As a follow-up post to my recap of what happened to our dog Bellabee, I received the following email on Sept 10, 2010 from Terrence P. Delaney, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Plant Biology at the University of Vermont.
From: Terrence Delaney <terrence.delaney@uvm.edu>
Date: September 10, 2010 1:34:17 PM EDT
To: David Tepper <davidjtepper@gmail.com>
Cc: Terrence Delaney <Terrence.Delaney@uvm.edu>, “Kathie T. Hodge” <kh11@cornell.edu>
Subject: Toxic mushroomsDear David,
I have been working on summarizing the tests I made and observations of the materials you left with me this week, and will deposit that information with the ASPCA site into your open file. I will also send that information to you. Some of the report is a bit technical, as I am trying to be precise. I’m happy to explain in more detail anything in that report that that you would like.
I know that on your blog, you’d like to share some information that may help others avoid the heartache and loss that you and Leslie experienced with Bellabee’s encounter.
So, to help you and others recognize features of some of the local deadly mushrooms, here are a few pieces of information, as well as websites that have more details.
It is good to learn how to recognize members of the genus Amanita (there are perhaps 10 species around here that you will encounter). These mushrooms have a cup-like structure called a volva at the base of the stem. It is important to look carefully at the stem base, and lift the mushroom up from beneath the soil (with a knife for example), as the volva can break off if you pull up the mushroom. Some general details about Amanitas, and photos: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/amanita.html
All Amanita mushrooms have a volva, and as some are deadly, avoid any risk of consumption for mushrooms that have a volva.Specific species:
Amanita bisporigera (Eastern Detroying Angel) (the mushroom most likely to have poisoned Bee)
These are large, white mushrooms that have an bulb at the stem base (volva), a ring on the stem (annulus), and are white. I attached an picture of the one that you brought in, that you collected from near your home (it had some dirt on it so is not all white). The destroying angel is a tall, stately, white mushroom, usually found under hardwoods. When the mushrooms are young, they can be small, or even shaped like a small egg. http://www.eticomm.net/~ret/amanita/species/bisporig.html
(A. bisporigera is closely related to the western A. verna = Detroying Angel).
=====Amanita phalloides (Death cap). Being an Amanita, it also has a volva. It also has a ring, and be cream colored-greenish.
http://www.mushroomexpert.com/amanita_phalloides.htmlMost mushroom poisonings in humans that have led to death were caused by Amanitas, especially the ones listed above (or their close relatives).
=====
Galerina autumnalis
This is a small brown mushroom that is common around here, and is found usually on heavily decayed wood in the forest (that could be buried under leaves or soil and thus not seen). It usually occurs in groupings of several to many mushrooms on a log, and often but not always in the late summer-fall. It also contains amatoxins, the toxins found in the deadly Amanitas. Dr. Kathie Hodge described a canine death (Shiloh) that was likely caused by this mushroom. http://blog.mycology.cornell.edu/?p=511
More information about Galerina autumnalis can be found here: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/galerina_marginata.html=====
The majority of mushrooms you will encounter are not dangerous, and some are toxic but not deadly. Only a few species are deadly. If a person learns to recognize Amanitas and Galerina, they will know which ones are the most dangerous for children and pets to avoid. Of course it is prudent to keep small children away from mushrooms, unless supervised.
I am sorry for your and Leslie’s loss. I know Bee was a special part of your family, and you did all you possibly could do. There is [no] antidote for the toxins in the mushroom she ate, and we could only hope that she didn’t ingest too much. Sadly she did. Give [my] best to Leslie.
Terry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Terrence P. Delaney, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Plant Biology
319 Jeffords Hall
Department of Plant Biology
The University of Vermont
Burlington, VT 05405-0086
Phone: (802) 656-0416; Fax: (802) 656-0440
(802) 338-1030 (cell)
http://www.uvm.edu/~tpdelane/lab/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Below is the annotated photograph from Terry Delaney of the mushroom that I picked in our yard late Tuesday evening after she had already gone to the Vet. My original photograph of this same mushroom is at the bottom of my posting of the full recap of what happened to Bellabee.
This is an annotated photograph of the mushroom that I found in our yard the night after we brought Bellabee to the vet. Photograph and annotations by UVM Plant Biology Professor Terry Delaney.
Update 9/20/2010: Terry sent the following email and attached PDF with the full report:
From: Terrence Delaney <terrence.delaney@uvm.edu>
Date: September 20, 2010 5:13:58 PM EDT
To: David Tepper <davidjtepper@gmail.com>
Subject: Revised pdfHi David,
In the attached PDF that shows the graphics from my analysis, I corrected a few typos, added some additional information on page 6, and added a copyright notice. If you wish to post this on your website, I am happy to share it with your readers.
At the Peck Fungal Foray this weekend, I shared your and Bee’s story with several persons, who passed on condolences. The group also found quite a large number of the same mushrooms that Bee had consumed in the forests around Corning NY, where the foray was held. I also tested Galerina autumnalis alongside Amanita bisporigera, to compare amatoxin levels, and found that I was able to extract and detect quite a bit more amatoxin from Ga than from Ab, using the Meixner test. Thus, Galerina is indeed quite toxic, as indicated in our earlier correspondence.
Best wishes to you and Leslie
Terry