Curious About Medicinal Mushrooms for Your Pet?
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Mushrooms aren’t just food, or forest mysteries — many have powerful health benefits. Medicinal varieties can help prevent disease, slow aging, and support a balanced immune system. These aren’t a fad; they’ve been used safely for thousands of years and backed by modern research.
Choosing the Right Mushroom Product
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Always Cooked or Extracted – Raw mushrooms are hard to digest and much less effective. Look for powders or tinctures made from steamed or boiled mushrooms.
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Beta-Glucan Content – Whether from the fruiting body or mycelium, choose products with at least 15–20% beta-glucans.
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Powder vs. Liquid – Powders are easy and well-rounded. Tinctures should be “double-extracted” (hot water + alcohol) for full benefits. Avoid alcohol for pets with liver disease.
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Mixes vs. Singles – Blends give broad immune support; singles target specific needs.
Popular Medicinal Mushrooms & Benefits
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Reishi – Calming; supports heart, lungs, immunity, and cognitive health; anti-inflammatory; anti-tumor.
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Turkey Tail – Immune modulator; cancer support; antiviral; helps respiratory, urinary, and digestive health.
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Shiitake – Immune and heart health; supports liver; antiviral and antibacterial; balances cholesterol and blood sugar.
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Maitake – Immune support; liver protection; antioxidant; regulates cholesterol and blood sugar.
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Lion’s Mane – Supports nerves, brain health, and mood; anti-inflammatory; gut support.
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Chaga – Antioxidant; immune and heart support; antimicrobial; anti-tumor.
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Cordyceps – Kidney support; boosts energy; eases chronic cough and wheezing.
Feeding Guidelines
Use the package dose for general wellness. For illness (e.g., cancer), double the dose. Safe for long-term use in dogs and cats.
“But the longer that you do it, the better it works. It does something that we call training the immune system. Just like you train your muscles… the immune system gets trained by it each time, which makes the immune system better able to deal with the challenges when they happen.” — Dr. Robert Silver, DVM, discussing the benefits of medicinal mushrooms in dog cancer care. DogCancer.com
Quick Pairing Guide
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Overall Immunity: Reishi, Turkey Tail
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Cancer: Reishi, Turkey Tail, Shiitake, Chaga
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Brain & Nerves: Lion’s Mane, Reishi
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Kidneys: Cordyceps, Reishi
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Mood & Energy: Lion’s Mane, Reishi, Cordyceps
