Medicinal mushrooms are powerful, yet often misunderstood. These mushrooms contain prebiotic fibers that nourish the gut, longevity-promoting ingredients (including polyphenols, glutathione, polyamines, and ergothioneine), and beta-glucans that strengthen the immune system, making them a miraculous food—perfect for your pet.

Mushrooms have been used as medicine for thousands of years—from the Ancient Greeks and the Roman Empire to the Moche of Peru in the first century. Two thousand years ago, Chinese experts even called them “divine herbs that energize the chi (Qi)” or life force.

Can Dogs and Cats Safely Eat Mushrooms?

The reality is, if a mushroom is safe and healthy for humans, it is also safe for other animals, including pets. If it's poisonous to humans, it’s equally poisonous to animals. When we talk about mushrooms, we refer to edible, highly nutritious, and medicinal or functional mushrooms—a distinct group of safe fungi known for their exceptional health benefits beyond just nutritional value.

Medicinal mushrooms that help the body become more resilient to physical, chemical, and biological stress are called adaptogenic mushrooms. Luckily, many culinary mushrooms found in the supermarket contain these adaptogenic compounds and are incredibly versatile in how they can be incorporated into your pet's life, such as in teas, broths, toppings, licking mats/stuffable toys, ice cubes, food, and treats... With mushrooms, everything is possible!

If you want to add mushrooms to your dog or cat's diet, it’s essential to know which types are safe. Store-bought mushrooms common in human diets, like white button, cremini, and portobello mushrooms, are safe for dogs and cats when consumed in moderation. These mushrooms can offer some nutritional benefits and are generally considered non-toxic for dogs and cats, provided they are prepared correctly.

In addition to these edible mushrooms, functional mushroom supplements, specifically formulated for humans or pets, are also safe and beneficial. These supplements are made from mushrooms like reishi, shiitake, maitake, chaga, turkey tail, cordyceps, lion’s mane, etc., which have shown to support various aspects of canine and feline health.

Most mushrooms can be consumed fresh, dried, in powder form, or as a supplement. If you can’t find fresh culinary mushrooms, look for dried mushrooms or whole mushroom powders in Asian markets, farmers' markets, or herb and natural product stores. Dried mushrooms can be rehydrated in bone broth or herbal tea before being added to recipes.

Functional Mushrooms YES, Wild Mushrooms NO

I’m only referring to specific functional mushrooms for pets, not wild mushrooms. Allowing your dog or cat to eat wild mushrooms puts them at risk of ingesting poisonous mushrooms and suffering from mushroom poisoning.

So, never let your dog or cat eat wild mushrooms. Instead, opt for edible mushrooms from the grocery store, or if you’re interested in functional mushrooms, you can consider feeding your dog and cat specific species of mushrooms through supplements.

Benefits and Functions of Functional Mushrooms for Pets

Not all mushrooms are functional, but even the most generic, edible varieties have remarkable health benefits.

Science repeatedly proves that mushrooms are detoxifying, protect cells, modulate the immune system, strengthen the brain, and are nutritional powerhouses that benefit the entire body. Mushrooms contain polyamines, compounds that enhance autophagy, the cells’ ability to eliminate and recycle their old parts. One of these polyamines is spermidine, which improves cognition and protects the nervous system. Mushrooms contain more spermidine than any other food. They are also packed with glutathione—a powerful internal antioxidant that protects cells but is produced less by animals as they age—and ergothioneine (ERGO), another antioxidant that boosts anti-inflammatory hormones and reduces oxidative stress. Both glutathione and ERGO are called "longevity vitamins" in today’s scientific world.

Medicinal mushrooms can also combat harmful viruses and bacteria, balance blood sugar levels, help prevent inflammation, and promote a healthy gut microbiome. They can reduce the risk of cancer by up to 45%, lower the risk of depression and anxiety, and combat chronic inflammation (especially in the brain). This is crucial as chronic inflammation leads to cognitive degeneration, cardiovascular issues, and organ failure—key factors in a shorter and less healthy life.

Nutrients Found in Mushrooms

The health benefits of mushrooms come from their rich nutritional content. They contain essential nutrients such as:

· Minerals: potassium, selenium, sulfur, sodium, zinc, phosphorus

· Sugars: mannitol, xylose, glucose, galactose

· Vitamins: B-complex, provitamin D

· Proteins: essential amino acids

· Enzymes: antibacterial and proteolytic enzymes

· Lipids: phospholipids, sterols, free fatty acids

· Polysaccharides: glycogen, beta-D-glucans, chitin

· Essential oils: triterpenes, etc.

· Etc...

Key Functional Mushrooms

Below are the key functional mushrooms to consider as natural remedies and immune support supplements for your dog or cat.

White Button or Cremini Mushrooms

Easy to find in most supermarkets. Easy to sauté, grill or dehydrate.

Benefits:

· High in protein

· Contain polysaccharides that improve insulin resistance, and act as prebiotics, improving gut health

Portobello Mushrooms

Easy to find in most supermarkets. Easy to sauté, grill or dehydrate.

Benefits:

· Contain more potassium than bananas

· Help prevent neurodegenerative diseases

Shiitake Mushrooms

Easy to find in most supermarkets. Great for sautéing, broths and frequently found dried.

Benefits:

· Contains the bioactive substance lentinan, which enhances immune function and slows the growth of tumors

· Antiviral

· Contains L-ergothioneine, whose antioxidant properties fight free radicals

Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus)

Easy to find in most supermarkets. Great for sautéing.

Benefits:

· Pleuran, one of the bioactives in oyster mushrooms, benefits lung health

· Phenolics decrease blood pressure

· Can inhibit the growth of breast and colon cancer cells

· Immune-boosting

Shimeji Mushrooms

Easy to find in most supermarkets. Great for sautéing and grilling. They are bitter until you cook them

Benefits:

· Antimicrobial and antiparasitic

· Anticancer

· Protects the heart

Shimofuri Hiratake Mushroom

It may be available in Asian supermarkets. Great in soups or stews. Good for sautéing.

Benefits:

· Inhibits the development of breast and colon cancer cells

· Contains lovastatin, a statin that helps reduce cholesterol

Reishi Mushrooms

Usually, available as supplement or powder. Small mushrooms are great for sautéing, but large ones can be quite hard, so boil in water to make a broth or tea.

Benefits:

· Lowers cortisol

· Contains over 140 triterpenes (particularly ganoderic acids, lucidenic acids abd sterols), which are highly anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antiviral chemical compounds that regulate the immune system and fight cancer cells

· Balances blood sugar

· Loaded with beta-glucans that stimulate innate immune responses against cancer cells

· Supports liver detoxification

Chaga Mushrooms

Usually, available as supplement or powder. Fresh chaga is too hard to eat, so boil to make broth or tea.

Benefits:

· Prevents liver inflammation

· Suppresses cancer growth (up to 60% tumor supression in mice)

· Full of antioxidants, including triterpenoids, melanins, polysaccharides, polyphenols and flavans

· Immune balancing (often used in allergic conditions)

Lion’s Mane Mushrooms

Usually, available as supplement or powder. Can be cooked, boiled or eaten raw.

Benefits

· Improve cognitive imparment

· Helps grow neurons

· Stimulates nerve growth factor (NGF) for nerve support and repair

· Regulates mood

· Improves the gut microbiome of aging dogs

· Contains antiaging polysaccharides and peptides

Turkey Tail Mushrooms

Usually, available as supplement or powder. Great for boiling to make tea or broth, ice cubes or drying.

Benefits:

· Slows the growth of Hemangiosarcoma, a highly malignant cancer

· Contains prebiotic fibers to improve the microbiome

· Inhibits the production of certain cytokines, which reduces inflammation

Maitake Mushrooms

Usually, available as supplement or powder. Great for boiling or sautéing.

Benefits:

· Contains d-fraction, a potent anti-tumor and immune-boosting polysaccharide

· Contains betta-glucans that help heal the gut

· Contains alpha-glucans that positively influence glucose and insulin metabolism

Cordyceps Mushrooms

Usually, available as supplement or powder. If fresh you can boil them

Benefits:

· Increases energy (ATP) production

· Supports gut, heart and kidney health by improving metabolic pathways

· Changes gene expression, which bestows antiaging benefits

· Contains chemical compounds (including cyclodepsipeptides, nucleosides and polysaccharides) with immune-regulating, antioxidant, antitumor, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, antibacterial and antifungal properties

How to Prepare Mushrooms

You can prepare mushrooms by making a tea or broth with whole mushrooms (see recipe below), dried mushrooms, or using mushroom powder. Always cook whole mushrooms to ensure they are safe and digestible for your dog or cat. If using pet-specific supplementation, follow the product’s dosage instructions, adjusting for your pet’s weight.

If feeding fresh whole mushrooms, cook them to break down their tough chitin cell walls, making nutrients more accessible and digestible. Cooking also reduces the risk of potential contaminants or toxins in raw mushrooms. Cook mushrooms without oils, butter, or seasonings, or use a very small amount of olive oil, unsalted butter, or coconut oil.

Fresh mushrooms can be added as 2% to 5% of the total diet. Although they are fungi, not vegetables, it’s advisable to include them in the vegetable portion.

Contraindications

In the amounts suggested above, mushrooms are generally safe even for pets with chronic conditions. They contain little phosphorus and are low in fat. However, overfeeding mushrooms can cause vomiting or diarrhea. Gradually introduce them to your pet’s diet to gauge tolerance and allow the microbiome to adjust. Avoid them in pets with active, symptomatic digestive diseases unless advised by an Integrative Veterinarian.

Imagem retirada do livro "The Forever Dog LIFE" de Dr. Karen Shaw Becker & Rodney Habib

Dica para aumentar os níveis de vitamina D nos cogumelos

Mushrooms are rich in vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol), a form of vitamin D that is biologically active like vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) in dogs (but not in cats). To increase vitamin D levels, wash the mushrooms and place them directly in the sun, gill side up, for at least fifteen minutes. This can increase the vitamin D content of mushrooms by up to 15%, and shiitake mushrooms can boost their vitamin D levels by up to 1,150 times after eight hours in the sun.

Mushroom Broth Recipe

Packed with immune-boosting beta-glucans, this mushroom broth recipe is true "liquid gold" for the immune system.

Ingredients:

· 2 cups of mushrooms, sliced

· 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or olive oil

· 6 cups filtered water, broth, or herbal tea

Instructions:

1. Sauté the mushrooms over low heat until soft.

2. Add the filtered water, bone broth, or herbal tea.

3. Let it simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.

4. Allow it to cool until manageable.

5. Blend everything with a blender or hand blender.

It can be served hot or cold. It can also be frozen in individual ice cube trays, then defrosted and added to meals or given between meals if your pet accepts it.

Start by offering 1 tablespoon for every 10-20kg of a dog's weight and 1 teaspoon for a cat, daily, to ensure it is well tolerated, and gradually increase the amount.

You can use any type of mushroom in this recipe, but I usually prefer shiitake mushrooms because they are easy to find in most supermarkets and have incredible benefits.

References

· “The Forever Dog Life ”, Dra Karen Shaw Becker & Rodney Habib, 2024; pages 39 – 47 e 146

· eBook “The Truth About Mushrooms and Cannabis for Pets”, Dr Rob Silver DVM, MS, FACVBM, 2023

· Courses and articles from Dogs Naturally Magazine University

· Courses of Alimentação Natural from Dra Sylvia Angélico (Cachorro Verde)

· Cogumelos para cães e gatos, Cachorro Verde, Jan 2022

· Single Agent Plysaccharopeptide Delays Metastases and Improves Survival in naturally Occurring Hemangiosarcoma, Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2012 Sep 5