Although El Niño is helping alleviate California's current drought, it is also leading to the growth of mushrooms that are poisonous for pets, according to CBS News. These wet conditions produce favorable environments for their growth and dogs need to be watched carefully to ensure that they do not consume any, especially those that like to dig, according to Marin Independent Journal.
"It was horrible. I can't talk about it or I'll cry. It's been really difficult," said Pam Moe, a Californian who lost a 6-month-old puppy when it ate one of the deadly mushrooms. "The hardest one it was on was my son. He said, 'Puppies don't die, babies don't die.'"
Mushroom-related illness is not uncommon; veterinarians in Marin County, just north of San Francisco, claim to see at least one dog a week related to these kinds if illnesses and the increased growth of poisonous mushrooms doesn't look to help these numbers.
"Dogs can get very sick. Sometimes it's just vomiting, but other times it can lead to death. It's very, very tragic," said Lisa Bloch of the Humane Society of Marin.
Some of the most dangerous mushrooms to watch out for are the death cap mushroom, Amanita phalloides, which killed Moe's dog, the destroying angel, A. ocreata, and the deadly galerina, Galerina marginata, all of which can be fatal to humans as well, according to Breitbart.
For more information of which mushrooms are safe to eat, take a look at the Bay Area Mycological Society's list.
