Knowing what to feed your dog can be challenging if you’re one of the millions of dog owners in the United States.
Nutritional foods that support bone and joint health are essential for your dog, just as they are for you.
Lion’s mane mushrooms, for example, are great for preserving your dog’s cognitive and nervous system health.
Your senior dog will benefit from any supplementation they can get, and if they have a nerve disorder or degenerative myelopathy, lion’s mane mushrooms could be the answer.
If you are on the fence about giving lion’s mane mushrooms to your dog, consider the following.
What are Lion’s Mane Mushrooms?
Hericium erinaceus, more commonly known as Lion’s Mane mushrooms, can be found in many different regions. Their name comes from the fact that their mane-like appearance inspired people to compare them to lions. You’ll have the “memory of a lion and nerves of steel,” according to the legends, if you take Lion’s Mane.
It’s likely because of how well they safeguard and enhance brain and nerve function. These and other health benefits have led to their long use in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
The bio-active agents that induce Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) are produced by Lion’s Mane mushrooms only when they are grown properly.
Stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease are all disorders of the nervous system, and NGF plays a crucial role in promoting nerve cell regeneration in these cases. Mood is elevated and learning and memory are strengthened thanks to BDNF, a crucial molecule in these plastic brain processes.
Reasons to Give Your Dog Lion’s Mane Mushroom
Improves Brain and Neurological Function
Like humans, dogs can experience cognitive decline as they age.
Cognitive impairment in dogs is a recognized condition. Doggie Alzheimer’s is a term used by some people, though.
Your dog may benefit from lion’s mane mushrooms if you’ve recently noticed a change in their behavior, such as appearing disoriented and anxious.
It is recommended that lion’s mane be fed to puppies and adult dogs alike to promote optimal brain development and health. The lion’s mane mushroom is excellent for your dog’s central nervous system and brain.
Additionally, lion’s mane can promote new nerve cell development and even repair existing nerve damage.
If your dog has degenerative myelopathy, he will lose mobility and eventually develop paralysis in his hind legs.
The use of lion’s mane may offer hope for your dog if he or she has been diagnosed with this disease.
Don’t delay in taking your dog to the vet if you notice any changes in behavior and lion’s mane doesn’t seem to be helping.
Boosts Gut and Immune Health
Lion’s mane can be helpful in ensuring your dog has a healthy digestive system.
Mushrooms are known to improve digestive and immune systems, which can be a huge boon to your senior dog’s quality of life.
The oligosaccharides present in lion’s mane serve as a prebiotic, nourishing the beneficial bacteria already present in your dog’s digestive tract.
The health of your dog’s digestive tract is essential to your dog’s overall health and well-being because the immune system spends so much time there (over 80% of it, to be exact).
In addition to regenerating the intestinal lining, lion’s mane can also stop or fix a leaky gut.
Lion’s mane mushrooms may be the answer if you’re worried about your dog’s digestive system or immune system.
Prevent and Manage Cancer
Tragically, canines are not immune to life-threatening illnesses like cancer. However, if your dog has the disease, feeding it lion’s mane mushrooms may help.
Extensive studies have shown promise in halting or even reversing the progression of various cancers, including leukemia.
Many types of medicinal mushrooms are known to strengthen the immune system, and turkey tail mushrooms, in particular, have been found to be effective in combating cancer.
Although there isn’t enough evidence to support mushrooms’ ability to cure cancer entirely, lion’s mane may help in preventing and controlling the disease because it has been shown to kill cancer cells.
Improves Cardiovascular Health
In particular, as your dog ages, you should pay more attention to its cardiovascular health. Providing your dog with lions’ mane is a great way to help them maintain good cardiovascular health.
A decrease in chronic inflammation, which can lead to cardiovascular disease and other conditions like diabetes, is one of the mushroom’s many health benefits.
When given to an overweight or obese dog, lion’s mane mushrooms help keep the weight down and lower the dog’s risk of developing heart disease.
Your dog’s risk of having a stroke or heart attack can be reduced thanks to the anti-oxidant properties of lion’s mane.
Try giving your dog some lion’s mane if they are overweight or at risk for heart disease.
In addition to giving your dog lion’s mane, you can improve their heart health by including regular exercise like walking, running, or swimming into their routine.
Antibacterial
Antibiotics are not the first line of defense when your dog gets sick with an infection, so you should try to hold off on giving them if at all possible.
This is due to the fact that antibiotics kill all bacteria, including good ones, which can harm your dog’s microbiome.
Your dog will benefit greatly from the powerful antibacterial properties of lion’s mane mushrooms.
Dogs can catch a different strain of the bacteria known as MRSP (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus pseudintermedius) from hospitalized patients with the same tenacious infection known as MRSA.
In dogs with compromised immune systems, this infection is especially common and challenging to treat.
Wounds may take longer to heal, skin infections may persist, and urinary tract infections (UTIs) may recur if MRSP is not treated.
Lion’s mane may aid your dog in battling a bacterial infection if it is being fed to them.
Addition of lion’s mane mushrooms to the diet of any dog, regardless of breed or age, has many positive effects on the animal’s health.
We all want our dogs to live as long as possible, and lion’s mane mushrooms are a great way to ensure that they enjoy their lives to the very end.
CBD and Lion’s Mane Mushroom for Pug Myelopathy
Daily, Krysta Fox gives her pug, Bruce, who suffers from Pug Myelopathy, a combination of a Full Spectrum Hemp Extract and an extract of the Lion’s Mane mushroom. He is able to repair the damage to his nerves caused by his spinal cord disease with the help of Lion’s Mane.
The Lion’s Mane mushrooms help Bruce, an older dog, remain alert, playful, and sassy. Memory and performance enhancement (which only gets better with continued use) have been demonstrated in controlled clinical trials.
The high beta-glucan content of Lion’s Mane also helps his immune system. Bacteria, yeast, algae, and fungi all produce compounds called beta glucans. They are high in soluble fiber and work wonderfully as a prebiotic to promote digestive wellness.
Prebiotic fiber from whole foods improves gut health by feeding beneficial bacteria, which in turn helps neurotransmitters send more beneficial signals throughout the body.