Are mushrooms poisonous to dogs?

While most mushrooms are generally considered non-toxic, certain types can be very dangerous. One of the most dangerous is the Amanita phalloides or “death cap,” which is found throughout the United States. The proper identification of mushrooms is very difficult, and can only be done appropriately with a mycologist (fungus expert!). Therefore, it is wise to consider all ingestions of unidentified mushrooms as toxic until proven otherwise. Depending on what type of mushroom was ingested, clinical signs including vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, neurologic signs (e.g., walking drunk, tremors, seizures, hallucinations), liver failure (e.g., black-tarry stool, jaundiced gums, etc.), etc. Treatment includes inducing vomiting (if recently ingested), treating with activated charcoal to bind the toxin, measuring blood work to monitor the liver function tests, and using medications to protect the liver (e.g., SAMe, milk thistle, etc.).