Do you have Mushrooms in your Backyard?

Today I was in the yard picking up after the dogs.  Having 3 large dogs, if this goes more than a few days, the landmines pile up.  I have to admit this ONE responsibility of having dogs has made me second guess my choice to not have a human child.  I mean child labor is cheap or so my friends tell me.

While walking through the yard, I came across a brown mushroom and it reminded me that as the weather becomes wetter that I must be more diligent on clearing the yard of mushrooms.  Last year I had seen an article online of a young healthy Bernese Mountain Dog who ingested a death cap mushroom and died from mushroom toxicity.  Here is a link to the flyer which shows what the death cap mushroom looks like.  http://bernese.biz/MushroomFlyer.pdf

In general all backyard wild mushrooms should be treated as poisonous.  Symptoms of mushroom poisoning include: Vomiting, Diarrhea, Abdominal Pain, Lethargy, Jaundice, Seizures, Coma, Excess Salivation.  So what should you do?

If your dog has eaten poisonous mushrooms and you catch him in the act (this is where the "Drop it" and "Leave it" commands come in handy):

• Remove any pieces from the dog's mouth and...
• Induce vomiting
• Call your veterinarian

If your dog has eaten poisonous mushrooms, but there is a short delay in realizing what has happened:

• Save the specimens for identification
• Call your veterinarian or take your dog to the emergency veterinary hospital immediately.

If your dog has eaten poisonous mushrooms and any of the above symptoms appear

• Take your dog to the emergency veterinary hospital immediately.

Always keep your eyes open for mushrooms in your yard as well as the neighborhood when you take your dog for a walk or to the dog park.  If you find them in your yard, dig them up.  Smashing them or kicking them will only spread the pores allowing more to grow.