The "Death Cap Mushroom" (Amanita phalloides) . If only it came with a sign. One California woman lost her dog to the innocent looking mushroom and created the flyer below to help warn others. The shroom resembles some edible species, which creates further confusion. If suspect your dogs has ingested a death cap mushroom, it IS a medical emergency and should be treated immediately.
Wikipedia describes is like this:
"The death cap has a large and imposing epigeous (aboveground) fruiting body (basidiocarp), usually with a pileus (cap) from 5 to 15 cm (2–6 in) across, initially rounded and hemispherical, but flattening with age.[17] The color of the cap can be pale-, yellowish-, or olive-green, often paler toward the margins and often paler after rain. The cap surface is sticky when wet and easily peeled, a troublesome feature, as that is allegedly a feature of edible fungi.[18] The remains of the partial veil are seen as a skirtlike, floppy annulus usually about 1 to 1.5 cm (0.4–0.6 in) below the cap. The crowded white lamellae (gills) are free. The stipe is white with a scattering of grayish-olive scales and is 8 to 15 cm (3–6 in) long and 1 to 2 cm (3/8–3/4 in) thick, with a swollen, ragged, sac-like whitevolva (base).[17] As the volva, which may be hidden by leaf litter, is a distinctive and diagnostic feature, it is important to remove some debris to check for it.[19]
The smell has been described as initially faint and honey-sweet but strengthening over time to become overpowering, sickly-sweet and objectionable.[20] Young specimens first emerge from the ground resembling a white egg covered by a universal veil, which then breaks, leaving the volva as a remnant. The spore print is white, a common feature of Amanita. The transparent spores are globular to egg-shaped, measure 8–10 μm (0.3–0.4 mil) long, and stain blue with iodine.[20] The gills, on the other hand, are seen to stain pallid lilac or pink with concentrated sulfuric acid.[21][22]"
Be especially careful in wet climates where mushrooms grow like parts of the southeast. I have seen both my dogs eat poop, so eating a mushroom that has been reported to "taste pleasant" would be no problem. If you've been out hiking with your dog and they suddenly become ill, the "death cap" could be a cause to explore. Dog and mushrooms don't mix.
Jack Carrier is a founder of DogTagArt.com, a website that features full-color, pet ID tags printed with user-submitted artwork. The site has over 400 designs submitted from artists around the globe. Website visitors can also upload their own photos to make custom dog tags.
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