Look for mushrooms with the highest beta-glucan content - that's the active ingredient you ned. Some mushroom species naturally contain less beta-glucan content than others and may have other immune-boosting benefits like terpenes, antioxidants and polysaccharides. You also want to look for a blend of different mushrooms ... when they’re combined they work synergistically. And don't forget - real, whole mushroom products carry the best benefits.

Mycelium is essentially the “roots” of the mushroom. Mycelium "mushroom" products are cheap to grow because there's very little mushroom and a lot of starch like oats or sorghum. Whole mushrooms are better choice because:

1. Real mushrooms contain more beta-gluten

2. Real mushrooms are naturally low in starch

3. Our mushrooms are grown on wood, not grains, so your dog will also benefit from the soil-based goodness and minerals.

Of course! Immunity contains every part of the mushroom, including the fruiting body. The mushrooms are double extracted so your dog gets the most benefit from them.

A whole jar of Immunity averages 34.6% beta-glucans.

Beta-glucans are the active, immune stimulating compound found in mushrooms. Each mushroom has varying amounts of naturally occurring beta-glucans, but we 3rd party test our mushrooms to make sure they have the highest beta-glucan content.

Here’s the total beta-glucan content of each mushroom in Immunity:

• Chaga - 16%
• Cordyceps - 27%
• Maitake - 36%
• Phellinus - 23%
• Reishi - 47%
• Shiitake - 32%
• Turkey Tail - 53%

Turkey Tail contains more immune-boosting beta-glucans than any other mushroom. That’s why we recommend Turkey Tail and Immunity be given together for dogs with significant immune challenges.

Yes … but with a few qualifiers. Mushrooms from the grocery store are not high in beta-glucans but do have some nutritional benefits like vitamins and prebiotics. Don’t Let Your Dog Eat Raw Mushrooms. Usually, when we talk about whole foods for dogs … it’s recommended that you feed them raw to maximize the benefits. This is true of most whole foods but there are some exceptions …

Mushrooms are one of them.

Raw mushrooms can be difficult for your dog to digest. Some may even be toxic, even if they’re otherwise safe for dogs.

So before you feed any mushrooms to your dog, cook or dehydrate them. 

The beneficial parts of the mushrooms are “locked” in the cell walls of the mushroom’s fruiting body which makes it hard for dogs to process. Dogs digest mushrooms best when they’re cooked or dried. That’s why we double extract our mushrooms. First, they’re extracted with alcohol and then with water. Don’t worry, they’re not high in alcohol, it gets steamed out. This is the way mushrooms have been processed in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years.

Our mushrooms are grown on wood, the way nature intended. We source our mushrooms from China, which is the only place you can source the entire mushroom. They’re grown in the mountains 300 miles from the closest city and with filtered air. They are tested for pesticides and heavy metals before they even leave China and again once they arrive in the US.

Immunity is an organic blend of 7 types of mushrooms that are researched for their benefits and work synergistically. They have high beta-glucan content and other immune-enhancing properties. For dogs with severe immune challenges, Turkey Tail is the ideal addition to Immunity. Research* in dogs shows that the polysaccharides in turkey tail extended survival time in dogs with hemangiosarcoma without additional treatment.

*Brown DC, Reetz J. Single agent polysaccharopeptide delays metastases and improves survival in naturally occurring hemangiosarcoma. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:384301. doi:10.1155/2012/384301