Summer is usually a lot of fun as a dog owner. It’s so much easier to share activities and to be outside with your furry friends. However, there are some hidden hazards right outside your door you may not be aware of.

I want to share our recent experience with our 8 year old Puggle, in hopes that it may protect other dogs in the future…

A few weeks ago our dog got up on Saturday morning, stumbling around and seemingly having troubles picking up his legs. At first, when I called the vet, I thought it was a spinal injury. After scheduling to bring him in right away and watching him closer he seemed to be having troubles with his balance as well. It was a pretty scary experience, we weren’t sure if he had injured himself, had a seizure, or possibly a stroke? But after quickly getting him to the vet they figured he had gotten into something toxic and the reaction was making his brain swell, causing neurological issues. After recapping the few days leading up to the event we came to the conclusion that it  he had eaten some mushrooms in our yard. They did some blood tests to confirm the toxicity levels in his blood and rule out any other issues. The tests confirmed he indeed had gotten into something toxic and he was given steroids and antibiotics (just in case) to reduce the brain swelling and allowed to go home. He was on the mend quickly and after a few days was back to his usual Puggle self. I had never really heard of this, and did not think to watch for mushrooms growing in our yard, but a week after our trip to the vet I talked to another customers who’s lab had done the same thing and ended up at the Vet for 5 days recovering! How scary!

Here are a few hidden summer hazards you may find in your own yard. You may want to keep an eye out for these, or make sure they aren’t in an area your dog has access to. As always, if your dog is acting abnormal, it’s always best to call your vet!