We all want to keep our furbabies safe and healthy. Dogster Kristy Sweetland, furmom to Seva and Finlay, will be providing weekly tips and warnings from the Pet Poison HELPLINE to make that job easier. As a veterinary technician with the Pet Poison HELPLINE she’s going to help us all stay more on top of what’s dangerous for our furry family members.
Mycotoxins
When our dogs raid the garbage it can be so aggravating! Were faced with cleaning up a tremendous mess, sometimes strewn across the entire house. Smelly, stinky food residue is not pleasant to clean off the floor. Often we are so intently focused on cleaning up the mess that we completely overlook the health hazard. The truth is, moldy garbage can be extremely harmful to dogs or cats.
Mycotoxins, the toxic component contaminating certain moldy foods, can result in serious poisoning. Even very small quantities may cause illness. Mycotoxins can be found in moldy dairy foods, moldy walnuts or peanuts, grains- such as corn or wheat, hay, clover, cotton seed, moldy bread, moldy blue cheese, moldy spaghetti, compost, and other food substances.
Generally speaking, signs occur within 2-3 hours of ingestion. You would likely see vomiting, tremors and seizures, a stiff gait and arched back, increased body temperature, increased salivation or drooling, a depressed respiratory rate, and an increased heart rate. If these signs are observed take your pet immediately to your veterinary hospital and have them call a pet poison control center for assistance. More importantly as soon as you realize your dog has raided the garbage can and before signs develop, contact your veterinarian or pet poison control center as soon as possible. There are preventative steps to be taken in order to limit toxicity.
With proper veterinary intervention a positive outcome is likely. We can then focus on nothing more than cleaning the moldy garbage off our living room carpet and finding a way to prevent the next raid!
