Mushrooms have been a nutritious addition to our favorite dishes and medicinally utilized for centuries, but did you know that your pets can also enjoy all the benefits of the special fungi? 

Here are the ten best mushrooms that are good for dogs and cats and how you can use them for immune support, fighting diseases like cancer, healthier skin, and more. 

10 Mushrooms That Are Good for Dogs and Cats 

1. Lion’s Mane (Hericium Erinaceus)

Lion’s Mane is known for its stringy, white-fruiting body and various health properties. In Eastern medicine, it’s a popular ingredient used to improve brain health and boost the immune system. 

If you offer it to your pet, it can help lift their mood, enhance their cognitive health, support their gut, and enhance their immune system with its anti-inflammatory properties. 

2. Turkey Tail (Trametes Versicolor)

Turkey Tail's immunomodulating effects help support a healthy immune system. Plus, research shows turkey tail may also have antiviral properties.

You might want to consider using Turkey Tail as a natural way to treat your pet’s:

• Chronic pain or infections
• Liver Disease
• Inflammation 
• Overactive Immune System

Turkey Tail is also widely recognized across the medical community for its cancer-fighting properties. In fact, a 2012 study found that cancerous dogs that took at least 100 mg of Turkey Tail each day lived months longer than those that didn’t. 

While it’s far from a definite cure for cancer, it’s a highly reputed option to help your pet live a longer life with your family. 

3. Reishi (Ganoderma Lucidum) 

Many refer to a Reishi mushroom as “the mushroom of immortality,” and it’s not difficult to understand why. 

Its antihistamine properties not only help fight free radical damage, but they also down-regulate an overactive immune system, enhance dendritic cells, and fight off foreign antigens, making it another favorable supplement for cancer treatment. 

If you offer Reishi to your pet, they can reap even more benefits from the miraculous fungus including:

• Kidney and liver support
• Anti-inflammatory treatment
• Pet allergy relief 
• Regulated blood pressure
• Immune system support 

4. Cordyceps (Cordyceps Sinensis) 

This unusual fungus has recently garnered a negative reputation in pop culture, but rest assured it is one of the top mushrooms for dogs and cats for good reason. 

Cordyceps is a great option for pets struggling with allergies, fatigue, or respiratory problems. Since it improves oxygen supply in the blood, it can also be used to increase your pet’s endurance or help pets living in higher altitudes where the air is thinner. 

The mushroom contains compounds that strengthen the body’s immune response, so it’s commonly used for immune support in both people and animals. 

5. Shiitake (Lentinula Edodes) 

One of the most common mushrooms in the culinary world just happens to be one of the healthiest for your pets.

Shiitake mushrooms are an excellent source of zinc, which is a highly beneficial mineral for your pet’s skin and digestive system. They’re also rich in a wide variety of essential vitamins that support brain function, the cardiovascular system, the immune system, bone health, and more. 

6. Maitake (Grifola Frondosa)

Also known as the “Hen-of-the-wood,” the maitake mushroom forms in large clumps on tree stumps and roots. The mushroom body itself is edible and a delicacy in Japan and China, but when used medicinally, an extract known as D-Fraction is taken from it and used to treat a variety of ailments. 

In addition to helping pets with high cholesterol and liver disease, it is an effective cancer treatment that fights against syngeneic and allogeneic tumors.

7. Chaga (Inonotus Obliquus) 

The “king of mushrooms” might not seem very appetizing at first glance, but the dark and crusty fungus has the highest antioxidant potential of any other mushroom. 

Since the 16th century, Chaga mushrooms have been used to treat health problems as common as the flu to more severe problems such as cancer, diabetes, and stomach ulcers. You can depend on this miraculous mushroom to treat the same complications in your pets.

8. Poria  (Wolfiporia Extensa)

Poria mushrooms are one of the most commonly prescribed traditional remedies in China due to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It is even being studied for its anti-aging properties and the ability to give both people and pets a more youthful glow. 

If given to your four-legged friend as a supplement, it can help protect their brain from age-related damage while improving overall cognitive function. 

9. Tremella (Tremella Fuciformis)

The white, gel-like appearance of the tremella mushroom has earned it the nickname “snow fungus.” 

Not only is it a wonderfully potent form of brain support, but it can also reduce pain and swelling in the joints of aging pets. Utilize them for their anti-inflammatory properties or to encourage cell growth to promote healing. 

10. King Trumpet (Pleurotus Eryngii)

The King Trumpet mushroom, also referred to as a King Oyster mushroom, is highly beneficial for your pet’s health. 

They’re chock full of many essential vitamins and minerals like vitamin B, folate iron, magnesium, and zinc, all of which greatly enhance your pet’s metabolism, energy levels, and overall brain function. 

What makes this fungus stand out from the rest of the bunch, however, is that it can be used to help treat tapeworms. There is a chemical present in the body of a king trumpet mushroom that has been proven to paralyze worms and cause their cells to deteriorate. 

If your pet has a case of tapeworms, I highly recommend setting up an appointment with your veterinarian to get them proper treatment. The King Trumpet mushrooms can still be used, but they work better as a supplement than a sole treatment. 

The Best Way to Give Mushrooms to Your Pets 

Mushrooms can be served to your pets in a variety of ways. If you choose to offer them whole, cook them thoroughly first. While raw mushrooms aren’t particularly dangerous, they can be difficult on your pet’s digestive system. 

They can also be given in the form of:

• Tea
• Broth
• Powder

In my experience as a veterinarian, I’ve found that powder is the most effective since it's the most potent. The powder can be sprinkled into your pet’s favorite food or given in a capsule. 

You’ll find hundreds of pet supplements with mushrooms on the market today, but very few use 100% fruiting bodies, and even fewer leave out all those filler ingredients that your pets don’t actually need. 

That’s why we’ve created a natural, veterinarian-formulated mushroom supplement you can trust. Our USDA Organic Mushroom Blend for Immune Support is a powdered blend of ten immune-boosting mushrooms rich in Beta-glucans, the most important medicinal component in mushrooms. 

You won't find any fillers, mycelium, grain, or starch in our immune support blend. Only 100% goodness! 

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