During the walk, Sammy sniffed a few wild mushrooms and grabbed one in her mouth.
Taylor had not noticed that her dog was eating them, until she suddenly realised what Sammy had in her mouth.
A toxic mushroom
She tried to take the mushroom away from her, but Sammy had already swallowed most of it. Taylor and Sammy then headed back home and went about their day. But a few hours later, disaster struck...
Taylor noticed her dog acting strangely. Sammy seemed disorientated and was unsteady on her feet. The poor dog even collapsed to the ground several times. In fact, she looked almost "drunk".
A call to the helpline
Realising the symptoms could be linked to the mushroom, Taylor called the Pet Poison Helpline, a 24-hour animal poison service. The call handler advised her to get to an emergency vet right away, directing her to a nearby clinic while helping her stay calm. Taylor was also warned that Sammy might suffer seizures.
When they arrived at the Emergency Veterinary Hospital, the dog was showing several worrying signs, including poor coordination, tremors, lethargy, and hallucinating. The medical team acted quickly to treat her.
Two precious months
The poison control service later identified the mushroom as a panther cap (Amanita pantherina), a highly toxic species. Fortunately, Sammy's treatment worked quickly. Her condition improved rapidly, and she was able to return home the very next day.
Sadly, two months after the incident, Sammy was diagnosed with cancer and later passed away. Despite this heartbreaking outcome, Taylor remains immensely grateful for the extra precious time she was able to spend with her beloved dog, thanks to the team who saved her from the poisoning. Taylor is now sharing Sammy's story to help raise awareness among other dog owners.
Translated from the FR Wamiz website using artificial intelligence
