'If it happened to our dogs, it can happen to anybody'
BELLINGHAM, Wash. -- Renee Bliss and her family have a tearful warning for dog owners after losing their dogs to a deadly toxin found growing in their own backyard.
Two weeks ago, Bliss let her dogs out to the backyard of her Bellingham home, just as she had done hundreds of times before.
"I always thought they were safe in our yard," she said.
But on that day, something was terribly wrong. Maggie, a pug, started vomiting, grew lethargic then went into shock. Bliss rushed her to the vet.
The other pug, Milo, appeared fine, so Bliss left him at home.
But it turns out Milo, was also sick. When Bliss returned home from the vet, Milo was dead; he had choked on his own vomit.
Maggie died nine days later.
Bliss was stricken with grief.
"You know, it's so unfair that they love you unconditionally, and they trust that we're going to be there for them," she said.
Bliss suspected the dogs had been sickened by something they'd eaten. She found mushrooms in her backyard that she thought may have played a role.
"There was an area right out here that we think were covered in the poisonous mushrooms," she said.
After an analysis at WSU labs, Bliss learned her hunch was right. The lab analysis discovered fragments of Inocybe, a species of poisonous mushrooms, in both dogs. Inocybe contains so much toxin that it can be fatal for humans.
"In my 11 years, I've seen it twice," said Dr. Pete Dudenhefer of Fountain Veterinary Hospital in Bellingham.
The veterinarian who treated Maggie and Milo says the best rule is to get rid of any mushrooms dog owners can't identify.
"They could bring sample to vet if not sure," said Dudenhefer. "We have access to state lab, (so we can) help discern if it's toxic or not."
Bliss believes this is the first time this type of mushrooms has shown up in her yard, and she worries they may be growing on other dog owners' yards as well.
"If it happened to our dogs, it can happen to anybody," she said.
Inocybe mushrooms typically grow near trees. They are no more than 2 inches in diameter and have broad bell-shaped caps. One expert says mushrooms grow quickly, especially with the amount of rain seen in Western Washington.
If you have questions or concerns about pets getting into potentially bad mushrooms, contact your vet immediately or call the Washington Poison Center (800-572-5842 for pet sickness; 800-222-1222 for people.)
Two weeks ago, Bliss let her dogs out to the backyard of her Bellingham home, just as she had done hundreds of times before.
"I always thought they were safe in our yard," she said.
But on that day, something was terribly wrong. Maggie, a pug, started vomiting, grew lethargic then went into shock. Bliss rushed her to the vet.
The other pug, Milo, appeared fine, so Bliss left him at home.
But it turns out Milo, was also sick. When Bliss returned home from the vet, Milo was dead; he had choked on his own vomit.
Maggie died nine days later.
Bliss was stricken with grief.
"You know, it's so unfair that they love you unconditionally, and they trust that we're going to be there for them," she said.
Bliss suspected the dogs had been sickened by something they'd eaten. She found mushrooms in her backyard that she thought may have played a role.
"There was an area right out here that we think were covered in the poisonous mushrooms," she said.
After an analysis at WSU labs, Bliss learned her hunch was right. The lab analysis discovered fragments of Inocybe, a species of poisonous mushrooms, in both dogs. Inocybe contains so much toxin that it can be fatal for humans.
"In my 11 years, I've seen it twice," said Dr. Pete Dudenhefer of Fountain Veterinary Hospital in Bellingham.
The veterinarian who treated Maggie and Milo says the best rule is to get rid of any mushrooms dog owners can't identify.
"They could bring sample to vet if not sure," said Dudenhefer. "We have access to state lab, (so we can) help discern if it's toxic or not."
Bliss believes this is the first time this type of mushrooms has shown up in her yard, and she worries they may be growing on other dog owners' yards as well.
"If it happened to our dogs, it can happen to anybody," she said.
Inocybe mushrooms typically grow near trees. They are no more than 2 inches in diameter and have broad bell-shaped caps. One expert says mushrooms grow quickly, especially with the amount of rain seen in Western Washington.
If you have questions or concerns about pets getting into potentially bad mushrooms, contact your vet immediately or call the Washington Poison Center (800-572-5842 for pet sickness; 800-222-1222 for people.)
I am so sorry for your loss. I appreciate the warning and will take care of any and all yard fungus.
I can't express our appreciation for all the kind posts. After days of crying and wondering why Maggie and Milo, we decided the right thing to do was to share with others. I am so glad we did. It has brought an awareness to our communities, it has eased our pain. The Bliss family
It takes a strong character within to reach out to others while you are grieving. I think people realize that and appreciate your kindness in doing this. I am so sorry that this happened to your dogs and that you had to go through this.
life so cruel my heart goes out to you
So sad....I have two pugs and my youngest Harlie ate Mushrooms 4 times and every time they said she wouldnt make it because she was only a baby at the time but thank god she did...Mushrooms are so deadly.....Please try to keep your babies safe! So sorry to hear about these two beautiful Pugs not making it....My heart goes out to the owners â¥
A sad reminder that mushrooms can be deadly. Our condolences to the Bliss family.
Some dogs have more of a tendency to "eat everything" and chew on these more than other dogs.
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Inocybes have odors that are particular to the species. For example Inocybe calamistrata smells fishy and Inocybe hirsuta smells like fresh caught trout. Inocybe sororia smells like green corn. Other Inocybes have particular smells like bleach, etc.  It is possible that some of these smells would be attractive to a dog.
Pictures of some Inocybes can be found here:
http://mushroomobserver.org/species_list/show_species_list/251?_js=on&_new=true .Â
Note that they are not all dark brown, some are whitish, some white with a pink blush, some carmel colored. They tend to have a bump in the middle of the top of the cap. There are usually "hairs" that run from the middle to the cap down to the edge of the cap in a longitudinal way. The cap itself often has small splits in the edges along these "hairs". These "hairs" are not evident in the whiter forms but you will still observe the tendency of the cap to split longitudinally along the edges.
Keep in mind that this is not a complete list of species in our state and that there are other species of mushrooms other than Inocybes that are deadly or dangerous (like the Death cap - Amanita phalloides, and others).
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Some mushrooms like Inocybes, can have antidotes (atropine counteracts the muscarine) if it is determined in time which mushrooms caused the poisoning. For others there is no antidote, but supportive treatments are given immediately. For humans, in Death cap poisonings (amatoxins), there is an injectable Blessed Milk Thistle extract that is permitted on a humanitarian basis since it is not FDA approved (See Silimarin or silibinin). Recently there was an article that described a procedure used by a vet to save a dog in these cases since the milk thistle extract is not approved for dog use: http://www.findavet.us/2012/07/puppy-nearly-dies-eating-backyard-mushrooms/ . It involves aspirating the toxins from the gall bladder.
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In Fungi magazine this month, there is an article on dogs becoming poisoned and some died from playing with dried out puffballs. The massive amount of spores causes a respiratory condition puffball toxicosis, that can be fatal in pets and can also be dangerous to humans. See this link to fungi magazine: http://www.fungimag.com/ .
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PLEASE ...if you have any concerns about mushrooms growing in your yard and you live close to Seattle, bring them to our FREE ID clinic:
When: Mondays from 4 - 7pm during the spring and fall wild mushroom seasons
Where: Center for Urban Horticulture (CUH), 3501 NE 41st Street, Seattle
You can also contact our Id coordinator Hildegard Hendrickson at id@psms.org .
Bring the entire part of the mushrooms you wish to have Identified in a paper bag or wax paper, or wrapped in foil or a moist paper towel -Â DO NOTÂ keep them in plastic bags since this makes them deteriorate quickly, and we may not be able to identify them in that condition.
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If you do not live close to Seattle, there are mushroom societies in many areas in Washington state, as well as other states. Many of these groups have expert identifiers that can help you ID fungi. See this link on our website for a society near you in Washington or a nearby state: http://www.psms.org/links.php .
See this link on the North American Mycological Association (NAMA) for societies in other states: http://www.namyco.org/clubs/index.html . NAMA also has a toxicology group that records and tracks mushroom poisonings (humans and pets) in the US: http://www.namyco.org/toxicology/index.html .
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However if you suspect that you dog or a person has been poisoned do as this article suggests:
"If you have questions or concerns about pets getting into potentially bad mushrooms, contact your vet immediately or call the Washington Poison Center at 1-800-572-5842 for pet sickness."Â For a person contact your physician immediately or call poison control for people at 1-800-222-1222 for people.
It is helpful to have one or several of the mushrooms that you suspect caused the poisoning since different mushrooms have different toxins, but the main thing is to get help immediately...do not "wait and see" when you are dealing with fungi, always consult a physician or a veterinarian. Do not assume that because the pet or person seems fine after ingesting mushrooms that they will be okay.  Many of the most harmful toxins have delayed symptoms of several hours (6-12hrs) or even weeks in the case of one toxin in a Cortinarius species in humans. You would need to consult a vet regarding the time table for these toxins in pets.
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http://www.komonews.com/news/local/If-it-happened-to-our-dogs-it-can-happen-to-anybody-181098141.html#comments
http://www.indiegogo.com/savingsandy (another pet owner's experience and mission to bring awareness to this issue, and the vet removing toxins from the dog's gall bladder with a needle).
Please contact us if you have any questions.
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Marian Maxwell
President Puget Sound Mycological Society 2012-2015
www.psms.org
president@psms.org
PSMS voicemail: 206-522-6031
 @Marian Maxwell Thanks for all of the info. The "fish" smell makes sense. My dog nearly succumbed to taking a bite, then spitting out, a mushroom a few years ago.  The food that my dogs east is salmon, so they really love the fish flavors. Would make sense it could attract him. Not sure what type of mushroom he bit into, I was so distressed at the time. But I remember, as I was eradicating the various mushrooms around the yard afterward, that the one he spit out had dead slugs under all the caps of the nearby ones.  They're prolific this year because of that warm and wet November.  Time to get out and remove them again.  I know that there are more than one kind of mushroom that can harm a pet. It's scary stuff.
Like the Bliss family, our dog also ate some toxic mushrooms in our yard and got very sick. We were lucky to catch it early and get her to the vet in time. They saved her life and we are forever grateful. I now regularly check the yard for new mushrooms and pick whatever I can find, but sometimes it seems like a never-ending battle. I've been told that putting lyme on your yard will change the pH of the dirt and inhibit the "fruit" of the fungus from growing, but we haven't had much luck with trying this. An expert from Scott's lawn service told us the only way to completely get rid of them is to completely remove the topsoil and start over. That's obviously way too expensive for us and will only work as long as you can keep new spores from falling in your yard and taking root. Then the whole problem starts all over. I guess we will just keep picking any mushrooms we find and watching our dogs very closely when they are outside.
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My condolences to the Bliss family on the loss of your dogs.
Removing the topsoil and starting over won't help in this and other cases. The mushrooms involved here are Inocybes which have a symbiotic relationship (mychorrhizal) with the trees they are associated with (they help the trees in mineral and water absorbtion). The mushroom is actually in contact with the tree roots it is helping to grow and is widespread, and deep in the soil.  Changing the soil is expensive and will only be temporary in this particular case with Inocybes or other symbiotic mushrooms like the Death Cap, since the bulk of the mushroom is deep in the soil and it only has to grow through the new soil to fruit again, which will only be a temporary delay. Changing pH of the soil might help in discouraging fruiting.  The best bet is to pick them and throw them away in the trash, but I admit this is a temporary solution.
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Marian Maxwell
President Puget Sound Mycological Society
I had my doubts that removing the topsoil would work for the very reasons you listed. I think Scott's was just trying to "sell" us a service. I didn't buy it. We will just have to be vigilant about picking what we see immediately and keeping a close eye or our dogs. I think our dog must have eaten a less toxic variety than the Bliss dogs because the reaction wasn't immediate. She actually woke us up in the middle of the night wimpering. When we realized she was really sick we rushed her to the 24-hour emergency vet. When we got there her body temp had dropped to 94 degrees and she was in DIC. They weren't sure they could save her, but she is a fighter and pulled through. They flushed the toxin out with lots of saline and gave a plasma transfusion to replace her clotting factors. We feel very fortunate that she survived. Another 30 minutes and it probably would have been too late. After that we really started to patrol the yard for any mushrooms. We also have a 2-year old toddler and we don't want her or the dogs to get sick or die.
Wow - I have never had a dog eat mushrooms in the yard. I do try to get rid of them but I've never had a dog even taste them. So sorry for the Bliss family for the loss of those beautiful pugs tho. So sad - they are wonderful dogs.
To The Bliss Family,
I am very sorry to hear that both Milo and Maggie did not make it. A few times in my life I have experienced the loss that you are feeling now. I know that your loss is still very recent and the grief can be overwhelming but I have a little prayer that was given to me when I was in your spot. I hope that maybe not today or tomorrow but sometime down the line it might bring you and your family a little comfort.
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Before humans die, they write their last Will & Testament, give their home & all they have to those they leave behind. If, with my paws, I could do the same. This is what I'd ask for....
To a poor and lonely stray I'd give:
-My happy home.
-My bowl & cozy bed, soft pillows and all my toys.
-The lap, which I loved so much.
-The hand that stroked my fur & the sweet voice which spoke my name.
I'd Will to the sad, scared shelter dog, the place I had in my human's loving heart, of which there seemed no bounds.
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So, when I die, please do not say, "I will never have a pet again, for the loss and pain is more than I can stand." Instead, go find an unloved dog, one whose life has held no joy or hope and give MY PLACE to HIM.
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This is the only thing I can give...  The love I left behind.
-Author Unknown.
I have more mushrooms by far than ever before. Good luck trying to eradicate them.
I lost a small dog to mushrooms too. Gruff wasn't jumping around, happy to see me when I came home from work one day. He was just laying there in the yard. He used to chew on slugs (I know, it's gross but some dogs are weird) & I found a mushroom right next to his doghouse that hadn't been there that morning when I put him out. It had a chewed slug on it & a big bite out of the cap. He was stiff like every muscle had cramped up & died within minutes of me bringing him into the house.
My condolenses to this family, what an awful thing to have happen! I would never have thought to check for mushrooms as I have not seen them before in the back yard.   Thanks to the family for getting the word out, I will be checking now on a regular basis. Â
I'm so sorry to hear of this loss. Tobie, our Dal, used to eat these and it drove me nuts. He would run around the yard and inhale them as he went. He'd get all weird looking and felt 'hard' to the touch and couldn't hardly move. I tried to check the yard regularly but every once in a while he'd get some. It scared me to death the first time because we didn't know what had happened ~ we ran to the vet and he said to give him activated charcoal. It always did the trick.
I refuse to own a dog...don't have to worry about this.
 @Superman_1967 You refuse to own a dog... you are missing out on one of the greatest things in life :(
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Komo why not put up a few pictures of the mushrooms so people have a better idea. I mean I'm sure we all watch our kids and are perfect. But just in case some people are not perfect help those people out.
@Bizquick http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Inocybe_rimosa.jpg
 @retirech Just to make it clear to others, the Wikipedia link above is to JUST ONE of the many Inocybe species we have in the Pacific Northwest.  As pointed out by the President of Puget Sound Mycological Society in the 1st port, there are many species in this genus. The links provided in her post can be used to note the diversity of this genus in our area.
So sorry for your loss, how sad that something so common in one's yard could be so deadly for pets. The owners are to be commended for being able to see through their grief and get out the alert to other pet owners as to the dangers in their own yard. God bless you and I pray your good service eases your pain somewhat.
Thanks for the tip, sorry for your loss!
I always try and remove EVERY mushroom in my yard with gloves on- I don't want to take the time and risk trying to identify them. I remove them for the wildlife as well as my dogs. We all know dogs like to eat weird things, and I would be grief-stricken to come home to dead dogs, and i can't imagine what losing both Maggie and Milo within days of each other must feel like.
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Play in the Great Yard happily, pups- you two will meet with Renee again across the Rainbow Bridge when the time comes.
You don't need to wear gloves as far as the toxins are concerned....they are only toxic if ingested. We handle very poisonous mushrooms all the time with no problems. However, people with compromised immune systems (people in chemo, etc) should always wear gloves when working in the soil, this is not for the larger fungi like mushrooms but rather to protect against the smaller fungi in the soils that can cause respiratory diseases, etc  in these cases.Â
Marian Maxwell
President - Â Puget Sound Mycological Society
Yes, it also happened to both my Bullmastiffs. It was quick action of making them swallow a few tablespoons of Hydrogen Peroxide to help them expel the contents of their tummies and a very rushed trip to the Vet's office that saved their lives.
Here in the Washington we have several species of deadly mushrooms. Because of my dog's near death experience, the local Vet's technical student wrote her final term paper on mushrooms and took samples from my 2 properties as they each had vastly different kinds. I had a farm house and a lake side home and ended up leash walking the girls, even in my own back yard to prevent them from finding & eating them.Â
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Both my Nellie and Bessie survived the ordeal which only saddens me more that the Bliss' pugs did not. My heart goes out to Renee and her family. Bless Maggie & Milo for they rest in the arms of angels.
I also know the Bliss's, we were in a wonderful Pug club together. Maggie and Milo were the life of the party!
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Something else you should all know about these mushrooms, They were told by a mushroom expert that some of them have an odor that is attractive to animals. They can smell like fish or bread. Yikes! I'd love to see some pictures at our vet clinics, we need education about this. Consider emailing this story to your vet. I know the Bliss's want something good to come of this, preventing the death of any other dogs!
 @Lindym "a mushroom expert" @Marian Maxwell posted a great response that includes some of the interesting smells possible.  Look for her post from Wednesday (11/28) between 12 Noon and 1 PM.  Some Google searching will give you an impression of the diversity of this common genus.  Her links lead to many pictures, but a great place to see actual examples from our area is at MushroomObserver.orghttp://mushroomobserver.org/observer/advanced_search_formFor name enter just Inocybe For location enter just WashingtonYou don't have to get any more detailed than that.The results will show you some great examples mostly from right around the Puget Sound.Â
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I've seen the large red capped with white specks mushrooms in my yard. They are deadly. I always remove them when seen so wildlife - not just stray dogs/cats - don't eat them.Â
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 It would be nice if this article included a photo of the mushrooms that these dogs might have eaten. Are they similiar to the "death caps"
 @newsreader that mushroom (Amanita muscaria) is not deadly, it is considered "poisonous" because it contains toxins, but there are no know cases of death from directly eating this mushroom.  It has hallucinogenic properties, which vary geographically. Â
One other thing to be aware of is that the Ibotenic Acid in Amanita muscaria is used to induce Parkinson's disease in mice used for research so they can experiment with drugs to treat the disease (sadly). I had a personal friend who used to isolate the compound as a secondary income source and sell it to the labs. It is a neuroexciter and is believed to be a neurotoxin. This is definitely something to consider.
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@ bugjah - Amanita muscaria has caused deaths in some pets. There has been a death from eating the mushroom, although it was from passing out and freezing to death in a tent. It is also possible to choke to death when vomiting from the mushrooms, if one is passed out...Amanita muscaria is quite toxic to cats as well. See this 30 year toxicology report from the North American Mycological Association:
http://namyco.org/images/pdf_files/Poisonings30year.pdf and this link as well:
http://namyco.org/toxicology/pet_poisonings.html . Amanita muscaria can have a "trace" amount of muscarine in it, depending on the area...not enough to harm humans but pets are more sensitive. It can also cause brachycardia, epileptic seizures, vomiting and diarrhea.
 @newsreader the spotted one is the one my dog got into his mouth and spit out, but nearly killed him anyway.  I can't count the different ones out there this year... so many more than last year.Â
Too sad..poor dogs, I know how it feels and I grieve for your pups.
Yikes! I've had shrooms growing in various places this year, mostly under trees and just mowed over them. Thankful for this information. I've only heard that it's typical of wet weather or watering too much but no warning about exposure to pets. Thanks, and so sorry for the loss of your dogs.
 @mytake My dog nearly died a few years ago from a mushroom that he bit into, but luckily spit out.  It was still touch and go, but after he became so violently ill, I walked the yard and found so many different types. But there was one in particular that had a bite out of it, and the piece lying near by.  AND.. around the other similar mushrooms were dead slugs on the mushrooms.  Scary stuff. They're very bad this year, many kinds I've never seen before. Â
I had two inches of topsoil brought in to my yard for a new lawn - and these damned things are all over the place. Thanks, KOMO, for this story. Maggie and Milo might just have saved my dogs. Any suggestions on how to limit fungi in lawns? I have for more than I have ever had.
You can try adding lime...to change the pH. I know that on some fruit trees they use a bordeaux solution to combat fungi (copper sulphate), but this would be toxic to pets and humans. Copper is also toxic to many plants.  I am wondering if magnesium sulphate (epsom salts) would deter fungal fruiting. I haven't found where people have tired it for this purpose...it might be worth a try. It would not be toxic to pets or humans. Fungi that come up in new lawns are recyclers or saprophytes...once the nutrients are used up they no longer fruit. Symbionts on the other hand, like the Inocybes and Amanitas discussed above will fruit as long as the tree with which they are associated is living.
Marian. Thanks for all the clarifying comments. We have a great deal of gratitude for the Mycologists, like Fred Rhoades in Bellinhgam who has been so helpful. All of the "experts" we were in contact with have been so compasionate and helpful. Bill Bliss
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 @Hagar I use to see that happen all the time when we moved to a new development and people were planting new lawns. Find an herbicide that kills mushrooms and buy your topsoil from some other dealer. We were lucky and saw the problem with our neighbors lawns. We bought our soil from a good dealer and did not have a problem.
 @Larry Yea, Larry, I just Googled it and am developing a plan of action. I have quite a mess on my hands. I was not concerned until I read this article.
The Bliss' are good friends. They loved and cared for those two cute little Pugs with great joy and compassion. Losing both of them like this is devastating. Family pets can get almost as close to your heart as your children. Renee and her family wanted to use the media to get the word out for all pet owners in our State, get rid of the wild growing mushrooms on your property. Keep your pets safe.
 @Larry I'm so sorry! Give them a big hug, and hopefully after they've had some time to grieve they'll adopt a few more furry monsters.
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I know it feels horrible and like they let their furry friends down, but this was most definitely NOT negligence on the humans' part, so hopefully the lingering guilt goes away soon.
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It must have been hard to come talk to the media so soon after it happened, but they probably saved many animals from miserable deaths by being brave enough to speak up sooner rather than later.Â
 @Larry Maggie and Milo were great dogs. I remember meeting them at the dog park a few times with our pug Ducati. Please give best wishes to Renee and her family from Ducati and our family.
Thank you so much for the warning- my kids mentioned some mushrooms to me the other day and I didn't go check then, I just did. Luckily for us they are not the ones these poor pups ate but I will be out digging all mushrooms from my yard tomorrow while my kids are in school.Â
Me too!!! I have 2 dogs, and have noticed some clumps of mushrooms, but didn't pay much attention to them.......until now. I am SO sorry for the loss of the pugs, but I thank them for bringing their grief to the media. They, I KNOW have saved many creatures from harm. Blessings to them.
 @MomOf2 There are other mushrooms that are also toxic, so it's good that your'e removing all of them. I need to do that too.  One area where they proliferate is any area where old ashes from yard burns, or dumped fireplace ashes, are.  That was like a mushroom display last year.. so many different types.Â
Oh, wow... I am so glad I read this. Not only do we have a dog but my daughter's family is coming for a few weeks in December and the grandkids are preschool and younger. Unlikely that they would eat a mushroom but you never know and for some reason this year our yard is covered, absolutely covered, in mushrooms. Several different types. We have one area on the side of our house where no one ever goes that has had some mushrooms in the past but all of the ones this year are ones I've not seen before and they are literally covering the yard. This in spite of the fact that we last mowed just a couple weeks ago. Now I'm really wishing that I'd made it out there again this afternoon to give it another mowing.
I had no idea that the junk that pops up so regularly in the fall and winter could be fatal to my pooch. How can we keep ahead of this, if at all...?
 @takncarabizniz mushrooms are not "junk", they are crucial components of our ecosystems.  If you choose to remove them for safety reasons, fine.