Minnesota Poison Control 800-222-1222
The webPOISONCONTROL online triage tool and app are free and available 24/7. They guide you through a series of questions that can help you decide what to do when you suspect a poisoning.
Based on the information you provide, you will be given a case-specific recommendation that lets you know if it’s safe to stay home or if further guidance from the Poison Center is needed by calling 800-222-1222.
Has Your Pet Eaten a Poisonous Mushroom?
The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) is your best resource for any animal poison-related emergency, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If you think your pet may have ingested a potentially poisonous substance, call 888-426-4435. A consultation fee may apply.
NAMA’s Information on Mushroom Poisoning
The most visited page on the NAMA website has an informative “poisonings” section with detailed information about symptoms of various kinds of ingested toxins.
If you know anyone who has had an unfortunate experience eating wild mushrooms this season, including pets, file an online poison report. For decades, NAMA has collected these reports and reports from its web of emergency mushroom identifiers into an extensive database of mushroom poisonings. Be safe. If in doubt, throw it out!
Mushroom Poisonings in Dogs and Cats
Pets sometimes eat mushrooms in yards and while on walks. While 99% of mushrooms have little or no toxicity, the 1% that are highly toxic can cause life-threatening problems in pets. Take extra care to keep pets away from areas where mushrooms might be growing.
Poisonous Mushrooms of Minnesota
When you tell someone you forage for mushrooms, the first thing most people ask is how you know what you find isn’t poisonous. Hopefully, you have been trained in mushroom identification and are positive of the mushrooms safety for consumption before putting it in your basket. Never eat any mushroom that you have not positively ide-ntified as safe to eat.
Here are some of Minnesota’s poisonous mushrooms.
Amanita Sp.
Minnesota is home to many Amanita species ranging from safe to deadly. The two most deadly Amanitas are Amanita bisporigera (Destroying Angel) and Amanita phalloides (Death Cap).
Amanita bisporigera
Destroying Angel can be mistaken for a puffball when it is young.
Amanita phalloides (Death Cap)
Amanita phalloides is one of the most poisonous mushrooms known. It has been involved in the majority of human deaths from mushroom poisoning. As little as half a mushroom contains enough amatoxin to kill an adult human.
The large fruiting bodies appear in summer and autumn; the caps are generally greenish in color with a white stipe and gills. But, because the cap color is variable, it is not a reliable identifier.
Galerina Marginata (Deadly Galerina)
While not an Amanita, the Deadly Galerina contains amatoxin in quantities that can kill adult humans.
Chlorophyllum molybdites (False Parasol)
False parasol is the most toxic of the shaggy-parasol group. It’s not usually deadly, but is highly unpleasant. Because this species look like shaggy parasol, it makes a lot of people sick through mistaken identity.
False Morels
The false morels are a group of mushrooms with wrinkled caps that look vaguely like the pitted caps of the morels. Some mycologists include only the Gyromitras (image on left) in the group, but others also include some Verpas and some Helvellas (image on right), too. All three can be found in Minnesota. The best-known species in Minnesota is Gyromitra esculenta.
Most people who eat them don’t do so because of mistaken identity. They eat false morels on purpose. The problem with false morels is that their toxins can accumulate in the body, causing no symptoms for years until the consumer is suddenly poisoned. This makes it difficult to judge the mushroom’s safety.