A recent client had a dog show a trigger for mushrooms on an intolerance test. The question raised was whether should they stop using (or not begin) products like Myco Dogs Tinctures or Real Mushrooms.
I’m all about mushrooms in health plans – for the seniors, immunity boosts, anxiety support, and especially in the fight against cancer. But how serious is an intolerance flagged on a report? We actually don’t know without experimenting.
But I wanted a little more detail and I reached out to Angela Ardilino, the founder of CBD Dog Health and MyCo Dogs for information.
Here’s the deal: those tests don’t tell mushrooms and mushroom extracts apart. They’re close buddies but not identical, and these tests don’t differentiate or even test for extract compounds. Angela’s advice? A full-spectrum extract will generally do more good than not.
These tests are generally going to show you many things your dog currently triggers on. It is often the combination of ingredients and other inflammatory conditions that exist within the body. As we improve the diet, gut health, reduce overall inflammation, etc we typically see many of the intolerances drop off the results when retested.
It’s with this in mind that we believe Mushroom Extracts will offer far more benefit than mushrooms, and are less likely to be a contributing factor to inflammation – in fact, just the opposite.
When introducing anything new – food, supplements, or products – start low and slow and monitor how your pet reacts. I still believe the benefits of mushroom extracts outweigh the risks. But, if your dog shows any signs of intolerance to them, let’s brainstorm some alternatives or some experiments of our own.
Important point: these tests show what we’re sensitive or intolerant to, but they don’t pinpoint which is which. Allergies are rare but exist, and sometimes those flagged intolerances fade over time. Priority number one: supporting our pets’ bodies, health and recovery.
And oh, don’t forget the golden rule: rotate your options and stay of the ruts!