Natural healing for dogs can greatly benefit from medicinal mushrooms. I use these in my practice and have witnessed remarkable health improvements, from regulating blood pressure to treating cancer. Mushrooms are truly miracle plants.
Mushrooms As Medicine: Not all mushrooms are medicinal, but most edible ones possess medicinal properties. They are used worldwide as food, medicine, and in cultural ceremonies.
For a healthy dog broth, you’ll need the following ingredients: 5 dried shiitake mushrooms, 1 beef bone, 1/4 cup daikon or beet root, 1/4 cup carrot, 1 tsp sea salt, 1/4 cup celery, and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder. To prepare the broth, soak the dried mushrooms in 1 cup of cold water overnight to rehydrate them. Place the bone, vegetables, salt, and turmeric in a soup pot with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer covered for about an hour. Add the mushrooms and the water they were soaked in, and simmer for another hour before removing from heat. Administer 1 tsp to a tablespoon of this broth to your dog every few hours when he’s not eating.
Shiitake mushrooms are a popular choice for dogs due to their potential health benefits. Known as ‘dancing mushrooms’ in Japanese, Maitake mushrooms are recognized for stimulating t-cells, inhibiting tumor growth, and lowering cholesterol. They are beneficial for preventing cancer, supporting the body during chemotherapy and other cancer treatments, managing diabetes, and supporting dogs with liver problems.
Turkey tail mushrooms are rich in beta-glucan polysaccharides, essential sugars that activate the immune system, protecting the body from infections and diseases. A study by the Veterinary School at the University of Penn State found that dogs with hemangiosarcoma treated with a compound derived from turkey tail mushrooms had the longest survival times ever reported. These mushrooms also aid in healing pulmonary disorders, treating inflammation of the urinary and digestive tracts, and decreasing the effects of chemotherapy and radiation.
Cordyceps mushrooms, which grow on caterpillars, are expensive but available in cultivated form. They possess antifungal and antibacterial properties, along with protein-bound polysaccharides and amino acids. Studies indicate that cordyceps have antitumor properties and can protect against liver and heart disease. They are also beneficial for treating leaky gut syndrome, chronic liver disorders, hyper-lipedema, hypercholesterolemia, kidney failure, cardiac arrhythmias, lung carcinoma, asthma, and geriatric disorders.
To feed medicinal mushrooms to your dog, you can make a tea or broth using dried mushrooms or add powder to their food. If giving whole mushrooms, ensure they are cooked thoroughly as raw mushrooms can be hard to digest and potentially toxic. For powdered or capsule forms, follow the package directions, adjusting the dosage according to your dog’s weight, assuming the instructions are for a 150 lb person.
To support your dog’s liver health, consider using a mushroom mix specifically designed for liver disease. Start by introducing a lower dose and gradually increasing it to prevent digestive issues. Here’s how to prepare the mix:
Combine dried mushrooms (or powder) – 2 tablespoons each of reishi, maitake, shiitake, and turkey tail. Mix these with 4 ounces of hot water. Add Amino-b-plex, which is available at many online vendors. Store the mixture in the fridge. Administer the mix to your dog at a rate of 0.5 ml per 5 lbs of body weight twice daily. A common concern among pet owners is whether dogs can safely consume mushrooms. Medicinal mushrooms can be intimidating due to the toxicity of some wild varieties, but these particular fungi are safe and beneficial for your dog’s health when sourced organically from a reputable supplier. References: Guggenheim AG, Wright KM, Zwickey HL. Immune Modulation From Five Major Mushrooms: Application to Integrative Oncology. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2014;13(1):32-44. Wasser SP. Medicinal mushroom science: Current perspectives, advances, evidences, and challenges. Biomed J. 2014 Nov-Dec;37(6):345-56. N. Sheena, T.A. Ajith & K.K. Janardhanan (2003) Anti-inflammatory and Anti-nociceptive Activities of Ganoderma lucidum Occurring in South India, Pharmaceutical Biology, 41:4, 301-304. Brown DC, Reetz J. Single agent polysaccharopeptide delays metastases and improves survival in naturally occurring hemangiosarcoma. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2012. Lin B, Li S. Cordyceps as an Herbal Drug. In: Benzie IFF, Wachtel-Galor S, editors. Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. 2nd edition. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press/Taylor & Francis; 2011. Liu X et al. Cordyceps sinensis protects against liver and heart injuries in a rat model of chronic kidney disease: a metabolomic analysis. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2014 May;35(5):697-706.
