MOLD IN DOG FOOD! AFLATOXINS THE INVISIBLE DANGER

Last Updated on June 24, 2023 by Thee Puppypreneur

MOLD IN DOG FOOD? WHAT ARE AFLATOXINS AND WHERE ARE THEY FOUND 

Did you find moldy dog food then your might have aflatoxins in dog food.

“Aflatoxin is colourless and completely invisible. Sometimes the fungus that produces it shows up as a surface mould, but often there is no visible sign of contamination at all.”¹Aflasafe – How can we spot aflatoxin?  

Aflatoxin is a mycotoxin and the  

“main fungi that produce aflatoxins are Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus.”²Aflatoxins – Cancer-Causing Substances – NCI  

Aflatoxin can be found in corn, oilseeds, spices, and tree nuts, milk, meat, and dried fruit.³Magnussen, A., & Parsi, M. A. (2013). Aflatoxins, hepatocellular carcinoma and public health. World journal of gastroenterology, 19(10), 1508–1512. https://doi.org/10.3748/wjg.v19.i10.1508  Grains can also have aflatoxins such as wheat and spices like black pepper and chilies. 

So how does the aflatoxin get in your meat and milk? Well, unfortunately I have seen it first hand from my days working on a dairy but just because I saw moldy citrus doesn’t mean it was aflatoxin.  

The grains or the citrus sit outside covered, but outside in the open and then some of it might get moldy, this mold could be due to aflatoxin or it could have already been brought in with aflatoxin already on it. 

When the cow ingests the contaminated feed and then is butchered or milked it then passes on the aflatoxin to the consumer who is consuming the now contaminated product.⁴Jiang, Y., Ogunade, I. M., Vyas, D., & Adesogan, A. T. (2021). Aflatoxin in Dairy Cows: Toxicity, Occurrence in Feedstuffs and Milk and Dietary Mitigation Strategies. Toxins, 13(4), 283. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins13040283  ⁵Robens, J. F., & Richard, J. L. (1992). Aflatoxins in animal and human health. Reviews of environmental contamination and toxicology, 127, 69–94. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-9751-9_3  

WHAT CAUSES AFLATOXINS 

Whenever there is heat and moisture that is the perfect breeding ground to harbor aflatoxins. They are said to be caused by drought but also it is good to know that aflatoxins are actually spores that are capable of traveling through the air and contaminating soil as well.⁶Reducing Aflatoxin in Corn During Harvest and Storage | UGA Cooperative Extension   

Aflatoxins can occur at any stage from harvesting the crop, to processing the crop, improper drying of said crop, and incorrect storage or handling.  

Don’t you dare think that aflatoxins are only limited to dog food. They can be found in the foods you consume from the grocery store everyday as well.  

WHAT HARM CAN AFLATOXINS DO TO DOGS 

What harm can they cause, you ask? Well, the problem is this toxin is invisible most of the time. You won’t know until your furbaby has ingested a suitable quantity to warrant adverse effects.  

Aflatoxin is known as a human and animal carcinogen. It can cause liver cancer.⁷Groopman, J. D., Smith, J. W., Rivera-Andrade, A., Alvarez, C. S., Kroker-Lobos, M. F., Egner, P. A., Gharzouzi, E., Dean, M., McGlynn, K. A., & Ramírez-Zea, M. (2021). Aflatoxin and the Etiology of Liver Cancer and Its Implications for Guatemala. World mycotoxin journal, 14(3), 305–317. https://doi.org/10.3920/wmj2020.2641  ⁸Robens, J. F., & Richard, J. L. (1992). Aflatoxins in animal and human health. Reviews of environmental contamination and toxicology, 127, 69–94. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-9751-9_3  ⁹Newman, S. J., Smith, J. R., Stenske, K. A., Newman, L. B., Dunlap, J. R., Imerman, P. M., & Kirk, C. A. (2007). Aflatoxicosis in nine dogs after exposure to contaminated commercial dog food. Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc, 19(2), 168–175. https://doi.org/10.1177/104063870701900205   

The risk of aflatoxin poisoning has increased because of the rapid increase in numerous and varying ingredients which has made 

 “it difficult to ensure the quality required of each to achieve the safety of the entire commercial dry feed.”¹⁰Martínez-Martínez, L., Valdivia-Flores, A. G., Guerrero-Barrera, A. L., Quezada-Tristán, T., Rangel-Muñoz, E. J., & Ortiz-Martínez, R. (2021). Toxic Effect of Aflatoxins in Dogs Fed Contaminated Commercial Dry Feed: A Review. Toxins, 13(1), 65. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins13010065   

I don’t know about you but that that answer doesn’t keep me warm at night. There is no comfort knowing that they can’t ensure the quality of your dog’s food.  

Now that is not to say that every dog food manufacture or commercial food supplier doesn’t test. The issue seems to be with recalls of products for corn a lot of the time but then again like I said it is found in many different foods. 

There has even been a correlation made between aflatoxins and canine mammary tumors. While investigating all the feed that the dogs were consuming it was found that nearly half of all the dogs’ food regardless of whether it was high-end or low-end dog food all tested positive for mycotoxins. 

 They measured the levels of aflatoxin and found that the levels of aflatoxin were higher in cases of mammary cancer but yet dogs that were neutered showed a protective factor for mammary cancer.¹¹Frehse, M. S., Martins, M. I., Ono, E. Y., Bracarense, A. P., Bissoqui, L. Y., Teixeira, E. M., Santos, N. J., & Freire, R. L. (2015). Aflatoxins ingestion and canine mammary tumors: There is an association?. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association, 84, 74–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2015.08.004  

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF AFLATOXICOSIS IN DOGS

Symptoms can include some or all of the following;¹²Wouters, A. T., Casagrande, R. A., Wouters, F., Watanabe, T. T., Boabaid, F. M., Cruz, C. E., & Driemeier, D. (2013). An outbreak of aflatoxin poisoning in dogs associated with aflatoxin B1-contaminated maize products. Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc, 25(2), 282–287. https://doi.org/10.1177/1040638713477409 

• Jaunice of yellowing of the eyes 
• Vomiting blood 
• Black tarry stools 
• Blood-streaked stools 
• Weakness 
• Reluctance to eat (anorexia) 
• Bleeding of the skin 
• Bleeding of the eyes 
• Bleeding of the eyes 
• Death  

HOW IS AFLATOXICOSIS IN DOGS DIAGNOSED 

• CBC 
• Serum Chemistry Profile 
• Liver Biopsy 
• X-Rays 
• Ultrasound 
• Urinalysis 

WHAT IS THE TREATMENT FOR AFLATOXICOSIS IN DOGS

There is no known cure for aflatoxicosis so it is typically treated based on the symptoms and with special care being given to support and detoxify the liver which is the primary organ affected. Depending on the severity there can be; 

• IV fluids 
• Anti-vomiting medications 
• Antibiotics 
• Liver support supplementation such as SAMe and Milk thistle 
• Supplementation of Vitamin K1 
• Careful monitoring 

Check out our other articles for other helpful information, such as;

CAN DOGS EAT BANANAS? HEALTH BENEFITS AND 1 NEW DANGER OF FEEDING YOUR DOG BANANAS