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| 7/24/2009 3:58:00 PM | Email this article • Print this article |
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| dog poisoned
Herman, Conifer resident Karla Clark’s 2-year-old dachshund, died on July 12 after ingesting poisonous mushrooms. The number of animals being treated for mushroom poisoning has increased because of wet weather. (Courtesy photo) |
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Conifer dog dies after eating wild mushrooms
Mike Potter
Staff Writer
Herman, a two-year-old dachshund belonging to Conifer resident Karla Clark, died on July 12 after ingesting wild mushrooms he found in his owner's yard near downtown Conifer.
Clark said when they noticed the dog had eaten the wild mushrooms, they called a veterinary hospital in Englewood. She said the veterinarian told her to keep an eye on the animal.
"He wasn't having a lot of the symptoms that have been reported [for mushroom poisoning]," she said.
She said Herman was OK when she and her husband went to bed the evening of July 11, but Herman had died by the time they woke up the next morning.
Clark said she wanted to get the word out to pet owners who might not even be aware of mushrooms growing in their own yards.
"Up here in the mountains, we didn't know we had them in our yard," she said.
The problem is on the rise this year, said Alma-based veterinarian Ed Hastain.
Hastain didn't treat Clark's pet, but he said he has seen a handful of similar cases between his Alma and Breckenridge offices.
He expects the number of mushroom poisoning cases in his practice to increase as the summer wears on and Alma moves into a more favorable growing season for mushrooms.
He said lower elevations would see the peak mushroom growing season sooner.
The course of action for mushroom poisoning involves treating the symptoms, he said. There is no antidote.
In cases in which the animal has recently eaten a mushroom known to be poisonous, charcoal is administered to help absorb the toxins.
When dealing with his own dogs, Hastain said, if he sees them eat something that is potentially poisonous, he will induce vomiting by pouring hydrogen peroxide down their throats.
The dogs will usually start to throw up shortly after that, he said.
Conifer Animal Hospital veterinarian Jason Johnson said mushroom poisoning is something difficult to diagnose, but it appears the number of cases is on the rise in the Conifer area.
"It's totally a guess diagnosis," he said. "It's not a for-sure diagnosis."
In most cases, pet owners don't see what the dog ate to make it sick, and the only real way to know is if a necropsy is performed after an animal dies.
But when a dog presents neurological symptoms, salivating, vomiting or sluggishness, vets usually assume it's some type of intoxication, he said.
When animals come in with any type of intoxication, they often act like they are drunk, he said.
But there is good news for pet owners who seek medical help for their animals.
"Treatment usually results in a good outcome," he said.
The treatment usually consists of drawing blood to determine a baseline for the animal, giving the dog fluids, and trying to get the dog to flush the toxins out of its system.
There is no definite amount of a poisonous mushroom a dog must eat to get sick because of the wide variety of dogs and the wide variety of mushrooms.
"There isn't really a dose per se," he said.
Larger dogs could stomach more poisonous mushrooms before getting sick than smaller dogs, he said.
But it's not only mushrooms than can cause intoxication in dogs, he said. Eating rotting meat or trash could cause the same symptoms.
But, Johnson said, the best thing pet owners can do for their pet is to get it to a veterinarian.
"Again, it's very uncommon for dogs to die from it if they seek veterinary care," he said.
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