http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/73922,2_1_AU27_DOGDIES_S1.article
Dog dies after having ingested wild mushrooms
MONTGOMERY -- Terry Duffy raced to the VCA Aurora Animal Hospital Sunday evening with his son Michael cradling the family's trembling 13-year-old beagle, Minnie.
The frail pooch had been stumbling around sideways on Saturday and was up all night vomiting. But Duffy didn't panic until after Minnie's legs became stiff and cold Sunday afternoon.
"We kept thinking she might come back and bounce out of it," Duffy said.
But by the time Duffy and his son got to the vet, it was too late. Minnie died in Michael's arms after less than five minutes in the waiting room.
Duffy suspected that Minnie had eaten the wild mushrooms festering in the back yard. He had spotted the fungi earlier in the week in a neighbor's yard that looked like a "mushroom factory."
There were several varieties -- some had large flat tops, others were cup-shaped; some were white, some brown, some purple -- and they quickly had spread down the street.
When he called the VCA Aurora Animal Hospital at 2600 W. Galena Blvd. on Sunday, he learned Minnie was the third case of mushroom poisoning that day. The other dogs had been treated for dehydration, but Minnie was too old to pull through, Duffy said.
The veterinarian couldn't diagnose the cause of death as mushroom poisoning without proof that the dog had ingested the mushrooms -- such as samples from the vomit. The species of mushroom also would have to be identified.
"A lot of people think their animal has been poisoned," said Dr. Sheila McCullough, a veterinarian at the Aurora Animal Hospital. "(But) mushroom toxicity is rare."
There has been a slight increase in pet-related mushroom ingestion cases in Illinois this year, according to the Animal Poison Control Center in Champaign.
There have been 26 pet-related mushroom ingestion cases so far this year in the state, up from the 15 cases during last year's drought, 20 cases in 2004 and seven cases in 2003. There have been 12 cases reported in Illinois this month alone, though no fatalities.
The numbers aren't cause for alarm, as mushroom cases tend to increase in the cool, damp spring and autumn months, said Dr. Sharon Gwaltney, medical director at the Animal Poison Control Center.
"I think that people should be aware that mushrooms can definitely be a problem," Gwaltney said. "But as far as it being an outbreak, not really."
The vast majority of mushrooms are not poisonous, but all cases of mushroom ingestion are taken seriously because it's hard to know the difference, Gwaltney said.
Toxic mushrooms can cause liver damage, but don't always produce visible symptoms. Even non-toxic mushrooms can cause gastro-intestinal problems. Just to be safe, Gwaltney recommended pet owners keep their yards fungus free and remember not to dispose of mushrooms in a compost pile.
If a pet does eat a mushroom, owners should contact their veterinarian or the Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 right away.
For Duffy, who lost another dog to old age only a month ago, Minnie's death has motivated him to spread the word on the hidden danger in the grass.
"That's all I want people to get out of this ... pick their mushrooms or keep their dogs away from it," Duffy said. "A younger dog may have lived, but there are plenty of people with older dogs."
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