Friday, November 8, 2013
By Beth Davidow, DVM DACVECC
It’s that time of year when
all of us start seeing more mushrooms around. The combination of sun, rain, and
increased organic material on the ground is perfect for fungal growth. This
year in particular has been very good for mushrooms in the Pacific Northwest and
those mushroom hunters who know what they are doing, have had a banner year. However,
the conditions that make for amazing edible chanterelles, also lead to more of
the poisonous variety as well.
Last weekend, we saw several
cases of mushroom toxicity in dogs. Molly, a six-year-old female spayed
Labrador, was seen to eat mushrooms in the yard. She vomited some mushrooms and
began having diarrhea within the hour. However, she then became wobbly when
walking and was comatose when she presented to our emergency hospital in Renton
a few hours later. Molly was intubated (tube was placed in her throat to
protect her airway) and we initiated breathing for her. We pumped her stomach
to try to remove mushrooms and also gave her enemas, which removed even more
mushrooms. She was placed on intravenous fluids as well as supportive
ventilation. She needed to be ventilated overnight but by the next morning, she
started to wake up and could breathe on her own. She continued to improve, was
fairly normal by dinnertime and was sent home that evening, about 36 hours
after arrival. She continues to do well with no organ injury.
The mushrooms were
identified by a mycologist as Amanita muscaria. They are part of the family of
“death cap” mushrooms, but unlike Amanita phalloides, they do not cause kidney
or liver failure. Their appearance can vary making identification tricky. While
the signs caused by Amanita muscaria are extremely dramatic, all the dogs we
have treated with this ingestion have done well, but needed 24-48 hours of very
intensive care. More information on this mushroom type can be found :
Amanitas are not the only
poisonous mushrooms in this area. Other toxicities seen with mushrooms can
include severe tremor syndromes, dangerously low heart rates, and severe
gastrointestinal signs. Our veterinarians have treated pets with all of these
different syndromes.
A general rule is that if
your pet gets sick very quickly after eating a mushroom, they probably won’t
have longterm damage but if they get sick hours later, it could be extremely
serious. If you see your pet eats a mushroom, it is best to contact your
veterinarian right away. If there are other similar mushrooms in the same
vicinity, you can use a paper bag to pick a few for identification. Mushrooms
are very tricky to identify but it is easier when they are stored in paper
rather than plastic bags. The best way to keep your pet safe is to get rid of
any mushrooms you see in your yard and to prevent them from eating any
mushrooms they might find on a walk.
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