Yes, dogs can eat mushrooms, but only plain store-bought ones. White button, baby bella, portobello, and shiitake mushrooms are safe in small amounts, ideally cooked without butter, oil, salt, onion, or garlic. Wild mushrooms are the real danger: one bite of a toxic species from the yard or a trail can cause vomiting, seizures, or liver failure.
Below, you’ll find which mushrooms are safe for dogs, how to serve them, and the toxic species to watch for on walks. Spotted mushrooms in your yard? Identify them by picture before your dog finds them. Keep chickens too? See which mushrooms chickens can eat.
Which Store-Bought Mushrooms Can Dogs Eat?
Most grocery-store mushrooms are safe for dogs in small amounts, raw or cooked, as long as they’re plain. Cooked mushrooms are easier for dogs to digest, so steam, boil, or dry-fry them without butter, oil, salt, onion, or garlic. Mushrooms add some fiber, B vitamins, and minerals, but dogs get little nutrition from them, so treat them as an occasional snack, not part of the main diet. Start with one or two small pieces and watch for an upset stomach.
Portobello, Baby Bella, Cremini, and White Button Mushrooms
These four are the same species, Agaricus bisporus, picked at different ages. White button mushrooms are the youngest, cremini (also sold as baby bella) are a little older and browner, and portobellos are fully grown, with open caps and dark gills. All four are safe for dogs when plain and fed in small amounts. Cut portobellos into small pieces, because their large, dense caps are hard to chew.
Shiitake Mushrooms
Dogs can eat shiitake mushrooms in small amounts if they’re thoroughly cooked. Raw or undercooked shiitake can cause skin rashes in people, so don’t serve them raw, and remove the tough stems, which are hard to digest.
Canned Mushrooms
Canned mushrooms are safe for dogs only if they’re plain and low in salt. Rinse them well to wash off the brine, and skip any packed in oil, garlic, or sauce.
Which Mushrooms Are Poisonous to Dogs?
Several wild mushrooms are poisonous to dogs, and dogs are especially at risk because they eat whatever they find on walks. Veterinarians at NC State’s veterinary hospital warn that any curious or unsupervised dog is at risk of eating these toxic fungi. The most dangerous ones to know:
- Death cap and destroying angels (Amanita species): They damage the liver. Signs like vomiting and diarrhea often start 6 to 12 hours after eating, can seem to ease, and then return as liver failure.
- Funeral bell (Galerina marginata): A small brown mushroom on rotting wood with the same liver-damaging toxins as the death cap.
- Fly agaric and panther cap (Amanita muscaria and A. pantherina): They affect the nervous system, causing stumbling, agitation, or seizures within a few hours.
- Fiber caps and funnel caps (Inocybe and Clitocybe species): Small, plain lawn mushrooms that cause drooling, watery eyes, diarrhea, and a slow heart rate soon after eating.
- False morels (Gyromitra species): Wrinkled, brain-like caps that cause vomiting and, in severe cases, seizures.
Symptoms of Mushroom Poisoning in Dogs
"Can dogs have mushrooms?" is the first thing that pops into your head when you see your pet gobble the cluster of yard fungi from your lawn. But by that time, it can be late, so here's the answer to remember: they cannot if the mushrooms are toxic! In the case of doubt, this list of symptoms is only to guide you upon suspected ingestion, and it is still advisable to immediately contact your professional pet doctor:
- Gastrointestinal symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal discomfort;
- Neurological symptoms such as disorientation, seizures, physical weakness, ataxia (loss of coordination), lethargy, and tremors;
- Liver or kidney damage: Jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and gums), tinted urine, or changes in urination patterns;
- Rapid heart rate and difficulty in breathing;
- Collapse or coma in severe cases.
Can Dogs Eat Cooked or Raw Mushrooms?
Cooked and raw mushrooms are both tummy-friendly to our little pooch. Both can offer the same level of nutrients, although cooked fungi may be easily digestible to dogs. Anyhow, to answer the question "Are mushrooms good for dogs?", it is affirmative!
Fried Mushrooms
Whether button or oyster, fried mushrooms are a heaven’s treat! Bathed in batter – to form crisp skin contrasting the tender flesh – these golden fried fungi are excellent vegan substitutes for animal-based proteins aside from soybeans and other legumes. While dogs are mainly carnivorous, they, too, can enjoy this lip-smacking goodness! Please note that since fried mushrooms are apparently drenched with oil, they may already contain loads of calories to your dog’s diet. With moderation of intake and daily playtime in your backyard, your dog can surely take in fried mushrooms!
Canned Mushrooms
Dogs eat mushrooms, including jarred or canned ones. Many mushrooms, most commonly button, portobello, white, or baby bella fungi, are often canned to lock in their nutrients and prolong their shelf life. Other cultivated species like shiitake, oyster, or enoki are also available yet challenging to find in common stores. But one thing is for sure: when they're ready to be consumed – you literally just need to throw them on your favorite dish like pasta or pizza! So if you are cooking these mushrooms and your dog comes wagging its tail, giving some little treats won't do harm.
Mushrooms from Pizza
Pizza mushrooms and dogs – what will happen if your pet happens to eat them? Relax! This will also entail no severe hazards. These mushrooms also belong to the widely-cultivated mushroom Agaricus bisporus or button mushrooms that are often used as garnished in their transversally cut version. Although you can heave a sigh of relief with its innate edibility, one should still exercise extreme caution, especially when it comes to puppies because of their small body weights. Moreover, if the mushrooms are already on your favorite delectable pizza, do not feed it to dogs as it may contain spices that may harm them.
FAQ
Can dogs eat cooked mushrooms?
Yes, dogs can eat cooked mushrooms if they’re plain store-bought kinds like white button, cremini, or portobello. Steam, boil, or dry-fry them without butter, oil, salt, onion, or garlic, and serve only a few small pieces as a treat.
Can dogs eat raw mushrooms?
Dogs can eat small amounts of raw store-bought mushrooms like white button or baby bella, but cooked ones are easier to digest. Never give raw shiitake or any wild mushroom.
Can dogs eat portobello mushrooms?
Yes, dogs can eat portobello mushrooms when they’re plain and cut into small pieces. Portobellos are mature white button mushrooms, so they’re just as safe, but their thick caps are harder to chew and digest in large chunks.
Can dogs eat shiitake mushrooms?
Dogs can eat shiitake mushrooms in small amounts if they’re thoroughly cooked and plain. Remove the tough stems, which are hard to digest, and skip shiitake from takeout dishes, since they’re usually cooked with garlic, onion, or soy sauce.
Can dogs eat mushroom soup or gravy?
No, dogs shouldn’t eat mushroom soup or gravy. These usually contain onion, garlic, salt, butter, or cream, and onion and garlic are toxic to dogs even in small amounts. Offer plain cooked mushrooms instead.
My dog ate a mushroom from the yard. What should I do?
If your dog ate a mushroom from the yard, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435 right away, even if your dog seems fine. Take a photo of the mushroom or bring a sample in a paper bag, and don’t make your dog vomit unless the vet tells you to. To prevent it next time, learn how to get rid of mushrooms in your yard.
How long after eating a poisonous mushroom will a dog get sick?
A dog can get sick anywhere from 15 minutes to 24 hours after eating a poisonous mushroom, depending on the species. Drooling, vomiting, and stumbling usually appear quickly, while the deadliest mushrooms cause symptoms 6 to 12 hours later, when the liver is already being damaged.
Can puppies eat mushrooms?
It’s best not to give puppies mushrooms. Their stomachs are more sensitive, and their small size means even a little of a toxic species can be fatal. Keep puppies away from wild mushrooms on walks and in the yard.
How can I keep my dog safe from yard mushrooms?
Walk your yard after rain and remove any mushrooms with their base before letting your dog out, and keep your dog on a leash in wooded areas during mushroom season. Mushrooms come back when soil stays damp and rich in organic matter; see why mushrooms grow in your yard.
