Mary Allen
Teaching the dog to look for chanterelles is a fun and useful activity. But many dogs are also interested in other mushrooms. Wanting to roll in rotten mushrooms is common among our four-toed family members, however, it is a bit unclear why they do it. Some say they want to hide their own scent, others that they want to spread their own.
Unfortunately, some of our fungi are toxic, in general, it can be said that the fungus that is toxic to humans is also that of our dogs. Unfortunately, dogs are not connoisseurs, if you have a voracious dog, it can very well put in a poisonous fungus without major problems, perhaps by mistake or pure curiosity. The fact that the dog licks its fur when it has rolled can also in rare cases lead to it being poisoned.
The Most Toxic Fungi
It is good to learn what the most dangerous fungi look like, and these are the most dangerous varieties:
- Fly agaric
- Brown fly agaric
- Panther fly agaric
- Whitefly agaric
- Sneaky fly agaric
- Top gift spinning
- Stenmurkla
– If you suspect that your dog has ingested a toxic fungus, it is important to take it to the vet as soon as possible. Symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea often come on quickly, but other symptoms are more insidious and only appear a few days later, says Patrik Olsson, business area manager for small animals at Agria.
The symptoms are thus different depending on which toxic fungus the dog has ingested. The most common are vomiting and diarrhea. There are fungi that give symptoms only a few days later. One such example is spider mite, which is one of Sweden’s most toxic fungi. It often grows next to funnel chanterelles and looks similar in color and size. If a dog – or human – ingests spider mites, the liver is directly affected. The symptoms only appear a few days later and then chronic liver damage, some with fatal outcomes, is already a fact.
If you suspect that your dog has ingested a toxic fungus, it is important to take it to the vet as soon as possible. Try to get some of the mushrooms the dog has eaten, so it will be easier to decide if it is dangerous or not.