Deadly Amanita “Death Cap” Mushroom Toxicity

Alert from the Emergency and Critical Care Service at NorthStar VETS:
We have had four cases (one confirmed, and three other suspected) of young dogs with acute liver failure secondary to suspected Amanita mushroom ingestion. These cases have been in Robbinsville, Princeton Junction, Hamilton, and Mt. Holly New Jersey.

Signs start with vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and low blood sugar, and progress to severe clotting disorder, ALT liver value elevation, neurologic impairment, and ultimately death.

What to do:

• Inspect your yard for any mushrooms, take pictures, remove them, and try to identify them.
• Consider walking your dog on leash to monitor and try to prevent ingestion.
• If your dog ingested mushrooms, bring them to the hospital right away so that vomiting can be induced, and further options discussed based on the type of mushroom ingested.

How to Identify:

• Look up pictures of Amanita online.
• Call HUMAN Poison control and email them a picture, they may help identify them.
• Visit NAMYCO.org, an organization of mycologists that can help identify these mushrooms from pictures via email.

How to Treat:

• Prevent exposure.
• The earlier the recognition and intervention, the better. There are measures we can take to decontaminate beyond emesis, but we must intervene very early.
• Supportive care for liver failure with antioxidants, vitamin K, plasma transfusions, and other medications. At this point prognosis is guarded to poor.

If you have questions about these mushrooms, contact the North American Mycological Association. If your pet is ill or you suspect they ate one of these mushrooms, contact your family veterinarian immediately or bring them to NorthStar VETS.

Barbara Maton, DVM, DACVECC
Dr. Maton is originally from Florida, where she earned her undergraduate degree in biology from the University of North Florida, and studied veterinary medicine at the University of Florida, obtaining her DVM in 2006. She completed a rotating internship focused on emergency medicine at SouthPaws Veterinary Specialists and Emergency Center in Virginia, then moved to Pittsburgh where she worked as an emergency veterinarian for two years and completed her residency in the specialty in 2012. After helping to start a critical care service at an established veterinary referral hospital in Delaware, she joined NorthStar VETS in 2014. Her clinical and research interests include trauma, electrolyte derangements, anticoagulant therapies and CPR medicine.

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