My dog's treats have white dots. Is it mold or safe to feed?

Yes, those are probably grain mites you are seeing. This is usually due to improper storage of the food item. Grain mites should not cause serious illnesses if eaten, but some pets might have an allergic reaction to them that could include itching, and intestinal and skin problems; possible but not likely to happen. I would not be worried about this. Just throw the treats away and follow the guidelines below to help prevent this from happening again. * Store pet foods in airtight containers. * Don't store food in garages, sheds or basements. * Immediately throw bags away outside after the food has been put into a container. * Don't buy or use old or outdated food. * Wash food dishes frequently in hot water and dry thoroughly. * Buy only 30 days worth of food at a time. * Don't purchase food in bags with holes or tears. * Avoid low quality food with a lot of debris in the bottom of the bag (ALPO would be one of the lower quality foods). Hope this helps. Best wishes.

The good news is that these yellow dots don't look like any intestinal parasite that's visible with the naked eye. My best guess is that your dog recently ate something relatively fibrous, like plant material, rice, or another vegetable that passed through the stool reasonably unchanged. As long as your dog isn't experiencing any changes in their appetite or energy level, or any vomiting, then I don't see any cause for concern. If this continues, you can always ask your vet to submit a stool sample to a reference lab for further evaluation.

Small, white dots can be a few things. They may indicate something like an infection or blockage of the pore. They can also indicate an underlying, mild skin allergy or perhaps something parasitic like a skin mite. Depending on the cause, treatment options may be a medicated wipe or gel, a special food, an omega three fatty acid supplement for dogs or benign neglect. Your best option is to have Norah examined by her veterinarian. The doctor will look for other signs of allergies, may perform a skin scrape and will perform an overall physical exam which may give some clues to the underlying cause. From there they will suggest a treatment plan. I hope this answers your questions and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I'm glad we can help you! Kronos's stool does look a bit loose, and if he was dewormed recently, that could be the cause. The medication will be killing the worms, and that can lead to this problem. I'd keep an eye on it for now.

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The single biggest concern we have with rawhide is the possibility of an intestinal blockage if too large a piece is swallowed. There have been some reports of salmonella associated with rawhide imported from China, but not so much recently. This would have resulted in diarrhea, anyway. Make sure the dots on his penis are not caked on dirt, or simply pigment in the hair & skin. It would be very unlikely that you are seeing blood caked in that area unless there had been a significant bleed from a laceration. If he is active, eating & drinking well, it is probably nothing. Make sure you mention your concerns to your veterinarian at Hodor's next scheduled puppy visit.

There are some toxins which can be produced by molds on foods and although rawhide would not be the most common source (breads, cheese and compost are most frequent sources) access to any moldy food should be reduced as far as possible. Exposure to slugs/slime should also be avoided in areas affected by lungworm angiostrongylus vasorum

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Sox. This should not cause him any problems as long as there is no xylitol in them. At most you should just see some stomach upset. I hope this helps!