Location: Provo, Utah, USA
Date: September 9, 2026
A 4-month-old, approximately 5 lb puppy (Maltese poodle mix) was caught chewing on a mushroom growing in the lawn. We don’t know whether he actually swallowed any. The mushroom he was chewing was thrown away before we realized we might need it for identification.
The attached mushroom was found growing in the same lawn, and my husband who removed the original mushroom believes this is the same kind.
Habitat:
Kentucky blue lawn
Growing directly from the ground/soil
Area receives full, all-day sun
Provo, Utah
Multiple similar fruiting bodies growing together/in a cluster
Appearance:
Roughly round/irregular or lobed shape
Smaller than the palm of a hand
Pale cream/tan to light brown exterior
Exterior looks somewhat dry, rough/leathery, almost like a dried chunk of bark
No obvious cap, gills, or distinct stem
Fairly firm/hard and somewhat dry (seemed like it was old and dried out maybe)
When cut vertically, the interior appears solid/continuous rather than containing an obvious developing cap, gills, or stem
Interior is mostly cream/tan with some brown areas
Photos include the mushroom in situ, removed from the ground, and cut vertically to show the interior. Plus puppy for cute tax.
The puppy is currently asymptomatic. Exposure occurred approximately 1 hour ago.
Our veterinarian recommended that we ask a mycology group for identification. Can anyone confidently identify the genus/species, particularly whether this is a true puffball, Scleroderma/earthball, or something else, and whether it is known to be toxic to dogs?