Signs Your Pet May Be Experiencing Mold Illness
Mycotoxins and Your Pets: What You Need to Know About Mold Exposure
As a loving pet owner, you do everything you can to ensure your pets are happy and healthy. However, it can be hard to protect them from invisible dangers, such as mold illness caused by mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are invisible in your home but might be significantly harming your pet and their health. Although mycotoxin toxicity is harmful to humans as well, your pets will likely begin to display symptoms and be more prone to mycotoxin toxicity than you.
There is one simple explanation for this: Because you leave the home for work, school, or other activities, our pets spend more time in your home than you do, giving them a consistent and high exposure rate. If your house has mold, your pet may be dangerously exposed without you even realizing. Let’s dive into how mold exposure can affect pets and what you can do to protect them.
Why Are Pets More Vulnerable to Mycotoxins?
So, why are pets more vulnerable to these toxins if you live under the same roof? Well, unlike us, pets don’t go to work, run errands, or hit the gym. Instead, they spend most of their day lounging around the house. Therefore, if your home has harmful mycotoxins, their exposure is continuous. Your pets also sniff, lick, and eat off of surfaces around the house which you don’t get direct exposure to.
Mycotoxins thrive in damp areas, and many locations that your pets love to spend most of their time. This includes pet beds, blankets, crates, water and food bowls, and more if kept in humid or poorly ventilated areas. These areas are in constant use, trapping moisture and saliva, and becoming a prime breeding ground for molds. Rooms such as basements, laundry rooms, and restrooms are also more likely to harvest mycotoxins. A surprising factor: If your pet has bad allergies, chances are they are exposed to mycotoxins which make those symptoms significantly worse.
Mycotoxins in Pet Food
Many pet owners serve their pets diets high in corn, wheat, soy, and cottonseed which are all common ingredients in dry pet foods. A study analyzing 38 samples of dry dog and cat food demonstrated the presence of these harmful mycotoxins in pet food. Among many findings, the most important concluded that there were five genera of mycotoxigenic fungi found in dry pet food on the market: Alternaria sp., Aspergillus sp., Cladosporium sp., Fusarium sp., and Penicillium sp. Among all five, Penicillium sp. was most common, contaminating 38% of food samples, and Fusarium sp. contaminating 33% of samples.
To assess mycotoxin contamination, Ergosterol levels were carefully measured. Ergosterol levels were below the legal EU limit, however still capable of long-term health risks for pets. Therefore, despite regulatory limits, the findings underscore that even very low daily doses can be harmful, causing numerous gradual health problems such as gastrointestinal problems and reproductive issues.
While serving your pets grain-free food can help prevent exposure to mycotoxins from their diet, concerns about your pet’s environment may remain in place if not addressed.
Signs Your Pet Might Be Affected by Mold
Mycotoxin illness can manifest in a variety of ways, and symptoms may initially seem like other common pet health issues. Some sign of mycotoxins in your pet include:
- Respiratory issues (coughing, sneezing (including backwards), panting, or difficulty breathing)
- Skin irritation, itchiness, or rashes
- Unexplained vomiting or diarrhea
- Weakness or incoordination
- Fatigue, weight loss, or loss of appetite
- Behavioral changes such as anxiety or restlessness
Diagram of Mold Symptoms in Pets
Similar to human mycotoxin toxicity, the longer or more intense your exposure is to mycotoxins, the greater the chance your pets develop more severe symptoms. If your pet is experiencing any of these symptoms or has in the past, mycotoxins might not have been the first thing on your mind. However, just because we can’t see it, does not mean it is not there. It is worth investigating for the health of both you and your pets.
Thankfully, pets can easily be tested for mycotoxins with a simple, non-invasive urine test that can be performed at home.
How to Protect Your Pet from Mycotoxins
Now that you know the dangers of mycotoxins, what can you do to ensure your home is a mold-free zone? If you have suspicions that there may be mycotoxins in your home, consider testing your home with EMMA (the Environmental Mold and Mycotoxin Assessment profile). This can help you pinpoint exactly which molds and where they are located in your home. This test includes an easy swab to get you and your pet on track to better health.
References
- Mostrom, Michelle S. (Nov. 2011). Overview of Mycotoxicoses in Animals. MSD Veterinary Manual. https://www.msdvetmanual.com/toxicology/mycotoxicoses/overview-of-mycotoxicoses-in-animals
- Hawkins, Max. (2021, Feb. 5). Mycotoxins in pet food: Know the risks for dogs and cats. Alltech. https://www.alltech.com/blog/mycotoxins-pet-food-know-risks-dogs-and-cats
- Witaszak, N., Waśkiewicz, A., Bocianowski, J., & Stępień, Ł. (2020). Contamination of Pet Food with Mycobiota and Fusarium Mycotoxins-Focus on Dogs and Cats. Toxins, 12(2), 130. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7076849/