Did you know some mushrooms are poisonous for your pet?
Cooler and wet fall weather brings many changes to our environment. The leaves are not the only fall colors coming to us. The forest floor is full of surprises along with our back yards. Mushrooms, toadstools and fungus are popping up everywhere.
Mushroom poisoning of companion pets, particularly dogs, is an underestimated problem. While the majority of mushrooms are considered non-toxic, some may result in severe clinical signs (even death). The majority of confirmed fatal mushroom toxicities in pets are mushrooms from the following genera: Amanita (fly agaric or fly amanita), Galerina, and Lepiota
Amanita, Galerina, and Lepiota species mushrooms contain toxic cyclopeptides. Amanita species are the most commonly documented cause of fatal mushroom poisoning in dogs.
If you suspect that your pet has ingested poisonous mushrooms, contact your Vet immediately do not wait for symptoms to set in, it might be to late. You can also call or visit the Pet Poison Helpline online.
Carefully collecting a sample or capturing a picture of the mushroom will help in identification with suspected exposure and may help save your pets life. Some mushrooms cause mild symptoms and intestinal upset while others are extremely dangerous and even the tinyest exposure can prove to be fatal.
Photos of some species of toxic mushrooms:
