Safety guide

Is Mushrooms safe for dogs?

Use with caution

Plain store-bought mushrooms are generally safe, but wild mushrooms can be fatal and should never be risked.

Plain, washed shop-bought mushrooms (such as button or chestnut) are non-toxic and safe in small amounts, but they should be cooked plain with no oil, butter, salt, onion or garlic. Wild mushrooms are a completely different matter — some species are highly toxic and can cause liver failure or death, and even experts struggle to tell safe from deadly kinds by sight. Never let your dog eat any mushroom found growing outdoors, and treat any wild-mushroom ingestion as a potential emergency.

Symptoms to watch for

  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhoea
  • Drooling
  • Weakness or lethargy
  • Loss of coordination or staggering
  • Tremors or seizures
  • Yellowing of the gums or eyes (jaundice)

What to do immediately

  1. 1If a wild mushroom may have been eaten, contact your vet or an animal poison line immediately
  2. 2If possible, photograph or collect a sample of the mushroom for identification
  3. 3Do not induce vomiting unless told to by a vet
  4. 4Note the time of ingestion and monitor closely

When to call your vet

Your dog has eaten any wild or unidentified mushroom, or shows vomiting, drooling, weakness, tremors, seizures or jaundice — treat wild-mushroom ingestion as an emergency.

Sources: ASPCA Animal Poison Control · American Kennel Club (AKC) · VCA Animal Hospitals

For guidance only — this doesn't replace veterinary advice. When in doubt, contact your vet.

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