PORTLAND, Maine — With a solid break in the consistently wet weather in our forecasts, veterinarians are telling Mainers looking to hit hiking trails to beware of wild mushrooms poisoning dogs.
While most dogs would ignore a mushroom, Maine Veterinary Medical Association President Kate Domenico says younger dogs might take interest.
"We see a lot of younger dogs eat mushrooms, they're kind of curious a little more than a normal pet... they tend to put everything in their mouth," Dr. Domenico said.
Dr. Domenico said it's hard for people to determine what kind of mushrooms exist in the wild so if you see your dog eat a mushroom, monitor their symptoms and don't be afraid to seek veterinary care.
"Just make more people aware, these are not benign things for your pet to ingest.... it can cause a lot of problems and it's just about limiting access," Dr. Domenico said.
When it comes to identifying mushrooms, North Spore's Louis Giller said the most common poisonous mushroom in Maine is the Amanita mushroom.
"That one is one you definitely do not want. You want to avoid it and if you see your dog has eaten it, please seek help," Giller said.
Giller said if your dog has eaten a mushroom, take photos of it if you can, and look around the area for similar-looking ones.
"I wouldn't take chances with my dog... See if you can narrow down what it was they ate, and you can find one with high confidence a similar mushroom," Giller said.
Giller also said to try inducing vomiting in your dog if they did eat a wild mushroom and to take it to the vet.