As autumn creeps in, mushrooms are aplenty. At this time of year, they’re popping up all over our favourite woodland walking spots and even in our garden. Which means as dog parents we need to be extra watchful – and teaching your dog to avoid all mushrooms with a simple ‘leave it’ command is the best tactic.
Some wild mushrooms are poisonous to dogs and can make your dog sick. For owners with sneaky scavengers, you may be worried if all that snaffling could get your dog into trouble. In this post we’ll reveal the top wild mushrooms that are dangerous to our furry friends.
Can dogs eat mushrooms?
The short answer is yes – most mushrooms are safe for dogs to eat. But that doesn’t mean they should. Although shop-bought mushrooms like chanterelle, porcini and morel aren’t poisonous, dogs don’t need mushrooms in their diet.
Of the 15,000 species in the UK, 99% are edible mushrooms. But even the experts have a hard time figuring out which ones are poisonous. So it’s important to be aware, certain types of wild mushrooms can be devastating for your dog’s health if ingested.
When it comes to your dog’s wellbeing, there’s really no such thing as an edible wild mushroom. It’s best to keep your dog away from all mushrooms.
Related blog: Which plants are dangerous and poisonous to dogs?
What kinds of wild mushrooms are dangerous for dogs?
Since you won’t always know which mushrooms are poisonous when out and about, it’s best to teach your dog to avoid all mushrooms. A simple ‘leave it’ command can be useful for showing your furry friend what’s off limits.
Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria) – the iconic fairy tale mushroom with the red spotted cap.
Jewelled Death Cap (Amanita gemmata) – commonly misidentified as safe to eat. This mushroom has a yellowy cap with white spots.
Death Cap (Amanita phalloides) – responsible for the most fatal mushroom poisonings in both people and pets. White and unassuming, just half a fresh mushroom can kill an adult human.
Autumn Galerina (Galerina marginata) – small brown mushrooms that are as dangerous as the deadly death cap. They have a flatter cap than others and can often be found growing from decayed wood.
Elf’s Saddle (Helvella lacunosa) – a dark ‘saddle’ shaped cap and a white stem. Toxicity levels vary in this mushroom family, but all are best avoided.
Related blog: Can dogs eat nuts?
Symptoms of mushroom poisoning in dogs
Mushroom poisoning symptoms can vary greatly depending on the species consumed. In simple terms, there are four main categories of mushroom that can affect different areas of the body.
Category A mushrooms are most toxic. They destroy cells in the body and can cause kidney and liver failure.
Category B and C mushrooms affect the nervous system. These mushrooms can cause tremors, seizures and affect their ability to walk.
Category D mushrooms can cause gastrointestinal upset, including vomiting and diarrhoea. But this is rarely life threatening.
The most common symptoms of mushroom poisoning are:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Jaundice
- Abdominal pain
- Seizures
- Excessive drooling
- Coma
If you suspect your dog has eaten a wild mushroom, don’t hesitate. Contact your vet for advice immediately. If you can, take a sample of the mushroom with you. This will help your vet determine how they can best help your dog.
Very informative information.We have mushrooms growing in our garden and I am continually pulling them out.Not so easy out for walks so I have taught my pup ‘no,dirty’ which is used not only with mushrooms but with other nasty stuff .Good to be told what mushrooms are most dangerous though.Better safe than sorry.
My dog died suddenly yesterday and I suspect it was from eating a mushroom. I have a picture of the mushroom which I can send to you. Would you be able to tell me if its toxic or not?
Alan
Hi Alan,
I’m so sorry to hear your pup passed away – please accept our deepest condolences from everyone at tails.com.
I’d really recommend sending a picture to someone who specialises in mushrooms as they’ll be best placed to help you work out which mushroom it is.
Millie
Could you put a picture of it on here, I’m interested to see what it looks like and did you manage to get it identified? Thanks
Could you please send a picture ?
Please can you send picture as I think my lab has eaten a mushroom from my garden
are pine mushrooms poisonous to dogs
Hi Kristin,
I’d recommend speaking to a mushroom specialist to find out if specific mushrooms are dangerous – we’d recommend making sure your dog avoids all mushrooms, just in case.
Millie
I have found several what look like Morel mushrooms in my backyard, my dog has had intestinal distress and tiredness, I have been to the vet 2 days ago, yet they did not suspect poisoning, that said I just found these mushrooms today in the yard under the tree, apparently they only cause intestinal distress, which she is experiencing.
False morels are toxic to dogs and humans if eaten raw. If you have access to the mushrooms, you can cut one in half. A true morel will have a totally hollow interior, and a false morel will have fibers in the stem. I’d recommend an antifungal treatment for that part of your yard or some way to block it off from your dog (if you want to harvest yearly). Best of luck!
I live in south Texas where the brush country and coastal plains meet. I think the mushrooms my dog ate have the common name of “Pale BrittleStem”. I can’t find whether or not they are poisonous to pets. ???
Hi Wesley – I’d recommend speaking to your local vet to double check!
Are brown top mushrooms dangerous for my Yorkie? He got maybe ahold of just a very small piece as I was cleaning them to freeze.
I lived in Africa among tribesmen who relished mushroom season. If they were unsure, they fed a small piece in minced meat to a dog. If retching occurred within 30 minutes the mushrooms were discarded. No dog was ever harmed beyond a short retching spell.
I knew many tribesmen who ate mushrooms without the “dog” test and became severely unwell, some died.
This is very interesting. My 15 year old dog had severe fits over a 24 hour period a few weeks ago. Now has medication every 8 hours and back to how he was. But I wonder if he had mushroom poisoning. There were large flat ish brownish mushrooms/ toadstools in the garden at the time. And I wonder if he picked up some toxin even though I don’t think he eat them. Now I’m wondering does he need the medication?
We’re so sorry to hear that your dog has been poorly recently, Anne, we hope he’s on the mend soon. If you do suspect this may be the cause, it’s certainly worth speaking to your vet about your concerns 🐾