Turkey Tail Mushroom
Backed by Dr. Rob Silver
BENEFITS
Turkey Tail mushroom, known for having the highest beta-glucan levels of all mushrooms, has been historically celebrated for its powerful immune-modulating benefits. Its potent secondary metabolites help protect cellular health, support vaccine effectiveness, and promote lasting immunity. It helps the body maintain a healthy response to a wide range of microbial challenges as well as the uncontrolled cellular division associated with cancer and other diseases. Turkey Tail also supports a healthy digestive system and balanced microbiome, making it an ideal choice for broad-spectrum wellness in dogs of all ages.
Serving Size
XS dogs
(< 10 lbs)
1 tsp of cooked mushrooms
S dogs
(10 - 20 lbs)
1-2 tsp of cooked mushrooms
M dogs
(21 - 50 lbs)
2-5 tsp of cooked mushrooms
L dogs
(51 - 90 lbs)
5-9 tsp of cooked mushrooms
XL dogs
(> 90 lbs)
3+ tbsp of cooked mushrooms
FREQUENCY
Mushrooms need to be given regularly over long periods of time for their best effect. Even small amounts like a single mushroom serving a week has been found to improve health in human populations.
- For Wellness: If your intention in providing the mushrooms to your dog is for wellness and general good health, the above daily serving size given regularly over a long period of time will be effective.
- For Health Conditions: If your intention is to help your dog through a health crisis, Dr. Rob Silver recommends administering 2-4x more than the wellness amount. Start with a lower dose and gradually increase it over time to the desired amount appropriate for your dog. If you are treating a health condition, you may want to also give dried powdered mushrooms that have been hot water extracted in order to provide your four-legged family member with substantial supplement power.
HOW TO SERVE
Turkey tail is very woody and not very palatable as a food ingredient. Dr. Silver does not recommend cooking these mushrooms, unless the dried and/or extracted powders are added to teas, soups, or stews.
Buying dried mushrooms:
- Cut the dried mushrooms into smaller pieces.
- Soak them for several hours until soft.
- Cook the dried mushrooms.
Dried mushrooms are the way mushrooms have been preserved throughout history. They tend to be a bit fibrous when dried, which is why soaking and cutting them into smaller pieces will facilitate their absorption.
Using mushroom extract powder:
- Sprinkle ⅛ tsp of Turkey Tail mushroom extract powder per 10 pounds of body weight directly onto your dog’s regular meals once or twice.
Mushroom powder that is hot water extracted is the most bioavailable form of the mushrooms. It will work best for health purposes, especially if your dog has a health condition you are using the mushrooms for.
IMPORTANT
Do not feed your dog wild mushrooms as they may be toxic.
Dogs can safely eat any store-bought mushrooms that are also safe for you to eat.
Store-bought mushrooms must be cooked because it can be difficult to digest in raw form.
arrow_rightReferences
Gedney, A., Pascale, S., Mahoney, J.S., et al. Evaluation of the anti-tumor activity of Coriolus versicolor polysaccharide )I’m Yunity) alone or in combination with doxorubicin for canine splenic hemangiosarcoma; Vet Comp Oncol (2022); 1-9.
Brown, D.C., and Reetz, J. Single Agent Polysaccharide Delays Metastases and Improves Survival in Naturally Occurring Hemangiosarcoma; Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2012) ID:384301.
Hobbs, C.R. Medicinal Value of Turkey Tail Fungus Trametes versicolor (L.:Fr.) Pilat (Aphyllophoromycetideae). A Literature Review; (2004) Inter J Med Mush Vol 6, pp195-218.
Jedrzejewski, T.; Pawlikowska, M.; Sobocińska, J.; Wrotek, S. COVID-19 and Cancer Diseases—The Potential of Coriolus versicolor Mushroom to Combat Global Health Challenges. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24, 4864. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24054864