Your Pets Are Also at Risk

When we think about mold we often think about how it can affect our health or how it can destroy our homes – but what about man’s best friend? How susceptible are our pets to mold?

The first recorded case of a pet dying from toxic mold was in 2007. Two Himalayan cats were having a routine dental procedure when their vet noticed a frothy blood within the endotracheal tubes used to supply anesthesia to the two cat siblings. The procedure was halted, but the cats died within a week due to pulmonary hemorrhaging. This is the same injury that has often been linked to children who are exposed to toxic mold.

Blood collected prior to the cats’ deaths confirmed the presence of Stachybotrys mycotoxins. The veterinarian, Douglas Mader, discovered from the pet owners that their house was damaged from a hurricane seven months ago. On Doctor Mader’s recommendation, the pet owners checked their house for mold and sure enough found severe mold contamination in their walls.

Now this definitely isn’t the first time a pet has died from toxic mold exposure. But most pets don’t have a lot of routine dental work or have their blood tested for mold.

Another possible case is the death of Ed McMahon’s beloved pooch, Muffin, who may have also died from a mold-induced illness. But even if mold was not the direct cause in this case, it probably made Muffin’s sickness worse.

Cats and dogs are probably just as vulnerable as we are to mold. But they have the distinct disadvantage of being unable to tell you when something is wrong. They rely on us humans to take care of them and provide them with a safe shelter.

Also, certain species of mold may affect certain species of animals differently. In the last century, there was an outbreak of a certain mold that was responsible for the deaths of thousands of horses and chickens in Russia and Eastern Europe.

Small animals, like hamsters and gerbils, are also at risk. You can help out the little guys by making sure their water bottles aren’t leaking or spilling onto their bedding material. This combination can easily grow mold.

There is no simple way to test if your pet is suffering from mold. You may notice trouble breathing that could indicate pulmonary trauma. The only safe bet is to make sure there is no mold in your house, for your pet’s sake and your own.

Tagged as: mold, stachybotrys, toxic mold, toxic mold exposure