You may be wondering – Are Lawn Mushrooms Poisonous for Dogs? In order to keep the yard beautiful, there is also quite a bit of maintenance needed on your part.
Preferably, you also want your yard to be safe enough for your dog to run around. Now, there can be plenty of possible dangers lurking around our yard.
If you’re not observant enough, they can hurt or even severely damage your pet’s health. One of those dangers can be mushrooms.
Let’s dive deeper into this topic.
Can Dogs Eat Lawn Mushrooms?
Generally speaking, the mushrooms that you would buy in the grocery store are safe for your dog to eat.
Mushrooms are a very good source of protein, fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. That’s why they are considered a superfood.
Just as for humans, mushrooms can actually be beneficial to your dog’s health.
They can promote healthy skin and support the digestion of dogs. As they are low in calories, they are also a perfect option for overweight or aging dogs.
There is nothing wrong with feeding your dogs store-bought mushrooms, but there are several important things to be aware of.
Never feed your dogs seasoned mushrooms, with added salts, onions, spices, and oils. A little bit of olive oil is fine, but all else can mostly hurt your dog’s digestion.
Another thing is – to try to avoid serving raw mushrooms to your dog. Give your dog only organic cooked mushrooms to eat, as raw ones can mess with your dog’s digestive system.
Are Lawn Mushrooms Poisonous for Dogs?
When you ask yourself: “Are Lawn Mushrooms Poisonous for Dogs”, the answer will be: It’s best to avoid letting your dog eat lawn mushrooms at all costs.
Even though approximately 98-99% of mushrooms are safe to eat, 2% of them are extremely poisonous.
It’s also really hard to determine whether a mushroom is safe to eat or if it’s a poisonous one.
This fact alone can cost you or your dog its life. That’s why it’s best to avoid eating mushrooms that are not store-bought – at all costs!
Now, accidents can happen.
It’s possible some mushrooms have grown in your yard after a heavy rain period, as they grow in damp environments.
Pair that with a very curious and stubborn dog, and you’ve got a problem on your hands.
What Mushrooms Are Toxic for Dogs?
It’s best to assume that any mushrooms in your lawn are poisonous. That way you can avoid emergency veterinary visits and a lot of stress and headache.
Despite that, it’s beneficial to be informed about the most common mushrooms that are toxic for your dog.
- Amanita mushrooms (Amanita phalloides, Amanita gemmata, Amanita muscaria)
- Galerina marginata
- Clitocybe mushrooms
- Gyromitra mushrooms
Of course, there are many more toxic mushrooms for your pets, but these are the most common ones.
The mushrooms from the Amanita (death cap) and Galerina (funeral bell) groups are generally the most toxic ones.
All of them may cause different reactions in your dog and can do so at different times after eating.
For example, after eating some of them, abdominal pain, vomiting, and weakness can occur as early as 15 minutes. Other reactions can occur as late as 24-48 hours after ingestion.
This is why it’s best to not have any false hope if no reaction occurs after your dog eats a mushroom. The dog may be fine now, but it may be in for fatal consequences later on.
To be specific, both Amanita and Galerina mushrooms contain amatoxins – the most dangerous poisons found in nature!
They may cause diarrhea and vomiting, but can also slowly shut down the functioning of the liver and kidneys. [1]
Red mushrooms, ones with an unpleasant smell, white gills, scales, and lumps are most certainly poisonous! This is the information that you can use as a quick tool to identify them quickly.
The main point is – only experts really know which mushrooms are poisonous and which are not. That’s why it’s best to avoid them altogether.
Dog Ate Mushroom in Yard – Symptoms
What can you do if you assume the dog already ate poisonous mushrooms?
The best prevention is a well-trained dog. Teaching your dog to ‘’drop it/leave it’’ can be super beneficial as it can potentially save that dog’s life.
Now, say it’s too late, and your dog already ate the suspiciously-looking mushroom. In this case, we recommend you take your dog to the vet, even if no first signals of poisoning show.
You need to act quickly, as it’s best to overreact than underreact in this kind of situation.
What if, on the other hand, you’re not sure if your dog ate the poisonous mushroom? Or maybe, you’re on a hike with your dog and the emergency vet is far away?
That’s when you need to look out for these symptoms:
- Vomiting
- Lethargy
- Diarrhea
- Salivation
- Abdominal pain
More serious cases often include:
- Weakness
- Collapse
- Seizures
- Aggression
- Ataxia
- Liver or kidney failure
- Coma
- Death
It goes without saying, but – don’t wait for more serious symptoms to show up as it can be too late. If you notice any milder symptoms – react immediately!
My Dog Ate a Mushroom and Is Throwing Up – What To Do
If your dog ate a mushroom and is immediately throwing up, there are two possible cases of why it is happening.
It’s either because the dog ate an extremely poisonous mushroom, or your dog is allergic to mushrooms. One thing is for sure – you need to act fast!
Phone your vet or take your dog to the emergency vet clinic as soon as possible. If the case of poisoning is serious, your dog might need to be left at the hospital for several days to fully recover.
But don’t worry, as mushroom poisoning is curable, especially when treated quickly and efficiently.
Don’t beat yourself up and use this situation to be better informed about what your dog can and cannot eat.
For starters, read about whether or not dogs are allowed to eat edamame, truffle, mackerel, or takis.
A quick tip: take a picture of the wild mushrooms that your dog ate, if there are still any. This will allow for better identification of the mushroom, and this information might be crucial to your pet’s recovery.
You should also know that there is a State by State free service of professionals you can consult for this information.
How to Get Rid of Lawn Mushrooms?
The best way to avoid having your dog eat a toxic mushroom is to prevent having this problem overall.
Include a routine inspection of your lawn or your backyard. This is especially important during those rainy days, as this is when mushrooms are most likely to appear and grow.
If you notice any mushrooms, pick them all up by hand and throw them away. This might not be a long-term solution, but it is an important one.
What you need to do is to search for what caused them to appear.
If it’s overly rainy weather, that’s not something you can control. Just stick to removing them by hand.
If that’s not the case, maybe you are overwatering your lawn. Make sure to stop doing that, as mushrooms and other fungi thrive in damp conditions.
You can also try trimming away some tree branches or pruning your plants. This will allow more sunlight to reduce the possibility of mushrooms appearing.
Read Also: How to Keep Dog House Warm
Conclusion
So, are lawn mushrooms poisonous for dogs? They most probably are.
It’s really hard to distinguish the toxic ones from the ones that are safe to eat. This is why it’s best to keep your lawn mushroom-free for your dog.
If your dog already ate the mushroom, phone the vet immediately.
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