Is an ivory funnel mushroom (clitocybe dealbata) safe for Dogs?
⏳ Pending source check by the Eaoae Safety Review · Drafted 2026-10-06
⚠️ AI-generated answer \u2014 not yet verified. This check was generated by AI and has not been source-checked by the Eaoae Safety Review, so it is not part of Eaoae’s verified database. Use it as a starting point only: confirm with an authoritative source such as ASPCA Animal Poison Control or Pet Poison Helpline, or ask your veterinarian. If your pet may have eaten something dangerous, contact your vet or a poison helpline now \u2014 don’t wait on a website.
No, ivory funnel mushrooms are unsafe for dogs. Clitocybe dealbata contains muscarine, causing severe drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and dangerously slow heart rate. A fatal case in a cocker spaniel -- collapse and cardiac arrest within 45 minutes -- is documented in the veterinary literature.
🚨 Emergency: Yes — contact your veterinarian immediately.
💡 Why
Ivory funnel (Clitocybe dealbata, closely related to C. rivulosa) is a small white mushroom of lawns and grassy areas. Its muscarine content triggers the full SLUDGE syndrome: salivation, tearing, urination, diarrhea, cramping, and bradycardia. The published fatality -- a 9-year-old cocker spaniel that collapsed 45 minutes after ingestion -- shows how fast this poisoning can kill. Like all muscarine poisonings, atropine is the antidote, making immediate veterinary care the difference between life and death.
🩺 What to do
- Check lawns for small white mushrooms, especially fairy rings, before letting dogs out.
- Any drooling/vomiting after lawn mushroom exposure is an emergency -- mention muscarine risk to your vet.
- Keep dogs from grazing on lawn mushrooms during walks.
❓ Common questions
What does it look like?
Small white funnel-shaped mushrooms growing in rings or clusters on lawns. They look harmless, which is the danger.
How fast does it act?
Drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, and collapse can begin within 30-60 minutes -- much faster than amatoxin mushrooms.
Can the vet treat it?
Yes -- atropine reverses muscarine effects. Fast treatment is critical given how quickly severe cases deteriorate.
📚 Sources
- UC Davis Vet Med: Mushroom Toxicity in Dogs
- Zoetis PetCare: Are Yard Mushrooms Bad for Dogs
- Pet Poison Helpline: Fungus Among Us presentation (2019)
🔎 How the sources compare
What each authority says about Ivory funnel mushroom (Clitocybe dealbata) \u2014 compiled 2026-10-28. Eaoae’s verdict summarizes these sources; it is not our own diagnosis.
| Source | Dogs | Cats | Dose info |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASPCA Animal Poison Control | Not named — ASPCA's mushroom-safety article for pet owners is a general overview and does not name the ivory funnel or Clitocybe; it names the related muscarinic genus Inocybe (vomiting, diarrhea, decreased heart rate and severe drooling in pets), plus Amanita phalloides and Scleroderma species, and advises that it is best to avoid giving pets mushrooms of any type | Not named — ASPCA's mushroom-safety article for pet owners is a general overview and does not name the ivory funnel or Clitocybe; it names the related muscarinic genus Inocybe (vomiting, diarrhea, decreased heart rate and severe drooling in pets), plus Amanita phalloides and Scleroderma species, and advises that it is best to avoid giving pets mushrooms of any type | — |
| Pet Poison Helpline | Genus named — the page's alternate-names list includes Clitocybe and muscarine, i.e. the muscarinic funnel group that includes the ivory funnel; its general advice is that all mushroom ingestions by pets should be considered toxic unless a specialist can accurately and quickly identify the mushroom as non-toxic, and that muscarinic toxins can act within 15-30 minutes | Genus named — the page's alternate-names list includes Clitocybe and muscarine, i.e. the muscarinic funnel group that includes the ivory funnel; its general advice is that all mushroom ingestions by pets should be considered toxic unless a specialist can accurately and quickly identify the mushroom as non-toxic, and that muscarinic toxins can act within 15-30 minutes | — |
| Merck Veterinary Manual | Species not named — Merck's mushroom overview does not name the ivory funnel or Clitocybe; it lists muscarine among its mushroom toxin classes (cyclopeptides, gyromitrin, orellanine, muscarine, ibotenic acid and muscimol, psilocybin) - muscarine is the ivory funnel's toxin - and names only Amanita phalloides as a species | Not covered | — |
| VCA Hospitals | Not named as a species — VCA's mushroom overview does not name Clitocybe or the ivory funnel; its gastrointestinal category singles out 'the muscarinic mushroom' as a noted variety causing vomiting and diarrhea, with possible weakness, dehydration, slow heart rate (bradycardia) and respiratory problems - the muscarinic group to which the ivory funnel belongs | Not named as a species — VCA's mushroom overview does not name Clitocybe or the ivory funnel; its gastrointestinal category singles out 'the muscarinic mushroom' as a noted variety causing vomiting and diarrhea, with possible weakness, dehydration, slow heart rate (bradycardia) and respiratory problems - the muscarinic group to which the ivory funnel belongs (the page addresses dogs and cats together) | — |
| Eaoae summary (dogs) | ⛔ Unsafe \u2014 Known to be harmful or toxic. Keep it away from your pet. | ||
🔗 Related checks for dogs
- nutmeg ⛔ Unsafe
- Blueberries ✅ Safe
- Vitamin D3 / Cholecalciferol ⛔ Unsafe
- Onions and Garlic ⛔ Unsafe
- Apples ⚠️ Caution
- chewing gum ⛔ Unsafe
Checked with Eaoae’s safety lookup. Answers are generated for reference and may be incomplete — always confirm with your vet for your individual pet. Spotted an error? Let us know.
