Mushroom Poisoning in Dogs

When my oldest Chihuahua, Carl was about three years old, he suddenly became very lethargic and started vomiting. I took him to my vet. After running some blood tests the vet discovered very high liver enzymes in Carl’s test results. One of the first questions the doctor asked me was, do you think he might have eaten a poisonous mushroom.

It never occurred to me that such a dangerous hazard could be in my own backyard. Carl was not a dog that generally ate things in the yard, in fact he was a very picky eater at best, but non the less I was very concerned. However Carl recovered quickly and his liver function returned to normal. He was fine in a few days. Carl is ten now and still doing well.

It was a scary time. I became very aware of the various mushrooms that occasionally grew in my fenced in yard and along the usual path that Carl and I would walk. It was a good lesson to learn!

On Monday, September 28, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson reported to the media that his beloved French bulldog puppy, Brutus had died from mushroom poisoning. He was devastated. This death could have been preventable. Mr. Johnson wanted the public to know about toxic mushrooms and the terrible effects on dogs if eaten. What an awful story to tell. But many thanks to ‘The Rock’ for sharing his story. It may help to save another dog.

Upon reading the article about the tragedy in The Huffington Post, I did some more research on poisonous mushrooms. We now have a tiny puppy, RJ who eats everything. I checked our yard for mushrooms, I will be much more aware of what is growing outside. I want to keep RJ and the other dogs safe from such a tragedy. Thanks again Mr. Johnson for reminding me to be careful!