An India-focused guide to aflatoxin poisoning in dogs covering mould-contaminated grains and pet food, liver injury, bleeding, testing, product tracing and safe storage.

Stop the food and seek care for

Loss of appetite, repeated vomiting or marked lethargy
Yellow eyes, gums or skin
Unexplained bruising, bleeding or black stool
Abdominal swelling or weakness
Several dogs eating the same food becoming ill
A current food recall involving the same brand or lot

Where aflatoxin comes from

Aflatoxins are produced mainly by Aspergillus fungi growing on crops such as maize, peanuts, rice, sorghum and cottonseed. Hot conditions, drought stress, insect damage and moisture during storage increase risk.

Contamination can enter commercial or homemade diets through one ingredient. The toxin may remain after the visible mould is absent, so smelling or sorting the food is not a safety test.

Clinical effects

Early signs

Poor appetite
Vomiting
Lethargy
Diarrhoea

Liver injury

Jaundice
Abnormal enzymes
Low blood sugar
Enlarged liver

Clotting failure

Bruising
Nosebleed
Blood in stool
Internal bleeding

Chronic exposure

Poor growth, weight loss and ongoing liver dysfunction may occur.

When several animals share the same diet

A cluster of dogs with similar liver or bleeding signs should trigger a detailed diet investigation. Record brand, product name, flavour, package size, lot number, manufacturing date, purchase location and when each bag was opened.

Do not mix the suspected food with other waste. Seal samples from the bag and, when relevant, vomit or stool as directed by the veterinarian.

How aflatoxicosis is investigated

Blood testing may show liver injury, high bilirubin, low glucose, low protein and abnormal clotting. Ultrasound can identify liver changes but is not specific.

Confirmation may involve analysis of the food, liver tissue or biological samples. Histopathology can support a toxin pattern, although findings are not unique to aflatoxin.

Important: Do not keep feeding a suspect batch because one dog appears normal. Exposure and susceptibility vary, and clinically silent liver damage is possible.

Treatment and prognosis

There is no simple home antidote. Treatment focuses on stopping exposure, supporting liver function, correcting dehydration and glucose, managing nausea and treating clotting failure.

Plasma or blood products may be needed when bleeding is severe. Prognosis depends on dose, duration and how much liver function remains.

Safer storage in Indian heat and monsoon

Buy food in a quantity used before prolonged storage
Keep it in the original labelled bag inside a sealed container
Store above the floor in a cool, dry, ventilated area
Do not mix a new batch into old crumbs
Discard food with moisture, insects or damaged packaging
Rotate stock by lot and purchase date
Keep a sample of each opened commercial batch in large facilities

Reporting a suspected food problem

Contact the manufacturer with the lot details and veterinary findings. In India, suspected substandard or unsafe animal feed may also need discussion with local veterinary, food-safety or animal-husbandry authorities depending on product classification.

Keep invoices, laboratory reports and photographs. Precise batch identification is more useful than a social-media post naming only the brand.

Dogsvilla practical tip: Kennels should log every bag's lot number and opening date. Without batch traceability, one contaminated ingredient can expose dozens of dogs before the pattern is recognised.