Mary Allen
Dogs don’t often eat poisonous mushrooms. But when they do, it has to be quick. In the case of cracked fungi and death cap mushrooms, in particular, going to the vet immediately is essential for survival.
It’s the mushroom season again soon. Many Swiss people then swarm into the woods to collect chanterelles, mushrooms, or porcini mushrooms and take their dogs with them. And just as certain mushrooms are poisonous for humans, there are also dangers lurking for four-legged friends along the way. While only a minority of all mushrooms are dangerous to dogs, catching one that contains the toxins muscarine or amanitin can have fatal consequences. These are the genus of cracked fungi and death caps, such as the death cap (see picture gallery), which are in season from July until well into autumn.
If the dog has eaten a death cap mushroom, it will suffer from severe abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea eight to twelve hours later. This is followed by hours of apparent improvement. Imke Hennink from the Bern Animal Hospital calls this “a particularly deceptive phase”. Many owners would believe that their dog would do better without therapy “and then seek veterinary help too late”. If left untreated, however, liver failure occurs one and a half to two days after ingestion of the mushroom, followed by kidney failure, multiple organ failure, and a fall into a coma, which ultimately ends in death.
In some cases, crack fungi are also deadly. The poison muscarine has the effect that the stomach, intestines, and lungs fill up with liquid very soon after ingestion, explains Katharina Schenk, doctor and mushroom expert at Tox Info Suisse in Zurich. This ultimately leads to suffocation: “Small dogs, in particular, suffocate and die on the way to the vet.” Large dogs would have better chances of survival. “But owners must react immediately in any case, even if it is often difficult to say what the dog ate.”
Respond Quickly if There is Any Suspicion
Imke Hennink also emphasizes the importance of visiting a veterinarian, even if it is “only” a matter of suspicion. “Serious consequences can be avoided with the right action,” she explains. These include, for example, inducing vomiting, gastric lavage, or administering activated charcoal. According to the veterinarian, detoxification must take place within the first four hours after eating the mushroom. After that, much of the toxin was already absorbed in the body.
Owners can also help vets diagnose them. For example, by trying to remember what the mushroom looked like, taking a photo of it, or taking the remains of the mushroom with them to be identified (see the “Important questions” box). Another option is to first call Tox Info Suisse for advice on necessary measures. However, to identify the mushroom itself, you need a mushroom inspector or an emergency mushroom expert.
According to Katharina Schenk, there were 21 inquiries about possible mushroom poisoning in dogs last year, and veterinary reports came in four cases. Three dogs were slightly poisoned, one moderately. That doesn’t sound like much, but “we also have serious cases and deaths in the database,” emphasizes Schenk. In addition, the following applies to both animals and humans: “The more mushrooms grow in the forest or along the wayside, the more cases of poisoning there are.” And 2019 could well be a good mushroom year.
Finally, the question arises as to why dogs eat toadstools at all. Do they lack the instinct that the bite doesn’t suit them? Why they do this is not described in the literature, says veterinarian Hennink. “Young dogs often eat mushrooms out of curiosity and play.” Perhaps, according to Schenk, they also like the smell of cracked fungi. Some smell alcoholic like Williams, others stink and give off a spermatic smell.