are-mushrooms-bad-for-dogs[/caption]Dogs and Mushrooms: Are They Poisonous?
Just last week, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s dog sadly died of mushroom poisoning. On Instagram, he left an important message:
“This mushroom happened to have a lethal toxicity and within hours it was rapidly destroying [Brutus’] liver and immune system to the point of no return. I encourage all of you out there to be mindful of mushrooms in your yards, parks or anywhere outside your dogs play. What looks innocent, can be deadly to your lil' family members…”
Our hearts go out to The Rock and his family, as it’s heart breaking to lose a dog to poisoning.
So, when it comes to mushrooms, how does a dog guardian know which ones are poisonous versus which ones are safe?
There are thousands of mushrooms out there, but only about 100 types are poisonous. (Don’t worry about mushrooms sold in large-chain grocery stores – these are safe and considered non-toxic to dogs and humans). Depending on what type of mushroom is accidentally ingested, poisoning can be seen even with just a small bite. Mushrooms are very difficult to identify, and that should only be done by mycologists.
When in doubt, we veterinarians always assume worst-case scenario… that each mushroom is poisonous when ingested by dogs or cats. When it comes to mushrooms, they can result in different types of poisoning, depending on what species of mushroom is ingested.
[Editor's Note: Don’t worry about memorizing each kind of poisonous mushroom, as you will see here, Dr. Lee’s advice is the same regardless of which mushroom you think your dog ate.]
- The most dangerous type of mushroom is the Amanita, which contains amanitin toxins. Clinical signs seen from this mushroom include severe gastrointestinal signs (within 6-24 hours), a “false recovery” period (where your dog appears to get better), and then severe liver failure (at 36-48 hours post-mushroom exposure). Acute kidney injury (AKI) can also develop in the end stages. These types of deadly mushrooms include Amanita, Galerina, Lepiota, A. phalloids (death cap, death angel), and A. ocreata.
- The Inocybe spp. and Clitocybe dealbata mushrooms contain the toxin muscarine and cause profuse SLUDE signs (e.g., salivation, lacrimation, urination, diarrhea) and neurologic signs.
- Amanita muscaria and A. pantherina are a different type of Amanita that contain the toxins muscimol and ibotenic acid. Clinical signs from this type of mushroom include ‘walking drunk,’ severe sedation, tremors or even seizures.
- The false morel (Gyromitra spp.) causes profuse vomiting and diarrhea and is generally not fatal. Rarely, it can cause seizures.
- Some types of mushrooms just cause gastrointestinal irritation (e.g., vomiting and diarrhea) and are rarely life threatening when ingested. Signs can be seen in 1-6 hours, and generally resolve after 1-2 days. These types of mushrooms include the following types: Agaricus, Boletus, Entoloma.
- Hallucinogenic mushrooms aren’t life-threatening and rarely need treatment. That said, signs of ataxia, acting abnormal, howling, abnormal eye movement and hyperthermia can be seen when dogs ingest them. These types of mushrooms include the following types: Psilocybe, Conocybe, Gymnopilus spp.
What if you notice your dog eat a mushroom?
If you notice your dog eat a mushroom, get to a veterinarian or emergency veterinarian immediately. The sooner you bring your dog in, the sooner we can decontaminate (e.g., induce vomiting or administer activated charcoal to bind the poison from the stomach) and treat your dog; this will be less expensive and less damaging to your dog. Additional treatment often includes IV fluids, blood work monitoring (for 2 days), liver protectant drugs, anti-vomiting medication, and supportive care. If you wait until clinical signs develop, it may be too late to treat your dog effectively.
10 Foods That Are Bad For Your Dog
Your dog likes snacks, and you like snacks, and you like to share your snacks with your dog. Who can resist those puppy-dog eyes? Unfortunately, just as your dog can eat certain things that aren’t good for you, many of the things you eat are not good for your dog. To avoid a sick tummy, an emergency visit to the veterinary clinic or worse, take a look at this list of foods that are bad for your pooch.
CHOCOLATE
You already know that chocolate is bad for dogs, right?
Theobromine is a chemical that is related to caffeine, and it is found in tea and chocolate. It is poisonous to many types of animals, including dogs and cats. Most pet parents are aware that chocolate isn’t good for their dogs, even if they’ve never heard of the toxin itself.
Some people will tell you that the risk of theobromine poisoning is overstated, and that chocolate isn’t really all that dangerous, especially to larger dogs. Your Dairy Milk® bar has about an eighth of the theobromine compared to a similar quantity of baking chocolate. White chocolate has less still.
The danger is calculated by body weight. If your Wolfhound has snuck a bit of chocolate cake or the half-dozen chocolate chips that fell on the floor while you were baking, he’s probably going to be okay. If your Yorkie gorged herself on chocolate bonbons, get her to the vet. If she ate enough of it, it could kill her. (Baltazar, undated)
SWEETS AND CHEWING GUM
Xylitol is a sweetener used in some kinds of candies, chewing gums, and specialty dental products. It’s found naturally in many food plants, although commercial xylitol is usually made from corn husks and Dupont Chemical makes theirs from hardwood. This sweetener is generally considered safe for human consumption. However, it is very poisonous to dogs. This stuff can kill Fido, so if he’s gotten into some, take him to the veterinary hospital or emergency clinic immediately. (Xylitol.org, 2010; and Daniluk, 2011)
ONIONS
Over the long term or in very high doses, onions cause damage to the red blood cells in dogs and cats. This is true of the entire onion family, including leeks, chives, shallots, and so on. Lilies, daffodils, tulips and the like are also best kept out of your dog’s reach. Simple version? If the plant grows from a bulb, Fifi and Fido shouldn’t eat it. (ASPCA)
COFFEE
A moment ago, we discussed Theobromine. Caffeine causes the same kinds of problems, but worse. In fact, when your body processes caffeine, one of the products is theobromine. Keep your dog away from coffee, mocha, cappuccino, coffee-flavoured anything, chocolate-covered coffee beans, energy drinks, and colas. (Gu et al, 1992)
GRAPES AND RAISINS
Grapes are poisonous to dogs. Unfortunately, we don’t know what exactly the toxin is, or why they cause problems, and therefore it is impossible to predict how many grapes it would take to kill the pet. To be safe, if Rover has eaten any grapes, rush him to the vet. If the vet can treat him before his kidneys are damaged, the dog can often be saved. (McKnight, 2005)
Raisins are nothing more or less than dried grapes, with all the grapey goodness condensed into a tiny packet. It shouldn’t be any surprise that while grapes are bad, raisins are worse.
MACADAMIA NUTS
Macadamia nuts are another odd one. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, dogs are the only animals for which macadamia nuts are poisonous and it isn’t known what makes the nuts dangerous. Usually, macadamias only make the dog sick, but in combination with some chocolate, they can kill him. (Merck)
ALCOHOL
It shouldn’t be any surprise that alcohol isn’t good for your dog. It’s actually poisonous to us, too, if enough is consumed, and most dogs are smaller than the average adult human.
MUSHROOMS
Certainly, there are some mushrooms that won’t hurt your dog, but mushrooms are tricky. Some species are safe if grown in one area but not safe if they are grown somewhere else, and some are only safe if they are not combined with certain other ingredients. Also, the signs of mushroom poisoning can take a day or more to show up.
Play it safe. Fido’d prefer a piece of that steak to the mushroom sauce on it, anyway.
AVOCADO
Avacado poses two risks to dogs. The first one is simply that the pit is large and round. This means that it poses a choking hazard, and, if it is swallowed, it could cause an impaction (“plug”) further along the digestive line.
The second risk is actual poisoning. The plant produces a toxin called “persin” and this is poisonous to many animals. It causes heart damage and all sorts of problems with nursing, a bit of a strange combination. The Merck Veterinary Manual only reports two dogs running into heart problems as a result of persin poisoning, but the risk is there, and not all pet poisonings make it into Merck’s records. Merck is mainly concerned with livestock. Play it safe and keep the guacamole away from Fifi.
STICK TO SAFE FOODS
Your pooch is a scavenger and he loves to eat anything he even suspects of being food, but keep him safe by sticking to safe foods.
If you want to share bites from your dinner, choose the parts that are good for him: plain rice, cooked meats (without the onion-mushroom sauce, please!), and even honey-glazed carrots are all fine. Even better, give him a yummy dog snack such as a “bacon” treat or a canine cookie.
Keep him healthy, and keep him safe.
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