Mold and Pets is The Ultimate Toxic Relationship

To ensure our animals are protected from toxic indoor environments and live healthy, merry little lives, it’s important for owners to understand the relationship between mold and pets, what to do if they expect their pet to be suffering from exposure, and how to keep a home safe. Considering that the 2021–2022 National Pet Owners Survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association (APPA) showed that 70 percent of U.S. households own pets and water-damaged buildings are on the rise, it’s more important than ever to begin including this in pet maintenance.¹ For owners of all varieties, here’s what you need to know. 

But First, Mold 

Before jumping into the relationship between mold and pets, it’s important to understand exactly what is impacting them in the first place. Aka, Mold 101.

All About Mold

So far, researchers have identified over 100,000 species of mold so far. Each species reproduces by creating and releasing microscopic particles called spores into the surrounding environment.²’³ Similar to seeds, these spores are non-living particles and will remain that way until they stumble on a habitable surface. 

A Home with Mold and Pets 

When mold grows in nature, all of the microscopic particles released are dispersed throughout the great big world. Spores created by a colony indoors don’t have the same luxury. Thanks to modern building practices pushing for net-zero energy efficiency, there’s very little air flow between indoor and outdoor environments. While great for electricity costs, this new trend means that most of the particles released by a colony indoors remain trapped within that space. 

Hence, why the misconception that since mold is everywhere, it’s no big deal if it’s in a home is wrong. Mold growth indoors creates a much more potent exposure because there’s a much higher volume of particles in a relatively small space (compared to the entire world, that is). 

The longer the colony exists in the home, the more spores will be floating around in the air and landing on whatever surfaces they come into contact with. Some species of mold also release microscopic toxins called mycotoxins, further adding to the particle party in that indoor space.⁵ The kicker here is that since the particles are invisible to the naked eye, all of this contamination can exist in a home without notice and affect the health of those living inside. 

Mold and Pets: The Health Debacle 

One of the main issues with the lack of focus on mold and how our indoor environments affect health is the absence of research dedicated to these topics. While more studies are slowly beginning to trickle out, researchers still aren’t sure about the mechanisms behind how this indoor contaminant affects the body and how extensive the impact can be. When it comes to mold and pets, even less research has been completed in an attempt to determine how toxic environments impact their bodies. 

That being said, just because we don’t yet understand the mechanisms behind how mold can impact health, doesn’t mean that it’s not a problem. Several individuals who have shared their stories in the Mold Talks podcast have mentioned the impact exposure had on their own pets while living in a toxic environment, on top of the health effects they experienced themselves. Between a long list of adverse health reactions and related diseases in humans, it can pack a powerful punch on those living inside. 

Its ability to affect health largely rests on the size of the particles in question. 

As mold exposure creates a systemic response, symptoms can span the entire pet’s body, making diagnosis potentially difficult. 

Like humans, the presence of an immune system means that pets can develop autoimmune diseases and infections as well.¹⁵ Aspergillosis is one example.¹⁶ While the causes of autoimmune diseases in animals are not well understood yet, researchers and medical professionals theorize that factors such as genetics and environmental exposures can play a role. With mold particles and byproducts able to enter a pet’s body and wreak havoc on their health, this definitely qualifies as environmental exposure.  

The issue here is that no two people or pets respond the same way to exposure. A variety of factors play a role. 

These factors include: 

• Genetics 
• Presence of mycotoxins 
• The volume of exposure 
• Immune system status
• Species of mold 
• Presence of bacteria 
• Length of exposure 

At the end of the day, the potential for mold and pets to establish a toxic relationship is reason enough for us pet owners to know what steps to take should a fungus catastrophe occur and how to prevent it from happening in the first place. 

Mold and Pets: A Prevention Strategy 

The best way to deal with mold and pets is to stop them from ever meeting in the first place. That means taking extra steps to prevent mold growth in the home and on your pet’s things. The key here is to remember that mold spores typically only need food and water to begin growing, and they only need these components to be present for 24-48 hours. Preventing mold growth largely involves reducing these factors. 

Steps to prevent indoor mold growth include: 

• Placing the bag of pet food in a sealed container: This reduces the amount of moisture and mold spores that can get inside of the bag and start growing on the food. 
• Wash food and water bowls daily: Using mild soap and warm water, thoroughly clean the bowls and allow them to dry before placing them back in their designated spot.
• Deep clean bowls every two weeks: Soak the bowls in white vinegar for half an hour and then wipe them with a microfiber towel. Then wash them with mild soap and warm water. Allow them to dry completely before putting them back. 

• Opt for stainless steel or ceramic bowls: Plastic is porous, meaning that it can retain water in tiny pockets, allowing mold to grow. It also scratches easier than other components like stainless steel, leaving little cracks and crevices to retain moisture and particles, creating a perfect moldy environment. 
• Wash beds and toys weekly: Throw all fabrics, such as beds and toys, into the washing machine with a botanical cleaner like EC3 Laundry Additive. This will help remove edible particles and mold spores from the items. For other toys, soak them in white vinegar for five minutes and then wipe them with a microfiber towel. Follow this up by gently washing it with mild soap and warm water. 
• Maintain indoor humidity levels between 35 and 50 percent: Humidity levels above 60 percent can promote mold growth.¹⁷
• Consider investing in air purification: These machines help remove harmful particles like mold spores and mycotoxins from the indoor environment. I personally recommend Intellipure products, as they capture and eliminate 99.99% of particles as small as 0.007 microns in size. 
• Clean up any spills and fix leaks immediately: Mold can grow in as little as 24 hours, so removing the moisture as soon as possible is key.
• Routinely inspect mold hotspots: Take a look around the home at places mold is prone to growing, including the kitchen, bathroom, appliances, attic, basement, underneath sinks, HVAC unit, basement, and crawlspaces. The sooner you catch a problem, the less contamination it will be able to spread throughout the home.

This isn’t a full list of preventative actions, but it’s a great starting point. Depending on the pet in question, there could be a variety of other steps you can take as well to prevent mold growth, so make sure to thoroughly research the topic and discuss it with professionals to see what you can add to your pet care routine. 

Keep in mind that one thing you should never use is bleach.¹⁸ Not only is it toxic for pets, but it also isn’t a good cleaning product to use in your battle against mold. 

Mold and Pets: Is It a Problem for Your Animal Child?

Sometimes, mold growth happens in a home even with a solid preventative routine in place. In these instances, it’s important to know how to handle the situation so that your pet isn’t facing continual exposure and the health impact that goes along with it. 

How Do You Know If You Have a Mold Problem?

If you, your pet, or other family members start to experience random and chronic symptoms, always remember to consider your indoor environment in any potential diagnosis. Contaminants like mold aren’t always the root causes of symptoms and illness, but they should always be brought to the table as a potential culprit. 

Data you should expect to see includes:

• Types of molds present
• Quantities of each mold
• Potential spore presence in the HVAC system 
• Presence of mycotoxins 
• Presence of bacteria

This will give you an accurate snapshot of what’s going on inside of your home and whether your pet’s symptoms could be caused by a toxic indoor environment. 

Another option is to ask your vet if tests are available to determine if toxins are present in your pet’s body that could be triggering the symptoms. 

You Found Mold, Now How Can You Keep Your Pet Safe?

The first step in dealing with mold and pets is to remove them from the environment. They won’t be able to heal in the place that’s making them sick in the first place.