Mushrooms are one of the richest and most common mushrooms in our diet, so it is normal for you to wonder if dogs can eat mushrooms. Are they good for your diet or not? Indeed, mushrooms are one of the foods that can be perfectly tolerated and consumed by dogs. Of course, this does not mean that they can feed on this type of mushroom, or that they can eat them without any control. Let’s expand the information in this dog blog post.
First of all, make it clear that mushrooms are specific types of mushrooms. That is, all mushrooms are mushrooms, but not all mushrooms are mushrooms. Thus, from My Best Friend and I we tell you that this food can be tolerated and consumed by our dogs.
What mushrooms can dogs eat?
Leaving the mushrooms aside, we are going to go to the rest of the mushroom species that exist. Within the edible mushrooms, we find wild mushrooms and cultivated mushrooms. Wild mushrooms (milk caps, boletus, or senderilla) can only be found in spring and autumn, while cultivated mushrooms (champignon, oyster mushroom, dried apricot, blue foot, or shiitake) can be found in the market throughout the year. Mushrooms that are edible for people are also edible for dogs. Therefore, you can include them in your dog’s ration as long as you do it properly.
How could it be otherwise, mushrooms that are toxic to people are equally toxic to dogs. In Spain, there are around 30 species of toxic mushrooms. In this sense, we should never offer the animal any mushroom that we are not aware of, as it can cause problems, such as diarrhea or even serious problems. In the same way, we should not ingest it ourselves, for what could happen.
Benefits of mushrooms in your dog
Regarding its nutritional components and comparing them with vegetables such as broccoli for dogs, mushrooms are a good source of fiber, as well as various vitamins: vitamin B3 and B2. In fact, although in low quantity, it is a food that contains all the essential amino acids. When it comes to minerals, mushrooms contain considerable amounts of potassium, phosphorus, selenium, and iron.
How to give mushrooms to a dog?
You can include the mushrooms in the following way:
- Rinse the mushrooms to remove any dirt that may remain on the cap or stem. Then, finish cleaning them with dry paper or cloth.
- Chop the mushrooms and sauté them in a pan until they are cooked. If you want, you can add a few drops of olive oil to cook them, but never add salt.
- Nothing to give garlic mushrooms, with some onion or raw. At this point, it is worth noting the importance of not offering your dog mushrooms prepared with other ingredients that may be toxic to him, such as garlic or onion. Remember that they are toxic foods for dogs that can cause oxidative damage to red blood cells and cause hemolytic anemia if they are offered in large quantities.
- Don’t offer it too much either.
- It may be allergic to mushrooms, so watch it closely the first time you feed it. Apply this advice whenever you give him food for humans.