After well over a year of searching, Martin Pedersen and his son Oscar had finally found the right dog. For three weeks, the small, brown Labrador puppy Tikko became part of the Danish family.
But the joy was short-lived. On Thursday last week, the unthinkable happened.
Pedersen was to teach the little puppy to go to the toilet outdoors, and used the opportunity to go for a walk in nature. Along the hiking trail it does not go exactly according to plan, so the two go back to the car with an unsolved case.
It was Fyens Stiftstidende who first mentioned the case.
Chewing on mushrooms
Since they are the only ones standing in the parking lot, Pedersen takes the chance to let the dog go. He sees that the dog is getting ready to do away with itself.
NEW FAMILY MEMBER: The dog Tikko had only been part of the family for two weeks before the unthinkable happened. Here is Martin Pedersen with the little puppy in his arms. Photo: Private
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But just before it settles down, he sees Tikko get the hang of something and puts his nose in the air.
– I see that he starts chewing on something. He does not come when I shout, so I run everything I can there, Pedersen tells Dagbladet.
As he gets closer, he sees that there are several large fungi in the grass.
– He is chewing on one of the big mushrooms.
Pedersen stops the puppy, and gets what he has in his mouth before he goes back to the car. There he rinses the puppy’s mouth with water, and gives it something to drink.
– It was difficult to say if it had eaten anything, as the mushrooms had been chewed completely to shreds, he explains.
KILLED: After ingesting small amounts of the poisonous fungus plug fungus, the ten-week-old puppy Tikko had to be killed. Photo: Private
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Loses consciousness
He considers calling the vet, but decides to wait, keep the dog under surveillance and see how it develops.
AniCura Animal Hospital in Oslo informs Dagbladet that if it is suspected that the dog has ingested a fungus, the veterinarian must be contacted immediately.
During the evening, everything seemed to be fine with the little puppy, so Pedersen goes to bed.
– During the night, Tikko gets vomiting and diarrhea. In the vomit I can see a piece of fungus, so I think it might be over now.
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But the next day, Tikko loses more and more energy, keeps a lot to himself and does not want to eat as usual. In the afternoon, the dog is so tired and exhausted that Pedersen decides to call the vet.
– I call the vet while the dog does on the grass in the garden. He just poops water. Then I see it sit on its ass, but do not manage to get up again.
He gets to go straight to the vet with the dog, and drives the 1.5 kilometer long trip to Odense Animal Hospital as soon as he can.
– While I drive, the dog begins to slip out of consciousness. It becomes completely limp and the eyes become completely shiny and crystal clear. I see that the pupils do not manage to focus.
PLUG SOUP: While Tikko received immediate help at the animal clinic, Pedersen ran off to photograph the mushrooms. At the same time, he brought with him samples that the vet analyzed. Photo: Private
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– Broke down
Once at the vet, things go fast. Pedersen barely manages to tell about the fungus, before the dog gets cramps and involuntary urination.
The vet immediately starts treating the puppy, but says that the fungal poisoning is serious and that there is no antidote.
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Pedersen decides to try to save the dog’s life, if it is possible to give it a dignified life. Even if hope rises through the night, the situation worsens beyond the morning twig.
– I live alone and am divorced, and my son was with his mother. I had not told him that our puppy was in the hospital.
So when the son called and asked how the dog was doing, Pedersen had to tell that it was not going so well.
– His whole world collapsed. We bought the dog because my son has started in 5th grade and will no longer go to SFO. Now I had to tell him it could be serious.
Pia ate her own horse: – Would do it again
– Crying at the vet
They decided to travel and visit Tikko at the animal clinic that Saturday. Last night the dog had shown signs of improvement once again, and even the vet thought there was hope now.
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– It went from that we thought we got him back, to that he should be killed. Big strong men turn into little boys when you have to kill your dog. I have to be honest and say that I cried at the vet, says Pedersen.
But they got a good farewell, he emphasizes.
The fungus Tikko ingested was a so-called plug fungus (Paxillus involutus), according to the veterinarian. The common hat fungus is extremely toxic, according to Large Norwegian encyclopedia.
– Exactly the mushrooms that Tikko had eaten were so toxic that if an adult man of 80 kilos took a bite, chewed and spat out without swallowing, he would have serious complications. For a small dog of ten weeks, it is even worse. Then unfortunately there is nothing you can do.
PLUG SOUP: Plug fungus (Paxillus involutus) is common throughout Norway from summer to late autumn. The fungus grows both on the lawn, by stumps and all types of forest. Photo: Private
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Toxic plug fungus
Plug fungi grow in gardens, parks, deciduous and coniferous forests throughout the country; on elevated forest soils, along ditches and the like, it is often found in large quantities.
– This is a story I did not think could hit me, says Pedersen, who decided to write one posts on Facebook where he tells friends and acquaintances about what has happened.
– Oscar and I have had the most difficult day in a long time today. We had to kill our beautiful little puppy that we have only had for two weeks, he writes.
Daniel (23) attacked: – Scream of death
The post has so far been shared by over 4000 people. Pedersen hopes that by sharing his story he can make others aware of these fungi, so that maybe a dog or two can be saved from the same fate as Tikko.
He encourages everyone to look out for their small four-legged family members when traveling in nature.
– I am surprised at how many places these mushrooms grow. It is really something that can affect many if they are not made aware of it, he warns.
Although the loss of Tikko still hurts, the family has a new friend in the house. Fortunately, the kennel had one of the dogs from Tikko’s litter again.
– We used Saturday to mourn. The next day, last Sunday, we drove to Zealand and bought a dog from the same litter. We have found out that it will also be called Tikko, says Pedersen.
