20 Apr Mushroom Warning For Pet Owners
With a change of seasons around the corner, we would like to alert all pet owners that we have noticed an increased number of calls to the Animal Poisons Centre regarding wild mushroom ingestions.
Dogs are more likely than cats to ingest mushrooms and they are particularly attracted to stinkhorns. The stinkhorn pictured here is Aseroe rubra, more commonly known as the anemone stinkhorn or red starfish fungus. The smelly exposed spore mass on these fungi is enough to tempt even the fussiest of dogs.
Mushroom ingestion can cause a range of symptoms depending on the species and toxin involved. Whilst many mushroom ingestions result in either no symptoms or purely a gastroenteritis like syndrome, some mushroom ingestions such as Amanita phalloides (commonly known as the Death cap) can be life-threatening even with small amounts.
Please be cautious by keeping an eye on your pet whilst walking them and where possible remove any mushrooms from your yard before your pet has a chance to play with or eat them.
If your pet has ingested a wild mushroom, you can call the Animal Poisons Centre on 1300 869 738 (from Australia) or 0800 869 738 (from New Zealand) for advice. Our service is free for all pet owners.