Review of Published Medicinal Mushroom Studies in Veterinary Species

Mushrooms have been in use for millennia by humans for food, medicine and spiritual rituals, but there is a paucity of data regarding their use in our domestic animal species. This class will review the few published studies in veterinary species supporting their use for medical intentions. The safety of the extended use or very high dosing of mushrooms in our domestic species has not been documented through objective studies, although many medicinal mushrooms are also prized edible mushrooms and have been ingested by people for millennia. We will look at safety studies that do exist in human and laboratory animals. Potential applications for mushrooms include immune modulation, anti-neoplastic activity, cognitive function, dermatological support for allergies and chronic inflammatory diseases, as well as supporting healthy digestive function as both a prebiotic and an immune modulator. Those potential applications will be supported by a review of studies, most of which are not in veterinary species.