Hills Howler Edition: July 2022
We have had an enormous amount of rain this year and with the cold setting in, we tend to close up our houses and many of us are experiencing mould issues, on walls, ceilings, shoes, leather goods, clothes and more.
However, have you thought about how this can affect your dog or other animals? Does your dog come in contact with or sleep near mould?
Mould can affect our animals! Just like humans, dogs can react to mould exposure, depending on factors such as the amount of mould and type present and a dog’s level of health and sensitivity.
Mould (also called fungi or mildew) is an organism that belongs to the fungi kingdom. To reproduce mould creates tiny spores, similar to the seeds of a plant, only much smaller, these can be carried in the air until they settle on both indoor and outdoor surfaces.
If the spores land on a moist surface under the right conditions such as with suitable water, food, temperature and oxygen the mould begins to grow.
Mould Can Get Into the Dog’s System in 3 Ways:
1. Breathing (Inhalation) – Through the respiratory system, sinuses and lungs. Breathing in mould or sniffing in mouldy places may cause laboured breathing, sneezing, coughing, sneezing, wheezing or nasal discharge.
2. Ingestion (Eating or Swallowing) – Don’t feed your dog mouldy food! Eating compost or mouldy food may cause vomiting, decreased appetite or stool changes.
3. Skin (Dermal Absorption) – Through skin contact by being absorbed through the skin or a cut or a scrape on the skin. Living in a mouldy house, eating or breathing in mould may cause allergies, skin irritations, itchy eyes, scratching, licking, chewing, inflamed skin, dry and scaly skin.
What Harm Can Mould Do?
Mould can cause many difficulties especially in dogs that have compromised health:
Allergies – a hypersensitive reaction to mould can result in allergic rhinitis, indicated by sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, cough and postnasal drip, itchiness (eyes, nose and throat) and watery eyes. Can trigger asthma if the spores are able to reach the lungs! Severe reactions can also lead to difficulty swallowing, vomiting, diarrhoea, dizziness and confusion.
