Toxic mold and its effects on pets

[Guest guest]

Found this doing research today on the son Village Animal

Hospital web site.

http://www.clarksonvillagevet.com/index.php?

view=pageView & docid=100049661

Toxic mold and its effects on pets

In September 2007, the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical

Association published a case report outlining what is believed to be

the first documented case of toxic black mold poisoning in pets. Dr.

Mader, a private practitioner in Florida, was performing

routine dental procedures on two apparently healthy cats when he

noticed frothy blood coming from the cats' tracheas. One of the cats

died the next day, and the other cat died about two weeks later.

Frothy blood indicates pulmonary hemorrhage, or bleeding in the

lungs, which is not associated with anesthesia or the procedures

being performed on the cats.

Blood that was collected prior to the cats' deaths was tested and

found to be positive for the organism Stachybotrys chartarum, also

known as toxic black mold. Toxic black mold causes respiratory

problems in people, including pulmonary hemorrhage and death. Dr.

Mader ordered the test after learning that the cats lived in a home

that had sustained water damage during a hurricane seven months

before the cats' deaths. It turned out that the walls of the home had

severe mold contamination.

Currently there are no commercial tests available to diagnose toxic

black mold poisoning in pets. The authors of the case report plan to

look into validating a test for toxic mold that can be used for

commercial laboratories.

Genesis Air, Inc.