Go out in your yard, and pick up all the poisonous shrooms

[YTNUKLR]

I am really shocked by how the last 24 hours of my life has gone, and I just need to write it down. As a side benefit, I hope you guys can avoid a similar day like my horrible Friday was...

First of all, a little background: We got a puppy a few months ago. My sister and mom picked him out from the humane society, because I was up north at school (my family lives near Pasadena in SoCal). He looks kind of like a miniature coyote (about 15 lbs.), maybe a little more orange, so we named him "Wiley" like the cartoon character. Extremely energetic and inquisitive--he really is crazy compared to my 15-year-old Fox Terrier, Charlie.

So, last night at about 4 am, my little pup (about 8 months old now) decided to go outside for a late night/early morning howl. Other than waking me up, I thought nothing of it and tried to sleep.

About 4:30, he started to puke. Again, I thought nothing of it, because dogs puke all the time, right? I went back to sleep, and my dogs cuddled together, I assume because Charlie knew there was something wrong.

I woke up at about 9 o'clock, to find Wiley was not on my bed anymore. I searched all around the house, and finally found him curled up in a ball in my back yard, at the far back end of the fence, looking terrible, trying to hide. I brought him in, and petted him on the couch, and he seemed to be feeling a little better, so I made breakfast and ran an errand. He didn't eat his food.

When I came back around 10:30, I realized something was really wrong with my dog. Immediately, I picked him up (limp) and took him to the vet. He was basically having a seizure and going into a coma, simultaneously. The little guy was absolutely dying in my arms.... And I am simultaneously blaming myself that I didn't realize this sooner and get him sorted.

After a barrage of questions, like, did he get into paint/chemicals/solvents/cleaners like all the stuff I have in my garage, or did he get into some chocolate or sugarless gum, all of which were impossible given his health at midnight, compared to his health at 11am. He could not have possibly gotten into the garage, or into the pantry. He had to have picked something up when he went outside at about 4am.

We waited out the day, an emotional roller coaster in the vet office. After shelling out an ungodly amount of money to give this little guy a shot (which I do not regret one bit), we got the call from the pet ER that his heart rate was slowing down and his liver function had degraded terribly. By 5pm, we had to make that decision to let him go. From ingestion to death, that's 13 hours, on an otherwise spunky, healthy puppy. Just tears me apart...the little guy never had a shot.

Sure enough, I went digging and I found a few caps of shrooms (bad kind) all over, blended in with a bunch of plants. I have no idea how he got into them.

I am just distraught. Thanks for reading this. Now, go out into your yards and pick up (do not simply crush - as they will multiply fruitfully if you do that) all the mushrooms you find. It may mean your dog's life.

[JCF]

Sorry to hear that.
Poor little critter.

[VroomGrrl]

How heartbreaking! I'm so sorry for your pup and you and your family. Thanks for the caution.

[MotoSook]

Sorry to hear of this, Scott.

[steve185]

I lost a dog the same way two years ago.
Very sad.

[steve185]

I guess I should have added that before my dog ate the mushrooms that killed him' I had caught him eating them before. I gave him a solution of water and hydrogen peroxide which makes dogs empty their stomachs almost instantly. Sadly, I didn't see him eat them the second time.
Steve

[quaz]

Fortunately most dogs don't like shrooms. However, like humans, dogs seem to develop unique tastes. I have one dog who would eat an apple over a raw piece of meat. While my other dog wouldn't touch a fruit or vegetable if her life depended on it.

Poor little guy.........

[austin552]

My dad lost his schnauzer to shrooms while visiting the grandparents.

[Ronbo]

I've had wild mushrooms growing in my yard, but the dogs never were interested. I'm very sorry to hear about Wiley.

[crustychief]

sorry to hear about Wiley. went and checked the backyard, shroomless.

[pwd72s]

Damn...sorry to read this, Scott.

[DanielDudley]

An oddly common occurance, for something you never hear about. I am very sad to hear this.

I wish I had more to offer you. At least I am sure the pup had a nice life. That means something I'm sure.

[kycarguy 935]

Sorry to hear about your puppy. I love my animals very much and know how hard it is to lose one.

[Zeke]

Never heard this either. However the list of poisonous plants in our yards is a long one. I watch with horror every time the cat eats a leaf. She won't touch cat grass or anything I plant. For that matter, she has no interest in catnip.

Very sorry, Scott. One thing good comes of this, you're wiser and you've made anyone else like me that was ignorant to this a wiser person.

[livi]

Terribly sorry to hear this, Scott.

[Dottore]

Sorry to hear this Scott.

Mushrooms. Who knew?

[Eric Coffey]

There are TONS of plants/foliage that are deadly to animals. You may want to check the backyard for any other plants that are potentially dangerous as well. Even common oleanders and azaleas are deadly.

Here is a list:
http://www.chelonia.org/articles/plantsthatpoison.htm

[911Freak]

Very sorry to hear.

We lost a puppy similarily; developing a property/building a house, missed the mushrooms. He didn't.

Good on yah for the reminder.

Jason



I t

[rammstein]

Damn, that's a terrible thing to go through. It's not your fault man, I wouldn't have known about the mushroom danger either until you just wrote this.

[RedBaron]

Sorry man... That sucks! I hope you feel better.

Did the puppy look like this?

http://static.desktopnexus.com/wallpapers/6751-bigthumbnail.jpg