I just heard from someone who has a dog from me. She and her family are renting a house that has a mold problem. It worsened after Irene and all the rain. She asks if the mold affects the dogs. Apparently the basement is really bad now. She writes: " I've read that dogs get sick first with mold. Note the dogs never really went into the basement a lot but I was wondering what your thoughts were."

I have no idea what to tell her. I would appreciate knowing what other people have experienced. My own son is allergic to mold and get shots for it. I have no doubt there is mold in my house. I am not aware that my dogs have any problems.

I was about to ask the same question, but our house is not the problem. We run a dehumidifier in the basement almost all year round. It's the dog runs which I have to hose everyday and disinfect, but with all the extra rain and high humidity they aren't drying and algae is growing all over the concrete pads! How do I kill it? Will bleach do it...just let it soak for a couple of hours, or is there something else that works better and faster. I smell it all day and it bothers me, so it must bother them. They have had some eye discharge for a couple of days. They mostly live in the house, but with all the rain and mud I can't let them in nearly as much because they aren't drying. I do run fans all day in the kennels. I'm sure I'm not the only one experiencing this problem on the east coast.

I get algae/slime on the south side of my house every winter. It never dries and is shady. Wet the concrete, pour on straight bleach and spread around with a stiff bristle push broom. Wait a few minutes and rinse. Your concrete sparkles and is new looking again. The bleach will not hurt grass or plants in the area. Be sure to wear old clothes or shorts.

Debbie

Thank you Debbie...will do it today while the sun is out. Rain is expected again tonight

I live in Florida,so always damp here...hahahha

In my travels I have gleaned this info

ok, first, 2 types......relatively benign type but if plentiful can cause respiratory issues....this mold is GREEN....killed with bleach/water 1:3......grows well in damp areas

second is deadly and if contamination occurs is considered emergency and usually is removed by HAZMAT suited professionals..........this condemns houses,is a huge problem in central air conditioning systems, can cause respiratory distress,fertility problems,skin problems,ear problems...and on and on(in people and animals)...........this mold is BLACK ... it is deemed dangerous and pervasive

both molds appear as dots that spread and can become patches and then large area

algae is a completely different organism and is sort of slimy,green or red, appearing where humidity/wet meets cool surface of house, on water spigots,in bowls,etc Also grows quickly in stagnant/standingor shallow water..... This is usually relatively benign unless overly sensitive to it, and is killed easily with fairly mild bleach/water, even 1:10 for light area,and has to be scrubbed off...stronger solution,less scrubbing

dogs can experience problems with mold well before humans might because they inhale more..if they are sensitive to it would be worst case scenario of course

I had a family call me because young Lab was so sick and Vets could find nothing............I suggested mold check and sure enough home A/C was full of black mold.......had it removed and dog recovered completely.......humans never felt sick

I have a fair amount of knowledge about mold, and raising animals. In my particular case it was waterfowl, 28 years of experience.

It only takes the mold spores that are on the head of a pin to kill a duck sized animal. Aspergillosis is the disease to look out for. At best it can lead to life long respiratory problems, and at worst, death by a very very very ugly manner. That being said, I know I have been exposed to deadly amounts and am still alive....

If given the opportunity, DO NOT mess with it. I have seen the very nasty results of Asper.....picture cheesy growths in the brain....it is nothing to mess with....

Mold *can* cause allergic reactions of the eyes; skin and body of dogs that never had them before. If you notice skin allergies after this mold *problem*, that your dogs never had before; don't assume it's allergies that were inherited. If they had allergies before; it means they have more than you knew about.

Both you and your puppy buyer should get Hepa air cleaners after doing a good scrubbing and venting of all areas; especially the basements. Keep it running 24-7 and change the filter as often as the unit recommends if not more frequent. Measure your square feet and use the proper size; don't undersize to save a few bucks.

A good friend of mine had a mold problem in the back of her van, under a mat. Her dogs were having muscle twitching and seizure like activity. Once the problem was found and cleaned up, the dogs were fine again. Mold is nasty stuff!