We received this comment Sunday from a reader, and passed it along to our Ask the Vet columnist Dr. David Gross:

Michael Richardson notes: “Poisonous mushrooms are starting to come out. My pup ate one and was in a coma for about 8 hours. The species is Amanita Pantherina and now I’ve seen it in two areas. I thought it might be applicable for news. They tend to be pretty big targets for dogs and cats because they give off kind of a fishy smell”

Dr. Gross responds: “This is not a common type of poisoning in cats or dogs but does happen. There are, apparently, two species of mushrooms that are problematic and although a lethargic, coma-like state is not uncommon after an animal ingests them it is rarely fatal. You might want to refer your readers to: https://www.namyco.org/mushroom_poisonings_in_dogs_an.php

“The preferred treatment seems to be inducing vomiting and using activated charcoal if the animal is seen eating a mushroom(s) then supportive fluid therapy if the animal shows signs of severe lethargy or coma.”

Dr. Gross suggests contacting your veterinarian and taking along a sample of the mushroom, if possible.