The devastating story of a border collie pup who ended up blind after unknowingly ingesting a poisonous mushroom has prompted warnings for pet owners.

University of Queensland Associate Professor Rachel Allavena, from the School of Veterinary Science, explained even one mushroom can be toxic.

“The weather is nice and wet, so we are seeing a lot of rather spectacular mushrooms coming up in our gardens, and a lot of people don’t realise they can be quite toxic to our pets, especially our dogs,” she told Scott Emerson.

She explained symptoms vary and urged pet owners to get them checked urgently.

“Depending on the type of mushroom, the mushroom can cause brain affects, so the animals might look really sleepy or they might pass out, faint, they can even hallucinate,” she said.

“But we are more worried about the damage to the kidney or liver to the dog, or some of these mushrooms can cause really, really severe tummy upsets, so the animals will vomit or they can have diarrhoea or even bloody diarrhoea.”

Press PLAY below to hear Associate Professor Rachel Allavena’s advice

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