Page 8 - Palm City Spotlight - September '24
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Page 8, Palm City Spotlight

                                                    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.                                                                                   See answer in this paper.
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