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Can Dogs Eat Mushrooms? Here is a List of 6 Safe Options to Feed Your Pooch

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Mushrooms are a popular delicacy among humans, given their health benefits and amazing taste. But, can you share this taste with your pooch as well? Well, this is a good question given the fact that mushrooms can be poisonous at times, depending on the species. Some mushroom species that are great for humans might not fit well with your dogs. So, let’s get in-depth and answer your question: Can dogs eat mushrooms? Knowing about the exact strain that fits your pooch’s diet might help you avoid any unnecessary health issues.

So, let’s get started!

1. Can dogs eat mushrooms?

Siberian-Husky-puppy

In general, the answer to this question is a “Yes,” however, dogs can only eat certain variants of mushrooms and be safe in terms of health. The safest variant of mushrooms that you can feed your dog can be found at your local store. Mushrooms sold in the stores are generally obtained from farms dedicated to the cultivation of the same. However, the species that grow in the wild can be from an unknown origin.

Poisoning followed by an eventual death could be the result of your dog consuming a wild mushroom. If you plan on feeding your pooch some mushroom-based dish, you’d better buy the same from marts or stores. Avoid risking your and the dog’s life by feeding on wild mushrooms.

But why would you give your dog mushroom at all?

Here is why!

2. What nutrients in mushroom at good for the dogs?

Can Dogs Eat Mushrooms 3

Mushrooms are packed with several nutrients that are beneficial for your dogs as well. So, what exactly makes up for the critical nutrient table of mushrooms? Eating mushrooms, along with the daily diet, can help your pet with better immunity and general well-being.

Here is a list of some essential nutrients that help your dog:

  • B-Vitamins: This group of vitamins comprises all the essentials in the B-group, which start from B1 to B12. These water-soluble vitamins help with better cellular metabolism.
  • Vitamin-D: It is a vitamin that is critical to balance the body’s phosphorus level & helps regulate calcium content in your pooch’s body. It also aids in better muscle and nerve control, along with bone formation.
  • Vitamin-C: Vitamin-C present in certain mushroom species can help boost your canine’s immune system while servicing as the perfect anti-carcinogen. It also helps fight off other viral infections like polio, distemper, or skin diseases.
  • Protein: Protein is absolutely necessary for the proper growth and energy of your pooch. Mushrooms help do just that with their high protein content. They also help create enzymes and hormones that can normalize the critical body functions occurring within a dog’s body.

Apart from these, other important nutrients that come with mushrooms as a part of your dog’s diet include:

  • Riboflavin
  • Manganese
  • Antioxidants
  • Vitamin A
  • Dietary Fiber
  • Potassium
  • Selenium
  • Iron
  • Phosphorus

Note:

Even though nutrients are generally accepted to be beneficial to your dog’s health, excess of anything can be toxic in nature. Certain vitamins such as A, D, or C can be toxic to your canine. When serving your pooch, a scoop of mushroom, moderation is the key.

3. Types of mushrooms that can be problematic for your Dog

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In most cases, wild mushrooms are the reason for an emergency call made to your local vet.

Here is a list of some species of wild mushrooms to absolutely avoid:

  • Amanita Phalloides, also known by the name “Death Cap.”
  • Amanita Gemmata, also known as “Jeweled Deathcap.”
  • Amanita Muscaria, better known as “Deadly Agaric” or “Fly Agaric.”
  • Galerina Marginata, popularly known as “Galerina Autumnalis” or “Deadly Galerina.”
  • Inocybe spp. & Clitocybe dealbata
  • Gyromitra spp. Or the false morel

Here is a YouTube video to help you get more info about the types of poisonous mushrooms that might affect your dog.

Let’s imagine the worst-case scenario. Your dog has accidentally consumed a poisonous wild mushroom. What next? How would you even know that it is a sign of mushroom poisoning?

4. Signs and symptoms that dictate mushroom poisoning

The exact symptoms of poisoning from mushrooms can vary, depending upon the species your pooch has consumed. Different mushroom species house varying toxins that can affect your dog in one way or the other.

For example, the Amanita mushrooms house amanitin toxins that are known to cause a severe form of Gastro-Intestinal issue, which is followed by a false stage of recovery. After this, your pooch eventually succumbs to the effects of acute kidney and liver failure leading to eventual death.

On the other hand, variants like Clitocybe dealbata or the Inocybe spp. can lead to symptoms such as eye-watering, salivation, frequent urination, neurological issues, diarrhea, and so much more. Other variants of the Amanita mushrooms lead to tremors, sedation, seizures, as well as the “walking drunk” phase. This variant isn’t usually fatal, but rare cases can exist.

In general, you should keep an eye out for symptoms such as:

  • Diarrhea
  • Vomiting
  • Weakness
  • Salivation
  • Lethargy
  • Coma
  • Seizures
  • Ataxia
  • Liver Failure
  • Abdominal Pain
  • Jaundice
  • Death

If you still plan on feeding mushrooms to your pets, you should go for safer alternatives available on Amazon, such as NaturVet’s Mushroom Max, for advanced support to the immune system of your dog. It provides all the health benefits of mushrooms minus the toxins.

5. Treatment for Mushroom Poisoning in Canines

The first call when you see any obvious sign of mushroom poisoning should always be to your veterinarian or an ambulance service provider. If possible, get the mushroom sample that was consumed by your pooch. It will help the vet to ascertain the type of mushroom poisoning your dog has been affected with and speed up the treatment process.

Your vet might start by inducing vomiting for your pet, especially if he/she ate it very recently. In other cases, the doctor will go for an intravenous drug to deal with the toxic in a rather direct way. You might also be offered supportive care to help keep the dog comfortable. In the worst-case scenario, if your dog slips into a coma, which is non-fatal, the veterinarian might go for machinery monitoring until the pet regains his consciousness.

6. What is the right amount of mushroom that can be safely given to a dog?

When it comes to finalizing the right proportion of mushrooms for your dog, the amount entirely depends on the individual dog. While some dogs react quickly to certain food items, others might digest it very easily. If you are planning to feed mushrooms to your pooch, the right idea would be to introduce bits and pieces in his diet slowly.

If you do not notice any issues with the species you have been feeding, you can try and increase the amount. Keep looking for signs and symptoms that might suggest mushroom poisoning. If you happen to notice any sign, stop feeding your pooch mushroom immediately and take him to a vet for proper treatment. 

Some dogs may also be allergic to mushrooms so it is best to verify first prior to feeding your dog with it. To test if your dog is allergic to that kind of food, serve small portions along with his regular meal. Once you observe that there are no harmful effects to the dog, you can then move on to giving bigger servings until you can give a whole serving.

7. Are store-purchased mushrooms really good for your dog?

Can Dogs Eat Mushrooms 5

Wild mushrooms might be toxic to both dogs and humans, but are we really sure about the store-bought ones? Mushrooms that are sold in the chain and large grocery stores can be safe for consumption for your pooch. Plain mushrooms are good to go for your dog.

However, we mostly serve them with oils, seasonings, or sauces, which might contain ingredients that are harmful to your pet. So, when it comes to deciding a perfect diet for your pooch with mushrooms in it, try to keep it as simple as possible. The reason behind it is that the toxicity isn’t just limited to mushrooms. It can come from different daily use products, spices, or food items as well. Here is a quick video to give you more insights about the dangerous and toxic food items that should never be eaten by your dog.

8. Conclusion

While mushrooms are a nutritious and delicious treat for your pet, they might not be as necessary. In most cases, it is safer if you steer clear from the same. Instead, go for safer options such as apples or carrots to keep your pet safe from any issue that might or might not be deadly.

In any case, if the mushroom is what your pooch demands, you can always rely on safer mushroom-based products like NaturVet’s Mushroom Max. We hope this is everything you need to know about keeping your pooch safe from mushroom toxicity and also help you answer the question can dogs have mushrooms ?”. If you do have any tips, do share them with us or comment down for a quick answer to any queries; we will be happy to answer them!

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