Tuesday, October 7, 2008

MUSHROOMS CAN KILL YOUR DOG



Many pet owners do not realize that some of the mushrooms that grow in their yard are toxic to dogs. Symptoms of mushroom poisoning can range from mild vomiting and diarrhea to severe digestive problems to complete liver failure.


Dogs who like to "graze" will sometimes eat wild mushrooms along with lawn grasses, leading to mushroom poisoning. Dogs can sometimes become ill by just licking a poisonous mushroom. Also, some dogs, like some people, are allergic to even edible, normally safe mushrooms.



CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Toxic mushrooms have killed at least one dog in the Charlotte area and have made several others ill, according to local veterinarians, they said this week.



Always watch for mushrooms in areas where you walk your dogs or where they run and play. Be especially cautious of parasol-shaped mushrooms and all small brown mushrooms. Check your yard each morning, especially in damp weather, for new growth before letting your dog outside. Remember that new mushrooms can appear overnight. Whenever you find mushrooms in your yard, dig them up. Smashing or kicking them
spreads the spores and even more will grow.
**MUSHROOM FOLLOW UP **
from a reader...
Last week my 10 month old puppy was neutered after he came home he seemed fine. The next day after we played in the yard for an hour or so, we came in and he had some loose stool. About an hour later he was vomiting what to me looked like mucus and he had major diarrhea, when I called the vet office the receptionist said"just clean him up a bit but to not touch the neutered area or get it wet. He will be fine in the morning.".
The next morning with my children upstairs, I came down to what I would never in a million year thought could have happen. My 12lb puppy laid lifeless with not blood but a foul smelling fluid all over the kitchen, floor and walls. I called the vets office again not knowing what to do but it was too late. I wanted to share this story with you, because the vet is telling me that he this was caused by a lawn mushroom in my yard.
I am not really convinced but after your story realized it may be possible. I am on a mission to resolve what really did this to him. I know I do have mushrooms in my yard,
however never realized how toxic they can be for dogs.
Annie

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this warning! The symptoms have shown up in my Yorky this past summer and I was puzzled as to what was causing them. Your info has helped 'clue' me in on her problem!!! No mushrooms now, I hope to keep her play area clear of them next year! Thank you again!!!!

Anonymous said...

Thanx for the warning!!!!! As soon as I read this, I ran to grab my yorkie Shooby who was grazing away in the lawn. I am looking for the mushrooms but so far haven't found any and I am still looking...............I AM WARNING ALL MY FRIENDS!!! NO YORKIE WILL BE HARMED!!!!

Annie said...

Last week my 10 month old puppy was neutered after he came home he seemed fine. The next day after we played in the yard for an hour or so, we came in and he had some loose stool. About an hour later he was vomiting what to me looked like mucus and he had major diarrhea, when I called the vet office the receptionist said"just clean him up a bit but to not touch the neutered area or get it wet. He will be fine in the morning.". The next morning with my children upstairs, I came down to what I would never in a million year thought could have happen. My 12lb puppy laid lifeless with not blood but a foul smelling fluid all over the kitchen, floor and walls. I called the vets office again not knowing what to do but it was too late. I wanted to share this story with you, because the vet is telling me that he this was caused by a lawn mushroom in my yard. I am not really convienced but after your story realized it may be possible. I am on a mission to resolve what really did this to him. I know I do have mushrooms in my yard, however never realized how toxic they can be for dogs. Annie

Becka_Boo said...

i think my yorkie ate a mushroom. he's gagging and seems like he's having trouble breathing.... what should i do..besides go to the vett

Becka_Boo said...

i think my yorkie ate a mushroom. he's gagging and seems like he's having trouble breathing.... what should i do..besides go to the vett

Anonymous said...

my 13 monthold chiwawa got sick here recently with diareha, loose bloodey stool. I contacted the vet and they told me that it could be one of many things.However he did tell me that i can give my dog(Jeorgie) a childs dose of Imodion children. which help some with the diareha and aso a small dose of milk of magnisia which ready helped cause then her poor little belly was able to calm down. she has had the same synthoms twice in the past month. after all the worring and fighting to get medicine down her I Finaly found the cause PARASAL MUSHROOMS. Now every morning I check my yard...

Anonymous said...

I have come across this by accident, our Lad last christmas like you say had runny pooh, blood shooting out her bum very ill, we took her to the vet, and another course of anti B's later she still had the symptoms, I was sure she would die, we feed her boiled fish and a little potato, still she vomited etc, she eventually got well, yesterday she has again shown the same symptoms, I checked the garden and to my suprise mushrooms all behind the bench she likes to lie behind, I have removed all the mushrooms but yest definitly mushroom I think have been our problem, sorry your little dog had to die. Suzie

Miniature Yorkie said...

I am so sorry Suzie, for your loss. We have to be so watchful our little babies - so many things can harm them and they do not know any body. They love to eat everything.

Anonymous said...

Yesterday my dog was fine and she played with my other dog, when suddenly she became ill. She started vomiting, appeared very lethargic and panting hard. We rushed to the Vet. They took blood and found she had toxins in her blood, she also had a rash under her stomach and around her neck. She's an American Bulldog around 80pounds, we were told she would have probablt died if we hadn't taken her in. They treated her with antibiotics, IV fluids and injections for shock. Her liver was affected, but she's recovering. We searched the backyard and found several mushrooms, based on the symptoms it seems they were the cause.

Anonymous said...

We recently lost our little guy and we didn't think about the mushrooms that just started popping up this year in our yard. For 6-8 days he wouldn't eat or drink and became very lethargic. Soon the vomiting white foam all over, then the seizures started shortly after that. The vet said it was Distemper but we knew that wasn't it because of his age and signs. The seizures got so bad that we had to have him put down because we couldn't watch him suffer and there was nothing the vet could do. Now that we have read this blog, we now think that that is what he died from. It's sad and still hard to accept that because of something in our yard killed our little boy. Please be careful and get rid of those poisonous mushrooms in your yard if you have any pets. Better to be safe than sorry.

Anonymous said...

My 2.5 yr. old yorkie, Penny, always would graze outside in the yard. On a Thursday night she went out and came back in eating something (which I assumed was just grass or something like she always eats). The next night she had mucousy diarrhea and threw up. I took her to the vet in the morning and they said not to give her anything to eat the rest of the day and gave me an antibiotic to start her on the next morning. Saturday morning I couldn't get her to eat or drink anything at all. I took her back to the vet and they ran her blood levels and though she had pancreatitis and a possible liver disease. She was on IV fluids all day and by the next day was even worse. Sunday morning she had a seizure (her first ever). By sunday evening her blood wasn't clotting and she was starting to bleed internally and was at risk of hemmorhaging to death. I had to put my baby to sleep. Her necropsy showed that it was a toxin most likely a mushroom. PLEASE don't let this happen to you. It is the worst pain in the world to feel the guilt and loss of that. Watch your babies outside and don't let them eat anything. Even if they are just eating grass it could have spores on it.

Anonymous said...

I had a 5 1/2 month peek-a-poo (4 pounds). We notice he ate something in the year but didn't know what, (thought is was probably grass like always). Within 15 minutes he was throwing up, 30 minutes it was coming out the other end. Called the vet, left a message, (after hours), they called back 30 minutes later. Said to bring him in. I notice what looked like a mushroom in the vomit, bagged it up for the vet. On the way to the vet he died. He died 1 1/2 hours after eating it.