Are Tinctures Safe for Dogs?

A tincture is a concentrated liquid extract created using either fungi or herbs to capture the essential compounds for nutritional and medicinal purposes. The plants or mushrooms are soaked in a solvent such as ethanol, which draws out the desired compounds and transforms it into a powerful and bioavailable liquid.

Unlike other supplements, tinctures have a higher level of bioavailability, making them an excellent choice to include in the diet

"Bioavailability" means how effectively and easily a nutrient or compound is absorbed and used in the body. The more bioavailable something is, the more effectively the body can use and store it.

If a product does not contain bioavailable ingredients or isn't in a bioavailable form, it will be very little to no use for the body. This is why it's important to check the ingredients and the form of any supplements you give to your dog.

Another factor which will affect the bioavailability of any product (including food) is gut health. In order for food and supplements to be broken down effectively, the integrity of the gut lining and the stomach acid should be in good condition. The healthier the gut, the better the absorption. A healthy gut can be achieved by feeding a natural diet free from additives, preservatives and fillers.

As we know, processed food diets have a detrimental impact on our dogs digestive systems which ultimately has a knock on effect to other systems in the body, such as the immune system.

Supplements come in many forms and the most potent and effective form is a tincture. This is because liquids are easier to breakdown compared to tablets.

The short answer is, yes they are!

Tinctures are safe for dogs when used as directed because the amount of alcohol in the final product is extremely minimal. While organic ethanol is used during the extraction process to draw out beneficial compounds, most tinctures are made with 80-proof alcohol (approximately 30% ethanol). After extraction, the alcohol content is significantly reduced, leaving only a small amount with no harmful effects.

To put it in perspective, the lethal dose of pure alcohol for dogs is 5.5–7g of 100% alcohol (200 proof). Since 1ml of liquid equals about 30 drops, it would take roughly 375 drops consumed all at once to be harmful to a dog. That is an amount that wouldn't ever be added into any meal. Tinctures, are far from pure alcohol, and the small doses used for dogs contain alcohol levels that are far below any harmful threshold. This makes tinctures both effective and safe when used appropriately.

At Paleo Ridge we have recently introduced a brand-new Senior Range of food which sits in our Paleo Plus range. After a lot of research and consideration, we decided to include reishi mushroom tinctures in our senior recipe.

The mushroom tincture we use is from a very well respected company called Bristol Fungarium. Based in Bristol, they grow mushrooms using organic soil, and for the extraction process they use organic ethanol. Their mushroom tinctures have a high potency and offer wonderful health benefits for dogs and humans too.

As with all our products, we only use products that fall in line with our quality standards and ethics.

We have tinctures from Proflax available to order as supplement on our website, you can find them here.

When sourced from trusted suppliers and used as directed, tinctures are perfectly safe for dogs. The minimal alcohol content poses no risk, while the powerful health benefits of the extracted compounds can support your dog’s wellbeing. Rest assured, our tinctures are formulated with your pet’s safety as our top priority.