The Tails of Truth Podcast:

Functional Mushrooms & Gut Microbiome with Dr. Rob Silver

Dr. Angie Krause sits down with Dr. Rob Silver, a mentor of hers for more than 20 years, to talk about functional mushrooms and the gut microbiome in dogs and cats.

Dr. Silver brings four decades of general and integrative practice to the conversation. He founded Boulder's Natural Animal, formulated all 40 products in the Rx Vitamins line, wrote There's a Mushroom for That, and now develops mushroom formulas for pets with Real Mushrooms. He explains why he describes the microbiome as a neighborhood where a few juvenile delinquents can cause problems throughout the body, from loose stools to allergies. He also covers why fresh food matters even if it's only five days a week, and how puppies and kittens inherit their mother's microbiome.

Dr. Angie asks the questions pet parents bring to her exam room every week. What should you do about a middle aged dog with a few bouts of diarrhea? Are microbiome tests from Texas A&M, AnimalBiome, and VDI worth it? And which mushroom supplement should you actually buy? Dr. Silver shares his gentler approach to diarrhea, the long history of fecal transplants in veterinary medicine, and why the difference between real mushrooms and mycelium grown on grain matters. The conversation closes with a candid look at what it means to practice integrative medicine while staying grounded in evidence.

Learn more from Dr. Silver
Website and monthly live Q&A (fourth Thursday, 6pm Mountain): https://www.wellpetdispensary.com
Microbiome testing waitlist: https://www.SuprDOG.ai
For veterinarians: Essentials of Veterinary Medicinal Mushrooms through CIVT, https://civtedu.org/courses/essentials-of-veterinary-medicinal-mushrooms

Key Takeaways

  • A probiotic alone rarely fixes an itchy pet or pet with GI upset. Diet, genetics, environment, and lifestyle all shape the gut.
  • Ultra processed food drives inflammation and immune reactivity. Fresh food doesn't have to be raw or fed seven days a week to help.
  • The microbiome is individual. There is no single best probiotic for every animal.
  • Puppies and kittens inherit their mother's microbiome. That makes the new puppy or kitten visit a key moment to build gut health.
  • Dr. Silver considers metronidazole one of the most disruptive antibiotics for the microbiome. He reaches for symptomatic support first.
  • Fecal microbiome transplants have a long track record and are now available fresh, freeze dried, and in capsules.
  • Microbiome tests are all fairly reliable. The real challenge is interpreting the results and acting on them.
  • Many "mushroom" supplements are mostly mycelium grown on grain. Beta glucan content tells the difference.
  • Over the counter supplement labels are often dosed at wellness levels, not therapeutic ones.
  • Lion's mane has roots in gut health, not just cognitive support. That's the gut brain connection in action.
More Episodes

Sound Bites

    Checking metafield_content: true

    Has value: true

    Children count: 9

  • "And we all know that most disease comes from the gut."  — Dr. Angie

  •  "Each animal is their own universe."  — Dr. Silver 

  • "It's kitty crack in here. They love it." — Dr. Angie

  • "Into every life a little vice must fall." — Dr. Silver 

  • "I think sometimes it's kind of like reading tea leaves" — Dr. Angie

  • "After forty years in practice, tired of putting out fires, it's time to start planting some trees" — Dr. Silver 

  • "I find that most supplements that people are buying over the counter don't really have therapeutic doses" — Dr. Angie

  • "It delays effective treatment to be giving grain to an animal who has cancer."— Dr. Silver 

  • "Because you can have dysbiosis without GI symptoms." — Dr. Angie

Featured Products

Follow Us On

Spotify Spotify Apple Podcasts Apple Podcasts YouTube YouTube + More