,
compared to 75 days during the same quarter last year.
Many of those homes would have sold sooner, but it
took the seller 40 days to adjust their sales price.
From my experience, most buyers are also looking
for a move-in-ready home. One reason is that the cost
of doing major repair work has risen dramatically. It
is also difficult to find contractors, as they are busy.
Buyers seem to be willing to postpone any major
remodeling if the home looks good. One simple
technique that will increase the likelihood of your
home selling is to get the carpets, and particularly
your tile grout, cleaned before putting your home
on the market. I showed several similar homes in a
development. The ones with freshly cleaned tile grout
looked so much better.
Feel free to call me if you would like to discuss
your options. I can be reached at (772) 341-2941 or
jimweix@jimweix.com.
Jim Weix is a broker associate with The Keyes
Company. Jim has 25 years of experience selling real
estate full-time. If you have questions or want the
services of an experienced expert, you can reach Jim
at (772) 341-2941 or jimweix@jimweix.com.