Pet Safety / Compounds / Psilocin (4-HO-DMT)

Is Psilocin (4-HO-DMT) safe for dogs and cats?

Elevated risk for pets

Dogs may eat wild psilocybin mushrooms. GI distress, disorientation, tremors. Rarely fatal but distressing.

What is psilocin (4-ho-dmt)?

The IUPAC name is [3-[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]-1H-indol-4-yl] dihydrogen phosphate.

Also known as: Psilocybine, Psilocybin, Indocybin, Psilocibin.

IUPAC name
[3-[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]-1H-indol-4-yl] dihydrogen phosphate
CAS number
520-53-6
Molecular formula
C12H17N2O4P
Molecular weight
284.25 g/mol
SMILES
CN(C)CCc1c[nH]c2cccc(O)c12
PubChem CID
10624

Risk for dogs

Elevated risk

Dogs may eat wild psilocybin mushrooms. GI distress, disorientation, tremors. Rarely fatal but distressing.

Risk for cats

High risk

Less common exposure but similar serotonergic risk profile.

Regulatory consensus

2 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Psilocin (4-HO-DMT). The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
DEA1970Schedule I controlled substance
FDA2018Breakthrough Therapy designation (as psilocybin prodrug) for treatment-resistant depression

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where pets encounter psilocin (4-ho-dmt)

  • Natural Product
  • Research Chemical

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Psilocin (4-HO-DMT):

  • Ketamine/esketamine (FDA-approved)
    Trade-offs: Different mechanism. Shorter duration. Dissociative not psychedelic. FDA-approved.
    Relative cost: $600-900/session

Frequently asked questions

Is psilocin (4-ho-dmt) safe for pets?

Dogs may eat wild psilocybin mushrooms. GI distress, disorientation, tremors. Rarely fatal but distressing.

See Psilocin (4-HO-DMT) in the pets app

Look up products containing psilocin (4-ho-dmt), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

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Sources (1)
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Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →