Absolutely! Dogs can eat store-bought mushrooms. Some medicinal mushrooms, including reishi, turkey tail, and cordyceps, can even be beneficial in supplement form. Wild mushrooms are another story because they’re harder to identify.
This blog will help you learn:
- What types of mushrooms are OK for dogs
- What mushrooms can be beneficial for a healthier dog
- What mushrooms are harmful or toxic to dogs
What Types of Mushrooms Are Great for Dogs?
Store-Bought and Common Varieties of Mushrooms
Common varieties of mushrooms that you can find in the grocery or farmers' markets include portobello, shiitake, button, oyster, and porcini mushrooms.
Generally, all store-bought mushrooms that are deemed safe for humans are also safe for your furry friends.
These must be cooked, unseasoned, and not mixed with other foods that are toxic or potentially toxic to dogs.
Functional Mushrooms
Did you know that certain mushrooms are not only great for a dog’s diet but also for their overall health?
FreshCap’s Shroomies (Immunity Bites) are a blend of organic functional mushrooms that include shiitake, turkey tail, lion’s mane, maitake, cordyceps, reishi, phellinus, plus other powerful ingredients for your pet.
Shiitake
Shiitake, when cooked and given to dogs in moderation, helps increase their antioxidative activity. It also helps support the immune system, which is quite helpful to aging dogs.
Turkey Tail
Turkey tail is one of the first mushrooms to be used in cancer research for dogs. It’s been shown to delay metastasis or slow down the spread of cancer. In some cases, it can help increase the survival rate. Giving turkey tail to healthy dogs will help improve their immune response and gut health.
Lion’s Mane
Lion’s Mane is known to help with age-related cognitive decline. In dogs, it supports better cognitive health and immunity.
Maitake
There has been evidence in research that maitake extract can be potentially useful in treating dogs with cancer. Like most mushrooms in this list, it offers good support for overall health and immunity.
Reishi
Reishi can help reduce inflammation and manage chronic inflammation in sick or older dogs. It’s also known to increase energy levels.
Cordyceps
Cordyceps have antifungal and antibacterial properties. It helps support canines that need kidney and liver support. In cancer research, the cordycepin component of cordyceps is potentially studied to stop the blood supply to tumors.
Phellinus
Phellinus or Mesima have anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and antibacterial properties. It’s often one of the components of dog gummies to improve overall health and wellness.
Aside from all these functional mushrooms, FreshCap Shroomies also include organic kelp, turmeric root extract, L-theanine, Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and Docosahexanoic acid (DHA) from fish oil, and black pepper extract.
Harmful or Toxic Mushrooms to Dogs
While store-bought and functional mushrooms are great for dogs' health, wild mushrooms are difficult to identify and may cause harm to your pet.
When you’re out on a stroll, it’s best to keep dogs away from wild mushrooms. Dogs may have great sniffing capabilities, but they won’t know if a wild mushroom is toxic.
Since wild mushrooms may be difficult to identify for some, it’s best to stick to properly labeled mushrooms that you can buy from the grocery store or a specialty store.
Some of the known harmful and toxic mushrooms, according to research, include:
- Fly agaric (Amanita muscaria)
- Panther Cap (Amanita pantherina)
- Royal Fly Agaric (Amanita regalis)
- Destroying Angel (Amanita virosa)
- Fool’s Tunnel (Clitocybe rivulosa)
- Fibrecap Mushrooms (Inocybe sp.)
- Deadly Webcap (Cortinarius rubellus)
- Mica Cap, Common Ink Cap (Coprinellus micaceus, Coprinopsis atramentaria)
- False Morel (Gyromitra esculenta)
- Brown Mottlegill or Haymaker (Panaeolina foenisecii)
What Happens When My Dog Ingests These Toxic Mushrooms?
When you’re on a trail with your dog, it’s difficult to control the environment around you. They might casually stroll and nibble wild mushrooms in the grass. Don’t let fun outings turn into a vet emergency. Here are a few mushrooms to know:
Fly agaric, panther cap, and royal fly agaric are known for having the toxin isoxazoles. This toxin can induce hypersalivation, vomiting, tremors, seizures, and death. It has a rapid onset.
Destroying angel has amatoxin, which may produce delayed signs of toxicity, including vomiting, diarrhea, and liver failure.
Meanwhile, fool’s funnel and fibrecap mushrooms, which are often found in gardens or lawns, have muscarine toxin. This toxin exhibits in the form of muscarinic syndrome or muscarinic poisoning, which includes excessive salivation and sweating, blurred vision, slow heart rate, and gastrointestinal distress.
Mica cap, common ink cap, false morel, and haymaker have some gastrointestinal signs of irritation and mild poisoning. However, severe toxicity is still possible.
What’s the Verdict? Adding Mushrooms to Your Dog's Diet
You can add store-bought and functional mushrooms to your dog’s diet, but avoid wild mushrooms. Store-bought or fresh mushrooms must be cooked, unsalted, and not prepared or mixed with ingredients that may be toxic or harmful to your furry friends.
Add functional mushrooms as a supplement for overall good health and wellness. Choose mushroom blends to help support heart, liver, and kidney functions while boosting their energy and immune systems. They’re so easy to add to your dog’s routine and a healthy way to deliver them the natural support they deserve.
Check out FreshCap’s Shroomies for your dogs.
