Toxicity to pets

There are several thousand species of mushrooms located throughout the United States, but only a small percentage is considered toxic. Accurate mushroom identification is difficult and should be left to experts (mycologists). While many mushrooms are considered non-toxic, some may cause severe clinical signs or even death. The majority of confirmed fatal mushroom toxicities in pets are due to mushrooms from the following genera: Amanita, Galerina, and Lepiota.

Depending on the type/species of mushroom ingested, several general organ systems can be affected: gastrointestinal (e.g., vomiting, diarrhea), central nervous system (e.g., ataxia, tremors, seizures, visual disturbances, aggression, disorientation), liver (e.g., vomiting, black-tarry stools, increased liver enzyme blood tests, liver failure), kidney (e.g., anorexia, vomiting, inappropriate thirst or urination, kidney failure). Some mushroom toxins will affect pets very rapidly (within 15-30 minutes of ingestion) while others will not produce signs for many hours (up to 24 hours). In general, all mushroom ingestions by pets should be considered toxic unless a specialist can accurately and quickly identify the mushroom as non-toxic.

If you see your dog eat a mushroom, contact your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline® immediately for treatment advice.