We all want to take good care of our pets. Proper care includes making sure your pet gets enough exercise and eats a healthy diet. Unfortunately, not all pet foods are created equal. Many cheaper foods can actually make your pet sick. This is because low quality pet foods often contain insects, mites, and mold. Exposure can lead to chronic allergies and disease.
About Mold
Molds are members of the fungi family. Unlike other fungi, mold spores are invisible to the naked eye. Mold reproduces quickly by creating small, seed-like particles known as spores. Because mold spores are microscopic, they spread easily on the bodies of mites and weevils. When this occurs, it doesn’t take long for an entire bag of dog food to become contaminated.
Mold Poisoning
Just like humans, dogs can be allergic to mold spores commonly found in lower quality pet foods. An even greater danger lies in the potential ingestion of the poisons produced by mold. Although rare, symptoms of mold poisoning include:
- Fever
- Jaundice or yellowing of the skin and eyes
- Dark colored urine
- Persistent violent bouts of vomiting
- Bloody diarrhea
- Death
Even small amounts of mold can accumulate in a dog’s liver, causing serious problems over time. Unfortunately, there is no known cure once mold enters the liver.
Avoid Poor Quality Pet Foods
Every time you choose to feed your dog commercial pet food made with cheap, low quality cereal grains you put them at risk for mold poisoning. It isn’t clear how much mold needs to be present to cause a problem. Even small amounts of mold in pet food should be considered unsafe.
In order to protect your dog from the potential dangers of mold ingestion, avoid buying cheaply-made pet foods that contain grain by-products or mill waste.
Claws N Paws Day Spa offers dog and cat grooming in Orange County, California. Our groomers have years of experience providing a wide range of grooming services for our clients. For more information about choosing a pet food, or to schedule a grooming appointment, please call 714-962-1005.