In June of 2008, we tragically lost four of our beloved dogs. We lost our lovely friend, show dog, and sire, Rocky, just at his prime at four years of age and three lovely pups sired by him at just nine months of age. It was an incredibly painful time for us and it took us a while to update our web site. Our wonderful vet Dr. Castro of Hilo Veterinary went beyond what could be expected in his search for the cause, and was able to give us some peace of mind by determining that they had ingested a highly toxic mushroom of the Amanita family. We have shared the information with the local dog community in hopes that other dog owners can be spared a loss by knowing about the deadly white to grey mushroom, Amanita Marmorata, which grows in association with ironwood, paperbark, and bottlebrush trees. This mushroom is extremely toxic, requiring only a very small quantity to kill even a human, and once ingested there is no antitdote. We also thank Dr. Hemmes, a local mushroom expert who kindly shared information on the mushroom with us and other concerned dog owners. We are especially grateful for the outpouring of support and understanding from Dr. Castro and his wife Ann, our friends, and from the dog community in Hawaii, the mainland and even abroad.
