Mushrooms are probably the most confusing food type as in most of the worlds, these self-growing organisms are considered staple foods, yet the news is often full of people suffering from acute food poisoning and other such ailments simply because they decided to give some mushrooms a try. Therefore, it’s never clear whether you should risk eating mushrooms, and the same goes for dogs. Dogs and humans share a lot when it comes to internal organs, and therefore, mushrooms can have similar effects on canines as they do on humans, which raises the question of “Can dogs eat Mushrooms?”
The confinement doesn’t end just there, as dog owners encounter several other questions whenever they decide to add mushrooms to their dog’s diet. These include questions like “Can dogs eat Mushroom Soup,” “Can dogs eat cooked mushrooms?” and “Can dogs eat raw mushrooms?”
Fortunately, you don’t have to spend your free time on the internet trying to find answers to these questions as the following article has answers to all these questions and much more.
“Can dogs eat mushrooms?”
Despite all the bad press that mushrooms receive, there is no doubt about the fact that mushrooms come loaded with a wide range of nutrients. The most important nutrients that are present in mushrooms are vitamins belonging to the Vitamin B complex, such as Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, and Folate. Other than being abundant in Vitamins belonging to the Vitamin B complex, mushrooms are also excellent sources of Anti-oxidants such as Vitamin C. Mushrooms are also excellent sources of essential minerals such as iron, copper, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, and a couple more. Therefore, from a nutritional point of view, there is great merit to feeding mushrooms to dogs, and therefore the answer to the question that “Can dogs eat Mushrooms?” is definitely a yes.
Following is the complete nutritional content of a cup of mushrooms weighing around 96grams.
| Nutrient | Amount of nutrients in 1 cup of mushrooms. | |
| Energy | 21.1 | |
| Protein | 3.0 | |
| Carbohydrates | 3.1 | |
| Calcium | 2.9 | |
| Iron | 0.5 | |
| Magnesium | 8.6 | |
| Potassium | 82.6 | |
| Phosphorus | 305 | |
| Sodium | 4.8 | |
| Zinc | 0.5 | |
| Copper | 305 | |
| Selenium | 8.9 | |
| Vitamin C | 2.0 | |
| Vitamin D | 0.2 | |
| Folate | 16.3 | |
| Choline | 16.6 | |
| Niacin | 3.5 |
Brief description of major nutrients present in Mushrooms
Still not sure that you have the answer to the question “Can dogs eat mushrooms?”, no worries then, as we have included a brief account of the benefits of some of the major nutrients present in mushrooms to help you make an informed decision
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is not an essential vitamin, which means that dogs can produce this vitamin independently. However, vets still recommend that dog owners must provide their canine friends with vitamin C supplements as vitamin C acts as an essential anti-oxidant. Therefore dog owners should not risk their dog’s vitamin C levels falling.
Anti-oxidants are naturally occurring compounds that protect dogs and humans alike against the harmful effects of Oxidizing agents such as oxygen radicals. These oxygen radicals are atoms that lack a single electron to complete their valency, and this makes them highly reactive; and therefore, these oxidizing agents tend to react with cells present in organs. This results in these oxygen radicals snatching away electrons from cells, and this causes the cells to deteriorate at an atomic level. If left unchecked, all this can drastically affect the organ and can even lead to permanent organ damage in animals, including dogs and humans. Therefore dog owners must do their best to protect their canine best friends from all the dangerous effects of these oxidants.
Fortunately, nature has given us sound solutions against oxidants in the form of anti-oxidants. These anti-oxidants are compounds that react with oxygen radicals, thus protecting the body from any oxidation. This is why dog owners need to provide their dogs with food rich in Vitamin C, as this vitamin is the most efficient, naturally occurring anti-oxidant. That’s why we recommend our readers to feed mushrooms to their dogs as they are full of vitamin C. This also helps us understand why the answer to “Can dogs eat mushrooms?” is always a Yes.
Vitamin B complex
As mentioned earlier, mushrooms are full of many important vitamins belonging to the vitamin B complex, but this fact doesn’t mean anything for a regular person as long as he is aware of all the important functions performed by these vitamins in dogs. Therefore we are here to tell you all about the vital role these vitamins play in ensuring the well-being of our four-legged best friends. This will also equip our valued readers with all the information they .need to answer the question “Can dogs eat mushrooms?” independently.
Thiamine or Vitamin B1
Thiamine is an essential vitamin just like the rest of the vitamins belonging to the vitamin B complex and performs a great variety of functions that are necessary for the well-being of our pooches, and therefore dog owners should make sure that they provide their dogs with food rich in Vitamin B1 such as mushrooms.
Thiamine is responsible for making sure that the health of the heart is at its peak condition, and this vitamin is also needed to enhance the cognitive functions in dogs and helps to boost the learning process. Known as the “anti-stress” hormone, thiamine also acts to relieve any stress in dogs.
Pantothenic acid or Vitamin B5
Vitamin B5 is also part of a water-soluble family of vitamins, also known as the Vitamin B complex. This vitamin is responsible for energy production in animals and is therefore vital for ensuring good health in dogs. Vitamin B5 acts as a cofactor which in other words means that it acts as a partner to an enzyme and boosts its enzymatic actions. In the case of Pantothenic acid, the enzyme with which it is associated is Enzyme A which is vital in the process of breaking down Carbohydrates and Fats, and in this way, Pantothenic acid is essential for the production of energy in all animals, including dogs.
Dog owners should make sure to provide their dogs with meals that are rich in Vitamin B5 as deficiency of this vitamin can cause a number of diseases, some of which are listed below
- Tachypnea
- Tachycardia
- Gastritis
- Enteritis
- Coma
- Death
Folate or Vitamin B9
Vitamin B9 is another important member of the Vitamin B complex that is found abundantly in Mushrooms. The value that Vitamin B9 holds when it comes to ensuring the well-being of our canine friends becomes clear once you read about all the vital functions that require Folate for them to take place,
Folate is very essential when it comes to the production of blood cells, namely red blood cells and white blood cells, and this alone solidifies the importance of Folate. But that’s not all, as this vitamin is also directly involved in the breakdown of carbohydrates and fats to produce energy. Last but certainly not least, Vitamin B9 is also needed when it comes to the synthesis of DNA and RNA.
Calcium
Calcium is one of the most important essential nutrients that dogs require as it helps them maintain their body structures by strengthening the bones as well as boosting their health by performing a variety of other important functions. Dogs require calcium in order to repair and maintain bones and help them develop. Without an adequate amount of calcium present in their bodies, bones can fall prey to mineral decay and can, as a consequence, lose their strength and rigidity. This can result in bones that are highly brittle and are therefore prone to fractures. Calcium also protects the body from excessive blood loss as it plays a key role in the natural coagulation process in which blood clots are formed at the site of injury. That’s why dog owners should not sleep on their dog’s calcium intake and should add calcium supplements to their meals. A better way to make sure that our dogs are receiving enough calcium through their diet is by adding mushrooms in their diet as mushrooms come loaded with calcium. This also helps us answer the query of “Can dogs eat Mushrooms?” as clearly the answer to this is affirmative.
Potassium
Potassium is another essential mineral that is present in abundant amounts in mushrooms, and this makes mushrooms highly beneficial for our canine friends as potassium is required for various important bodily functions to continue in a normal manner. Without the required amounts of potassium present in the body, all these processes come to a complete halt. That’s the reason why we put great emphasis on the point that dog owners should feed their dogs food that is high in potassium, and the best way to do that is to add mushrooms to their meal plans.
Potassium is essential for ensuring the normal functioning of the nervous system as potassium is required for generating nerve impulses throughout the body. Nerve impulses are waves of electric currents that are used to transmit messages from one part of the body to another. Without these nerve impulses, the core function of the Nervous system being the transmission of messages completely stops, and this can lead to fatal outcomes. Potassium helps to prevent this as it acts as the positive charge responsible for carrying those nerve impulses from one neuron to another.
Other than ensuring the normal functioning of the nervous system, potassium is also needed to provide the required strength and rigidity to bones. Potassium serves to increase bone density which makes the skeletal structure much stronger and sturdier. Without an ample amount of potassium present in the body, the bones can become soft and brittle, which can be highly painful for your dogs. That’s why dog owners should make sure that their pooches are receiving the required amount of potassium through their food. Dog owners should add potassium-rich food products such as Mushrooms in the meal plans of their furry friends. This also proves that the answer to “Can dogs eat Mushrooms?” is definitely a yes.
Can dogs eat cooked Mushrooms?
Another very important question that is often raised when discussing whether mushrooms are safe for dogs or not is the question Can dogs eat cooked Mushrooms?
If you are someone that is also facing this question and trying to find out its answer, then this article is just the place for you as we are going to answer this very question.
Dogs can safely all kinds of mushrooms that are considered safe for human consumption as long as they are cooked. Cooking mushrooms makes them free from any harmful agents present in mushrooms, and this makes cooked mushrooms a safe and tasty treat for our pooches. Make sure that the mushrooms that you are planning to feed your dog are fit for human consumption, as well as some other mushrooms that can be highly toxic and dangerous for dogs. We hope that this answers the question Can dogs eat cooked Mushrooms.
We suggest our readers offer mushrooms to dogs in the form of mushroom soup. This will not only help dogs to digest the mushrooms, but it will also make sure that the mushrooms you are feeding to your pooch are properly cooked. Mushroom soup also has the added benefit of providing dogs with the warmth required when it’s cold outside. This shows that mushroom soup is safe for dogs, and the question “Can dogs eat mushroom soup?” can be answered as a perfect Yes.
Can dogs eat raw mushrooms?
No, the answer to the question can dogs eat raw mushrooms? is definitely a no as feeding raw mushrooms to dogs can expose them to dangerous levels of toxins and hallucinogens present in mushrooms. These toxins can cause a number of medical complications in dogs, such as
- Heart problems
- Liver diseases
- Inflammations in the respiratory system
- Weakened immunity
- Bad eye vision
That’s according to us; there is only one answer to the question Can dogs eat raw mushrooms, which is a simple No.