The 8 points listed below show how I give medicinal mushroom extract to my dog Ditte Dot Com.
The points are thus an expression of my own choices and experiences through 8 years of use of medicinal mushrooms (Case history and video).
In my choices, I have been inspired by the use and knowledge of others about medicinal mushrooms, including literature and existing research in the field, which shows dose-/time-dependent effect.
Dorthe Øfeldt
Denmark
Ditte’s current daily dose is considerably high in relation to her small body weight of 2.8 kg: 1366 mg/kg.
The amounts of active compounds of the mushroom extracts, I use, can be seen here Link.
Targeted use of the right mushroom(s) for the individual disease/condition in order to obtain the individual mushroom extract in as large an amount and in as concentrated a form as possible.
Search for research results in these databases regarding the effects of different medicinal mushrooms on different ailments:
PubMed Link.
BMC Link.
CNKI Link.
Medicinal mushrooms can advantageously be combined, as the mushrooms together support and enhance each other’s effect (synergy effect).
Based on e.g. this study on mice (which showed that dose in relation to body weight is crucial to the effect) I am, however, of the belief that supplements, containing all kinds of mushroom extracts in less concentrated amounts, will be more suitable as prevention than as a cure.
For this reason, I have chosen to give Ditte extract from the following 3 medicinal mushrooms, so that these can support each other, and so that she daily gets a sufficiently large amount of the individual mushroom per kg body weight (2.8 kg):
In the attempt to prevent recurrence of (previous) mammary gland tumors, (previous) tumors, etc., in the abdominal cavity and (previous) tumor on the liver and in order to support the liver:
That is, a total of the (considerably high) dose of 3825 mg mushroom extract per day (corresponding to 1366 mg/kg).
Every time I have increased Ditte Dot Com’s dose of a mushroom extract or added another mushroom extract, I have done it gradually over some days/weeks to make sure she tolerated it well.
Intake of the mushroom extract between meals/treats – at least 30 minutes before a meal/treat, as the benefits of mushroom supplements are said to be greatest in this way.
Which among other things are described on this website: www.oriveda.co.uk under FAQ: “Why take mushroom extract on an empty stomach with vitamin C?”: Mushroom extracts containing water-soluble beta-glucans are very large macro-molecules with a high molecular weight; in fact a type of dietary fiber.
When taken orally, intestinal absorptive cells (enterocytes) facilitate the transportation of beta-glucans and similar compounds across the intestinal cell wall into the lymph, where they begin to interact with receptors of the immune system, activating a wide spectrum of immunological effects.
Due to their size beta-glucans do not pass the intestinal wall easily. To increase the chances of beta-glucan entering the blood-stream it’s common sense to have as little “competition” as possible present, that is to say no solid or fiber-rich food together with the mushroom extract.
Ditte gets the mushroom extract added approximately ½-1 ml of water so that it binds together.
She gets the portion of mushroom extract and vitamin C in a mouth syringe as shown in this video.
The mushroom extracts and vitamin C have a bitter/sour taste. Giving Ditte the mushroom extract added vitamin C outside of meals also has the advantage that it does not give a distaste to her (only) main meal, which she gets in the evening, whereby Ditte always eats all her food and thus gets all the necessary nutrients (strength and energy) from her food every day.
Additional info: What are beta-glucans? Link.
Distribution of the mushroom extract(s) 4 times a day at 3-5 hours intervals in order to give an ongoing effect of the mushrooms and thereby continuously boost the immune system Link.
If one is dealing with cancer, and there is a need for strong immune stimulation, I believe that frequent intake is necessary to achieve full benefits of the mushrooms Link.
DO NOT skip the dose unless the dog has an upset stomach (if the dog has eaten something it cannot tolerate) and fasting is best for the dog for e.g. half or full day’s time or a bit longer.
When Ditte has periodically shown signs of problems with her stomach, where she has not wanted to eat, or has eaten grass, has vomited, or her stomach has made noises, or I have otherwise suspected that there has been an issue with her stomach, I have paused in giving her mushroom extracts and vitamin C to give her stomach a total rest, usually for a couple of days, until she has returned to normal. After that, I have slowly stepped up to her normal dose over a few days/a week’s time, while carefully observing how she has been doing and how she has tolerated it, and adjusted the dose accordingly.
Daily record keeping of dose and general condition provides an overview of how the dog responds to the given Link.
Including notes of how the dog has been doing during the day, whether the appetite is good and whether there are changes in body weight over time.
From some quarters it is recommended to supplement the mushroom extract with vitamin C, as research has found that the absorption/therapeutic effect of beta-glucans apparently is improved when combined with vitamin C:
This in vitro study regarding human bladder cancer cells showed that extract of the medicinal mushroom Maitake, when combined with vitamin C, not only reduced growth of bladder cancer cells by 90 % in 72 hours, but was also highly effective in killing the cancer cells Link.
In another study the anticancer properties of glucan, resveratrol and vitamin C combination was evaluated. It was found that, compared to the individual components, the combination was the strongest activator; the results demonstrated that the combination strongly suppressed the growth of breast and lung tumors, most likely due to the stimulation of apoptosis (programmed cell death of cancer cells) Link.
A slightly more detailed description of the results of the latter study Link.
And as explained by Dr. Ardigò the active ingredients present in medicinal mushrooms are absorbed more completely in the intestine, when combined with vitamin C. In particular, vitamin C breaks up the long molecules present in mushrooms into shorter sequences, increasing their absorption. In addition, Vitamin C promotes the synthesis of connective tissue – the tissue that constitutes the structural support of organs and tissues, protects blood capillaries and is a powerful antioxidant.
Additional info regarding possible safety measures in relation to Chaga mushroom and vitamin C.
From July 2020 I resumed giving Ditte vitamin C (2 x 150 mg) together with 2 of the day’s mushroom portions.
From January 2023, this has been increased to plus 2 x 30 mg, so that she receives a total daily dose of 360 mg vitamin C, corresponding to 129 mg/kg body weight of 2.8 kg *).
Ditte now gets vitamin C along with all 4 portions of mushroom extract.
Mixing one of the daily portions can be seen on this video.
Ditte has previously received vitamin C together with Coriolus Versicolor in the period from when tumors, etc., were found in the abdominal cavity (January 2017), until she no longer had tumors (April 2018).
*)
In my decision of dose of vitamin C for Ditte I have taken into account, that ascorbic acid (vitamin C), if not efficiently absorbed, can cause diarrhea in dogs. I therefore keep an eye that Ditte’s stools are normal and that the vitamin C does not cause any vomiting or problems with the acid levels in her stomach (I keep an eye that she doesn’t have acid refluxes). The daily dose of vitamin C is working fine for Ditte at the moment.
As described on the links below, dogs can, unlike humans, produce vitamin C in their bodies.
However, recent clinical observations indicate that when dogs are sick or stressed, they can rapidly deplete their bodies’ output of vitamin C.
It says that studies have found that dogs, supplemented with vitamin C, show greater resistance to disease and a better ability to recover from injuries or illness.
In addition, as dogs get old, they become less proficient at producing their own supply of vitamin C and more in need of antioxidants. It appears that vitamin C to even very old and feeble dogs can reinvigorate and strengthen them.
On the links vitamin C is, among other things, described as being able to improve immune function by enhancing white blood cell function and activity:
https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/food/benefits-of-vitamin-c-to-your-dog/
