Mushroom Poisoning in Dogs
Spring, summer, and fall are good seasons for yard mushrooms to grow. Most mushroom poisonings occur in September and October, but can happen any time of the year. Any ingestion of mushrooms by dogs should be considered a medical emergency. Of the 10,000+ mushroom species in the US., about 100 are toxic to dogs. The most fatal mushroom species are Amanita. Galerina, and Lepiota. Mushroom toxicity depends on the type of mushroom. Mushroom poisoning can cause drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, weakness lethargy, abnormal heartbeat, difficulty breathing, stumbling, uncoordinated movements, disorientation, increased drinking and urination, yellow discoloration of eyes and gums, tremors or seizures and can lead to kidney and/or liver failure. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has an interesting article on mushroom poisoning and dogs at https://www.aspcapro.org/resource/mushroom-poisoning-dogs There is no antidote for mushroom poisoning to date. Treatment may include inducing vomiting, or ingestion of activated charcoal. A veterinarian may begin IV fluids to counteract dehydration form vomiting or diarrhea. Dogs may be hospitalized for 3 – 5 hours in order to monitor their condition and kidney and liver values. Prevention is key to keep your dog safe from ingestion. Regularly check areas of your yard that your dog has access to and remove any mushrooms growing. While on walks or hikes, keep a close eye on your dog and keep them on a leash in areas where mushrooms are growing. PetMD published an article on the 6 Poisonous Mushrooms That are Toxic to Dogs at https://www.petmd.com/dog/slideshows/6-poisonous-mushrooms-are-toxic-dogs. Pictures are included in the article. Comments are closed.
|
|