Sadie, a 10-year-old Labrador retriever, and her owners, Eleanor Gardner, her husband and daughter Stacie Casella, took a trip to Lake Tahoe last year and when they arrived, the family noticed that Sadie was not acting like herself. The next morning, the family said Sadie wasn’t eating and seemed too weak to climb the stairs. The Gardners then found a nearby clinic and brought Sadie in to be examined. Here, the veterinary team performed a blood test that showed her liver values were elevated and the team immediately referred her urgently to the UC Davis Veterinary Hospital.
When the family arrived at UC Davis, Sadie’s condition worsened and she could no longer walk. According to the release, additional tests performed at UC Davis revealed that Sadie was suffering from Amanita poisoning by ingestion Amanita phalloides mushroom, commonly known as death cap mushrooms, which Sadie probably found in the family garden.
“We didn’t even notice (the mushrooms) were growing,” owner Eleanor Gardner said in the release.1 “But we are doing it now. There isn’t one that goes by without us picking it up right away.
Deathcap mushrooms are extremely toxic and can cause almost immediate liver and kidney damage and have a 20% survival rate for dogs.1 They are large mushrooms with a broad, off-white cap and can grow several inches tall. They tend to grow in warm, humid conditions in late summer and fall.2 A human ingesting a single mushroom can be fatal, and because pets have low body weight, a smaller dose can be fatal.
The veterinary team and Sadie’s family reviewed the prognosis and the family decided to hospitalize her with supportive care of antibiotics and fluids, with the possibility of progressing to more advanced intervention if warranted. . The Gardner family came back to UC Davis every day to visit, even bringing his sister once. During her stay, her liver function improved and she was finally discharged 10 days later.
Although they were happy to have her home, the family quickly realized that Sadie’s health problems were not behind her. The family would soon be returning to UC Davis because Sadie had lost her appetite and was vomiting. The veterinary team carried out further tests and Sadie was diagnosed with Addison’s disease, which is possibly associated with or caused by the deadly mushroom poisoning.
“The evolution of Addison’s disease following Amanita poisoning is an unreported consequence of the disease,” explained Jonathan Dear, DVM, MAS, DACVIN, co-chief of the internal medicine service who managed Sadie’s care.1
To help veterinary professionals better prepare and help clients understand the implications and possible long-term consequences of poisonings like this, Jonathan Dear, DVM, MAS Emily Cohen, DVM Candidate, and Courtney Moeller, DVM , published a study based on Sadie’s case. The study, published in Veterinary Sciences,3 paints a clearer picture of the consequences of poisoning and is the first study to describe the chronological association between the development of Addison’s disease and mushroom poisoning in a dog.
Sadie’s diagnosis came when she was relatively stable and responding well to treatment. Nine months later, Sadie continues to do very well, with her illness well managed.
Reference
- Mushroom poisoning has unreported consequences for dogs. Press release. UC Davis College of Veterinary Medicine. September 29, 2023. Accessed September 29, 2023. https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/news/mushroom-poisoning-has-unreported-consequence-dog
- Death cap fungi pose a threat to dogs. University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine. Published July 13, 2022. Accessed September 29, 2023. https://www.vetmed.wisc.edu/death-cap-mushrooms-pose-threat-to-dogs/
- Cohen EA, Moeller CM, dear JD. Hypoadrenocorticism in a dog after recovery from alpha-amanitin poisoning. Veterinary sciences. 2023; 10(8):500. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10080500