What to know before you buy reishi mushroom supplements
Reishi has been used as a human medicine for centuries in traditional cultures, typically in Asia. It’s even been known as the “mushroom of immortality.” While we aren’t going to make as bold a claim, it has some serious health benefits that can’t be ignored. Recently, reishi has been used alongside chemotherapy and other cancer treatment in humans, and it provides the same aid to dogs.
Common problems that reishi for dogs addresses
If your pet suffers from any of the following health issues, they could benefit from reishi supplemetation:
- Cancer and cancer treatment
- Chronic infections
- High blood pressure
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Excessive fatigue
- Liver or kidney disease
Reishi mushroom benefits for dogs
The benefits of reishi include:
- Fighting cancer and promoting anti-cancer effects
- Fighting infections and inflammation
- Boosts the immune system
- Treating liver or kidney disease
- Helping cardiac disease and blood pressure
- Improving exercise and fatigue
FAQs about reishi mushroom for dogs
Reishi extracts are generally very safe for pets and I have used them for a couple of decades now in cancer therapy and for liver and kidney disease. However, I would use them with caution in pets with bleeding diseases like hemangiosarcoma. They also taste terrible, so I would not break them apart to sprinkle over food and I would only give them as whole capsules.
Current studies suggest 5-10 mg per pound of body weight, given once daily with food.
The most common side effect is the same with most mushrooms: GI upset, which is mainly a problem if you have a pet with a sensitive stomach. Drooling is another side effect, but only if a pet bites directly into a capsule. It’s nothing to worry about, though, it’s just because the capsules don’t taste all that good!
If your pet has a bleeding issue like autoimmune disease or hemangiosarcoma, I would not recommend their use.
As with most natural supplements, reishi mushrooms for dogs will take 2-4 weeks for any benefit to develop.
Either is fine, but mornings are probably better as our GI tracts are more active during the day rather than when we are sleeping. Regardless, it’s always best to give reishi as part of a full meal.
If you have a simple question on the use of reishi in your pet, I am happy to help and you can email me at ktomandvm@gmail.com. For more complex questions or to develop a treatment plan, we can set up a concierge consult for you.