Mushrooms Toxic to Dogs

mushrooms toxic to dogs graphic

So far, it’s a chilly and rainy summer here in Colorado, which is quite rare. Weeks and weeks of almost-daily rain mean that scads of wild mushrooms keep popping up in our yard and pastures. To keep things simple when talking about mushrooms toxic to dogs, veterinarians often use the abbreviation LBM, meaning “little brown mushrooms.” Not that other types of mushrooms dangerous to dogs don’t exist, but at least here … little brown ones tend to be most common. I take ZERO chances, and I pull and dispose of everything I find. 

mushrooms toxic to dogs graphic

Mushrooms Toxic to Dogs Overview

There’s a good recap of ALL the mushrooms toxic to dogs here from Trupanion, but it doesn’t include photos. 

In particular, I wanted to show the little brown mushrooms we get here in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. I’m definitely NOT an expert at identifying mushrooms, but I think the ones we get here are inocybe mushrooms based on comparing my photos to the ones I found online and where they’re typically found. 

little brown mushrooms toxic to dogs

These mushrooms start with fairly rounded caps, but then as they get bigger, they flatten out. 

At this point in mid-June 2023, I’m pulling about a pound of them a day from our land. Earlier today, I literally filled a standard poop sack. That’s just crazy. It was heavy. 

I even emailed our fav ER veterinarian to say it’s definitely “little brown mushroom” season here. Gah!  

Mushrooms Toxic to Dogs? Here’s My Best Advice

Just pull up and dispose of every mushroom that comes up wild in your yard. It simply isn’t worth the risk, unless you’re a super expert at identifying these species of mushrooms versus the other types of wild mushrooms that people love to forage (like morels): 

  • Amanita phalloides (death cap)
  • Galerina marginata (deadly Galerina)
  • Amanita gemmata (jeweled death cap)
  • Amanita muscaria (fly agaric)
  • Gyromitra species (false morel)
  • Inocybe species and Clitocybe dealbata mushrooms

Better safe than sorry. Toxic mushrooms can affect dogs’ livers and kidneys and even cause death. 

Symptoms typically start less than 3 hours from ingestion, but sometimes DVMs see signs more than 6 hours and more than 24 hours after ingestion. 

Symptoms of mushroom poisoning in dogs include the following:

  • Drooling
  • Watering eyes ​
  • Frequent urination​
  • Diarrhea
  • Difficult or painful breathing and shortness of breath​
  • Vomiting
  • Slow heart rate ​
  • Small pupils​
  • Low blood pressure ​
  • Shock​
  • Abdominal pain 

symptoms of mushroom poisoning in dogs