Can Dogs Eat Mushrooms?

While there are some types of mushrooms that dogs can eat, it’s important to do your research and talk to your vet before feeding your dog mushrooms. If you’re like most pet parents, you love sharing a good meal with your dog, especially when you’re eating something particularly delicious. While many store-bought mushrooms are safe, certain wild mushrooms can be highly toxic to dogs and humans.

When you’re feeding your dog table scraps, you need to be careful about what you’re giving them. Don’t feed your dog any known toxins, and keep an eye out for symptoms like lethargy and diarrhea after your dog eats table scraps. If you want to know more about whether dogs can eat mushrooms, we’ve got all the info you need to know.

• Can Dogs Eat Store-Bought Mushrooms?
• Which Mushrooms Are Poisonous To Dogs?
• What Should I Do If My Dog Is Showing Signs Of Mushroom Toxicity?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Final Notes

Can Dogs Eat Store-Bought Mushrooms?

Can dogs eat cooked mushrooms? For the most part, you don’t have to worry about feeding your dog mushrooms that come from the grocery store, including cremini mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, and other popular varieties.

Keep in mind that while dogs can eat mushrooms, there are certain seasonings, vegetables, and cooking oils that can make mushrooms harmful to dogs. If you’re cooking mushrooms in butter with garlic and onions, you shouldn’t feed those mushrooms to your dog. If you’re cooking plain mushrooms in a pan, they should be safe for your dog to eat as long as they’re not one of the toxic wild mushrooms.

Mushroom varieties that are safe for dogs include:

• White button
• Cremini
• Portobello
• Porcini
• Reishi
• Shiitake
• Maitake

When in doubt, it’s best to avoid feeding your dog any mushrooms. While many store-bought mushrooms are perfectly safe for dogs to eat if they’ve been prepared properly, certain types of mushrooms can cause medical issues in dogs. These medical issues may range from a minor illness to severe illness and even death. If you’re going to feed your dog mushrooms, talk to your vet first to make sure you’re not putting them at risk.

Which Mushrooms Are Poisonous To Dogs?

Most mushrooms that you eat are safe and edible for dogs, but there are mushrooms that contain certain compounds that can cause illness and even be fatal if consumed by dogs. It’s important to know what physical characteristics to watch out for because poisonous mushrooms have distinct physical features.¹

Poisonous mushrooms vary quite a bit in color, although many poisonous varieties of mushrooms have a sort of brown or orange tint to them. You may also notice white spores on many poisonous varieties of mushrooms. Mushrooms with red on the cap or stem are often poisonous, so it’s best to avoid those. Mushrooms in the Amanita family typically have white gills with a skirt on the stem, and they’re poisonous as well.

If you have any doubts about the toxicity of a mushroom, don’t eat it or let your dog eat it. You should only consume mushrooms that you know aren’t poisonous, so it’s typically best to buy your mushrooms from the store if you’re worried about your dog’s safety. When you take your dog for walks, make sure you’re watching them closely and keeping them away from any mushrooms that may pique their interest along the way.

Symptoms Of Mushroom Toxicity

As a pet parent, it’s up to you to make sure your dog doesn’t get into any poisonous mushrooms. Consumption of toxic mushrooms can lead to several symptoms in dogs, including vomiting, diarrhea, ptyalism, and even death in some cases. Here are some of the symptoms you should watch out for when it comes to mushroom toxicity2:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Weakness
• Lethargy
• Jaundice
• Lack of coordination
• Excessive drooling (ptyalism)
• Seizures
• Coma

Because poisonous mushrooms often grow in wooded areas and near trees, it’s important to keep an eye on your dog if you’re walking through mushroom-filled forests and trails. Even consuming a small portion of a toxic mushroom can lead to serious medical problems in dogs, so you should try to keep your dog away from any wild mushrooms when you’re out for walks.

What Should I Do If My Dog Is Showing Signs Of Mushroom Toxicity?

If your dog is showing symptoms of mushroom toxicity, you should call your vet before you do anything else. Your vet can help walk you through the symptoms of mushroom toxicity and help you decide if that’s what’s going on with your dog. Your vet may recommend inducing vomiting in some cases.

Try to get a sample of the mushroom your dog ate if you can. Bringing this sample to the vet can help them determine what kind of mushroom your dog ate and what the best treatment option is. Simply place a bit of the mushroom in a paper bag and bring it with you to the vet when you take your dog in.

Keep in mind that it’s also important to make note of where you found the mushrooms your dog ate. While your dog might be sick as a result of the mushrooms, their illness could also be a result of pesticides. It’s not uncommon for roadside and industrial areas to be sprayed with pesticides, so keeping your dog away from wild mushrooms in these areas is especially important.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can dogs eat cooked mushrooms?

As long as you’re feeding your dog the right type of mushrooms, dogs typically have no problem eating cooked mushrooms. Most store-bought mushrooms are safe for dogs to consume as long as they’ve been prepared properly. Keep in mind that mushrooms that have been cooked in butter or prepared with garlic and onions should not be fed to dogs.

If you’re going to feed your dog mushrooms, you should cook them in a small amount of oil with no spices, herbs, or vegetables. Large amounts of fatty oils and butter can be bad for dogs, and certain herbs and spices may be toxic on their own. If you’re going to feed your dog mushrooms, you should talk to your vet about how to prepare them safely.

What happens if a dog eats a mushroom?

When your dog eats a mushroom that’s toxic to dogs, it’s important to watch for the clinical signs of mushroom poisoning to help you determine the severity of your dog’s condition. Mushrooms that cause symptoms in fewer than 3 hours are typically not life-threatening, but mushrooms that cause symptoms that don’t present for more than 6 hours may be life-threatening.²

You should call your vet if you’re worried about your dog eating a mushroom. While many types of mushrooms are completely safe for dogs, your vet can help determine if your dog ate a toxic mushroom. If your dog is dealing with mushroom poisoning, make sure you get them to the vet ASAP.

What should I do if my dog is having a toxic reaction to food?

The first thing you should do if your dog is having a toxic reaction to something they ate is to call your vet. When you call your vet, make sure you provide a detailed description of what’s going on with your dog, including what they ate, what symptoms they’re showing, and how long those symptoms have been present. Your vet may request that you bring a sample of the mushroom your dog ate when you bring your dog in for treatment.

As a pet parent, it’s your job to know which foods are safe for dogs and which are toxic. Keeping your dog away from toxic foods is an important part of keeping them healthy, so talk to your vet if you’re not sure what your dog can and can’t eat.

Final Notes

While many types of mushrooms are completely safe for dogs to eat, certain wild mushrooms can be toxic and cause serious medical problems in dogs. If your dog eats a wild mushroom, you should monitor their condition and call your vet. You can also bring a sample of the mushroom your dog ate to your vet in a paper bag.

At Dutch, we know how scary it can be when your dog is experiencing health problems. Fortunately, Dutch can connect you with vets who can offer expert advice when you need it most.