Imagine this, you and your dog are walking up a trail in the woods. Your furry friend is sniffing around, and the next thing you know is, he/she stopped to eat something. You go to the dog and see that he/she got a mushroom in its mouth. And now you are wondering, can dogs eat mushrooms? Is it safe for them? should I call for help?
Well, hold your horses. In this blog, we shall be discussing what happens if your dog eats a mushroom, wild or otherwise. With this being said, let’s get right into it:
Can Dogs Have Mushrooms?
The short answer to it is, YES, They can.
There is an old saying related to mushrooms, it goes something like: “There are old mushroom hunters, there are bold mushroom hunters, but there are no old, bold mushroom hunters.”
This goes to show how mysterious mushrooms can be, and don’t even talk about identifying them. Saying that differentiating edible from not edible ones is very tricky, would be an understatement.
While dogs are much more sensitive to the world around them, they too can fail when it comes to mushrooms. Adding to the problem is the fact that, some of the toxic mushrooms, for instance, Death cap, have an odor that attracts our canine friends.
So, the answer to the question “Are Mushrooms Safe for Dogs?” is, Depends on the species of Mushroom. And as we read, differentiating them can be one hell of a task.
But you are not asking the right question, what you should be asking instead is….
What Kinds of Mushrooms Can Dogs Eat?
As it turns out, dogs can eat all the specifies, that you can eat. Meaning that mushrooms should at the supermarket are safe for doggies. It’s even better if you cook the mushrooms before feeding them to your dog. Raw mushrooms are not easily digested by dogs
But what happens if they eat the wrong one? We shall be looking at the answer below:
Risk of Eating Mushroom
Many people ask “Can Dogs Eat Mushrooms?”, Rather what should be asked is, “What happens if they Eat the Wrong ones?”
As we already know, Mushrooms can be toxic. And upon being eaten they can lead to serious health risks and even death. The most common results are, sickness, Stomach upset, vomiting, diarrhea, or all of these combined.
The Benefits of Mushrooms for Dogs
As it turns out, Mushrooms can be beneficial too! If done right of course.
Mushroom is a type of fungus, thus it contains many nutrients. These can highly differ from species to species but mainly includes, the following:
- amino acids
- vitamin A
- B vitamins
- Copper
- Enzymes
- Folate
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Manganese
- Niacin
- pantothenic acid
- potassium
- riboflavin phosphorus
- selenium
- thiamin
- zinc
Apart from this, mushrooms are also a good source of fibers, and also high in protein. These things are also filled with antioxidants. And the best part is, this part stays even after you cook them.
With this, we are done with our blog on “can dogs eat mushrooms?”.
