Let’s Talk Allergies (And Why They're So Confusing)
My pitbull mix Arya has been my teacher in a lot of ways, but the biggest lesson started when she was about 8 months ...
Why I Put My Dogs on Mushrooms (And Why Yours Might Benefit Too)
Mushrooms are having a moment right now, and I get it if you're skeptical. They're everywhere, from the supplement aisle at your grocery store to every other post on your Instagram feed, and when something gets that trendy it's fair to wonder if it's actually doing anything or just riding the hype wave.
So here's my experience. Arya, my pit bull mix, came into my life when she was just 3 months old and was already falling apart. Skin issues, gut drama, an immune system that seemed to treat EVERYTHING like a five-alarm emergency. I tried what the vets recommended. I tried switching foods. I tried probiotics and enzymes and probably every supplement on the shelf at my local pet store. Some helped a little. Nothing stuck.
Mushrooms were one of the first things that actually moved the needle for her, and they've been a daily staple for both my dogs ever since.
Table of Contents
What Mushrooms Actually Do
The big thing mushrooms bring to the table is immune modulation. And I want to be specific about that word, because "immune support" gets thrown around a lot without much explanation.
Your dog's immune system isn't a simple on/off switch. It's a complex network that needs to know when to respond, how hard to respond, and when to stand down. Dogs with allergies, chronic skin stuff, or recurring gut issues often have an immune system that's overreacting, sending out the full SWAT team for things like pollen or dust that aren't actual threats. Mushrooms contain compounds called beta-glucans, which are special polysaccharides that communicate directly with immune cells. They act a bit like coaches for the immune system, helping it get smarter and more proportional in its responses instead of going nuclear at every little thing.
That's what I saw with Arya. It wasn't overnight, and mushrooms weren't the ONLY thing I changed (I also moved her to a raw diet and started incorporating other targeted supplements), but within about a month of adding a mushroom blend I noticed her skin was calming down and her gut was so much more stable. We still had a long road ahead of us, but mushrooms helped build the foundation.
The Gut Connection
Something I didn't expect when I first started researching mushrooms was how much they do for digestion. Those same polysaccharides that support immune function also act as prebiotic fiber, feeding the beneficial bacteria in your dog's gut. And gut health and immune health are deeply connected. Roughly 70% of the immune system lives in the gut, so when you support one, you're supporting the other.
For Arya, whose belly was a constant source of stress for both of us, this was huge. I'd been throwing probiotics at the problem for months, but probiotics need fuel to do their job. Mushrooms gave her gut bacteria something to actually work with.
Not All Mushrooms Do the Same Thing
Every mushroom has its own personality, which is part of what makes them so interesting. A couple of my favorites:
Turkey tail is probably the most researched functional mushroom out there. It's loaded with beta-glucans and specific compounds called PSK and PSP that have been studied extensively for immune support. There's a well-known veterinary study out of the University of Pennsylvania looking at turkey tail in dogs with hemangiosarcoma that got a lot of attention in the vet world. For immune modulation, turkey tail is hard to beat.
Lion's mane is the brain mushroom. It contains compounds called hericenones (found in the fruiting body) and erinacines (found in the mycelium) that may support nerve growth factor, which is basically the maintenance crew for your brain and nerve cells. This is the one I think about for senior dogs, cognitive support, and neurological health.
And that's one reason I'm a big believer in using both the fruiting body AND the mycelium. Different parts of the mushroom contain different compounds. With lion's mane especially, if you're only using the fruiting body, you're missing the erinacines, which show stronger nerve growth factor stimulation in research. A whole life-cycle powder that includes primordia, mycelium, and fruiting body gives you the full spectrum.
What to Look For
If you're shopping for mushroom supplements, for yourself or your dog, there are a few things worth knowing. First, mushrooms are bioaccumulators, meaning they absorb whatever is in their growing environment. If they're grown on contaminated substrate, those contaminants end up in the final product. Organic matters here more than it does with a lot of supplements, and transparency about sourcing matters too.
The powder vs. extract question comes up a lot. Powders can help preserve the full range of compounds, including secondary metabolites like triterpenes, phenolics, and prebiotic fibers. Extracts concentrate specific compounds (like beta-glucans) for a more targeted punch. Both have value. For daily broad-spectrum support, I lean toward powders. For targeted beta-glucan delivery, extracts have their place.
And watch out for filler. Some mushroom products on the market are mostly grain substrate with very little actual mushroom. You want minimal residual substrate in whatever you're buying.
Arya's Mushroom Story
Arya is 10 now. She's a three-time cancer survivor, she still has skin sensitivities, and her immune system still needs support. Mushrooms have been part of her daily routine since she was a puppy, and she gets them every single day. I can't tell you they're the reason she's beaten cancer three times or the reason her skin and gut stabilized all those years ago. It was a combination of things: raw diet, targeted supplements, good veterinary care, and probably some stubbornness on both our parts.
But mushrooms were the foundation I built everything else on. And after almost a decade of using them, studying them, and formulating with them, they're one of the supplements I'm most confident in.
Not magic. Not a cure-all. But a genuinely useful tool in your dog's long-term health strategy, especially if you're dealing with immune challenges, gut issues, or just want to be proactive about supporting your dog as they age.
What To Use
For daily broad-spectrum support, our Seven Mighty Mushrooms powder covers the bases with seven different mushrooms, each bringing their own profile. For targeted immune support, Turkey Tail powder. For brain and nerve support, especially in senior dogs, Lion's Mane powder. All three are organic, California-grown whole life-cycle powders with less than 1% residual substrate.
– Lilly
Hey there, I'm Lilly!
Lilly is the Director of Education and a member of the innovation team at Austin & Kat. With a background in biology and a decade spent formulating supplements and raw diets for the dogs in her life, she's on a mission to make natural pet care less confusing for everyone. Lilly shares her Gig Harbor home with Arya, a 10-year-old pit bull mix and three-time cancer survivor, and Floki, a 120-lb Anatolian Shepherd who thinks he's a lap dog.
What truly makes us different?
When you give your pet Austin and Kat, you're not just giving them any supplement — you're giving them something I've personally obsessed over. As a former ironman athlete and race director - the source, quality, and ratio of ingredients in my supplements had a huge impact on my quality of life. I've brought that same mindset to everything we make today at our Seattle Makery™, and the results speak for themselves.
NASC certified + proudly made by us
When you give your pet Austin and Kat, you're not just giving them any supplement — you're giving them something I've personally obsessed over. As a former ironman athlete and race director - the source, quality, and ratio of ingredients in my supplements had a huge impact on my quality of life. I've brought that same mindset to everything we make today at our Seattle Makery™, and the results speak for themselves.
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