The last week of May, a dog ate a dried Death Cap mushroom at the trailhead of a UC Berkeley trail on the edge of Strawberry Canyon.
What’s shocking about this event is that it happened well past ‘mushroom season,’ when dog walkers in this area are much more aware because mushrooms are everywhere. It seems that this mushroom was dried up and the pieces scattered among the ground cover on the side of the trail.
Otto nosing a mushroom (CC) Ed Brownson
The dog was admittedly a garbage hound and she went after what may have been animal scat when she ingested the mushroom. The professional dog walker, her guardian at the time, tried to get her to drop it, but was too late.
Her family made heroic efforts to get her treatment, including taking her to US Davis, but they couldn’t save her. So they wanted to share some things they learned to help prevent this tragedy from happening again in the Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve, or anywhere mushrooms are prevalent.
If you suspect your dog ate a mushroom, call your veterinarian immediately,
If it’s a weekend, call a pet emergency center.
It’s important to take a sample of the mushroom with you.
If your dog tends to eat things she shouldn’t, consider using a good fitting box muzzle to prevent her from eating anything on the trail. But don’t use the more restrictive groomer’s muzzle; these are only designed for very short-term use.
