Reasons to Give Your Dog Lion’s Mane Mushroom

As your dog ages, they need all the nutrition they can get to keep them happy and healthy throughout their senior years, so if your pooch has a nerve-related disorder or degenerative myelopathy, lion’s mane mushrooms may be able to help. If you’re undecided, here are several reasons why your dog can benefit from eating lion’s mane mushrooms.

Lions’ mane mushrooms (otherwise known as yamabushitake or hou tou gu) are big, white, shaggy mushrooms that look like a lion’s mane as they get bigger. The mushroom not only has medical and culinary uses for human beings, but senior dogs in particular can benefit from eating them. 

One of the best things about lion’s mane mushrooms is their taste, as they’re known for being delicious and tasting like lobster. What’s more, traditional Chinese medicine has used lion’s mane mushrooms for many years thanks to their extensive list of health benefits, such as anti-fatigue and neuroprotective. 

The aging process is inevitable for us all, so as your dog enters their senior years, he may begin showing some mental changes. This is known as canine cognitive dysfunction. However, some people refer to it as doggie Alzheimer’s. If you’ve noticed a change in your pooch’s behavior and they appear disoriented and anxious, lion’s mane mushrooms may be able to help.

To keep your dog’s brain functioning at its best, it’s advised that you feed your pooch lion’s mane from an early age. Lion’s mane is a fantastic mushroom for improving your dog’s brain and nervous system. Also, lion’s mane can stimulate nerve growth and potentially regenerate damaged nerves. If your dog has been diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy, he will gradually lose its mobility, resulting in its rear legs becoming paralyzed. If your dog sadly has this disease, lion’s mane could provide some hope for your pooch. If you do notice any changes to your dog’s behavior and find that lion’s mane isn’t making a difference, don’t hesitate in taking your dog to the vet for further examination. 

When it comes to keeping your dog’s digestive health in good order, lion’s mane can be a great support. The mushroom is known for boosting gut and immune health, which can be a huge help to your canine friend as they maneuver through their golden years. Lions’ mane is full of oligosaccharides, which are a prebiotic that helps feed the good bacteria found in your pooch’s gut. 

Over 80% of your hound’s immune system lives in their gut, meaning it’s crucial that you maintain their gut health, which will benefit your dog’s overall health and wellbeing. Lion’s mane can also regenerate the intestinal lining, not to mention preventing or repairing a leaky gut. If you have any concerns about your dog’s gut and immune health, lion’s mane mushrooms can potentially make all the difference. 

Sadly, dogs cannot escape devastating diseases like cancer. However, feeding your canine lion’s mane mushrooms may be helpful in preventing and managing the disease. There has been significant research carried out that indicates success in slowing down or reversing different cancers like leukemia.

There are numerous medicinal mushrooms that are renowned for boosting the immune system, with turkey tail mushrooms, in particular, being useful for their cancer-fighting benefits. Lion’s mane mushrooms have been shown to kill cancer cells and although there isn’t sufficient evidence to support mushrooms being able to cure cancer entirely, lion’s mane may help in preventing and controlling the disease. 

As your dog gets older, you must pay close attention to its cardiovascular health. One of the best things you can do to support your pooch’s heart health is by feeding them lions’ mane. The mushroom can reduce chronic inflammation, which otherwise can result in heart problems and other conditions such as diabetes. 

If your pooch is overweight or obese, lion’s mane mushrooms can help control their weight and reduce the risk of heart disease. Lions’ mane can also alleviate oxidative stress to your dog’s arteries, helping to lower the risk of a stroke and heart attack. If your canine friend is at a higher risk for heart disease or they’re overweight, it’s time to try out lion’s mane. Alongside feeding your dog lion’s mane, there are other things you can do to boost their cardiovascular health, such as factoring in frequent exercise such as walking, running, or swimming. 

When your dog falls ill and gets an infection, you should try and avoid using antibiotics to treat it. This is because antibiotics indiscriminately destroy bacteria, which can also cause damage to your pooch’s microbiome. Lion’s mane mushrooms have some formidable antibacterial properties that your dog is sure to benefit from.  

MRSA is a tenacious infection that hospital patients can pick up, with dogs picking up a different strain of the bacteria known as MRSP (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus pseudintermedius). The infection can be difficult to treat, with the infection more prevalent in immune-compromised canines. If left untreated, MRSP can cause all kinds of chronic issues such as wounds that take longer to heal, skin infections, and chronic UTIs. If your beloved pooch is struggling with a stubborn bacterial infection, feeding them lion’s mane may help in fighting against it. 

No matter what breed of dog you have or their age, incorporating lion’s mane mushrooms into their diet can benefit their health in numerous ways. We all want to keep hold of our dogs for as long as possible, so to help them lead a happy and fulfilled life till the end, lion’s mane mushrooms are a perfect dietary addition.