Toxic mushrooms blamed in dog's death

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Toxic mushrooms have killed at least one dog in the Charlotte area and have made several others ill, according to local veterinarians.

The recent soaking rains are to blame for mushrooms popping up around town.

Tiffany Salomon told NewsChannel 36 that her dog died of mushroom toxicity. She has three dogs -- Alex, a Bichon; Riley, a Yorkshire terrier; and Gino, a Shih Tzu.

Salomon says the dogs are her family.

"I dress them up in clothes, give them baths. They're just like children to me,” Salomon said.

All three dogs loved to play in the yard. But recent rains caused mushrooms to pop up.

"We never thought these things would be toxic,” Salomon said.

Some mushrooms are toxic. Gino ate one.

"They think it's a toy and want to chew on it and play," Salomon said.

Suddenly, happy healthy Gino was fighting for his life. It started with vomiting and bloody diarrhea. Mushroom toxicity attacked his liver, according to the veterinarian’s report.

"We tried everything we could. We did blood transfusions. It didn't work. He was just bleeding too much," Salomon said. "He was too ill and had taken too many in. His body was literally shutting down."

Gino died.

"It's like losing your family member,” she said.

Alex, the Bichon, was next. He, too, had bloody diarrhea. His diagnosis: suspected mushroom toxicity.

The veterinarian thinks Alex ate a kind of mushroom that doesn't shut the liver down. Alex lived.

Gino and Alex's vet says instead of trying to figure out which mushrooms in your yard are toxic or bringing the mushrooms to animal hospitals, your best bet is picking them and throwing them away. Eliminating the threat could be saving a life.