AUSTIN, Texas — After recent rainfall across Central Texas, you might have noticed a few mushrooms sprouting up around the area.
While they may look cute and harmless, some can actually prove to be toxic, or even fatal, if consumed by your pets.
According to the American Kennel Club, some veterinarians and mushroom experts believe that mushroom poisoning is an under-reported cause of fatal poisoning in pets. They say responding quickly is the best course of action if mushroom consumption is suspected, so contacting your veterinarian immediately and collecting the mushroom sample is advised.
The AKC says the following wild mushrooms are generally the culprits for causing the most problems:
- Amanita phalloides, or the “death cap”
- Galerina marginata, also known as the “deadly Galerina” or “Galerina autumnalis”
- Amanita gemmata, or the “jeweled deathcap”
- Amanita muscaria, also known as the “fly agaric” or “Deadly Agaric”
- Gyromitra spp., or the "false morel"
- Inocybe spp. and Clitocybe dealbata mushrooms
If you believe your pet has ingested a mushroom, unless you're a mycologist, veterinarians say you should avoid trying to identify the mushroom yourself and instead bring your pet in for treatment just for safe measure.
The following symptoms are signs of mushroom poisoning in dogs:
- false recovery periods
- liver failure
- kidney failure
- salivation
- eye-watering
- increased urination
- diarrhea
- neurological signs
- sedation
- tremors
- seizures
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- gastrointestinal upset
- ataxia
- coma
- jaundice
- abdominal pain
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