My dog ate moldy food—what should I do?

Updated 2026-09-30 · 1 sources

Based on: Pet Poison Helpline

Call a vet now

Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet right now. Moldy food may contain fungus-produced toxins called tremorgenic mycotoxins that can cause toxicity in dogs.

What to do now

What to do right now

Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet.
Note what was eaten, how much, and when.
Bring the packaging.
Remove what is left.
Keep your dog calm.

Don't

Do not make your dog vomit unless a vet tells you to.
Do not give any human medicine.

Why it can be dangerous

Moldy food may contain fungus-produced toxins called tremorgenic mycotoxins that put dogs at risk of toxicity.^[1] These toxins may be found in moldy bread, pasta, cheese, nuts, and other decaying matter such as compost.^[1]

Signs to watch for

vomiting
drooling
tremors
seizures
kidney failure
agitation
incoordination

Where it is found

moldy bread
pasta
cheese
nuts
compost
other decaying matter

If your pet is struggling to breathe, has collapsed, is having a seizure or can't stand up: go to the nearest vet now.

Not sure how serious it is?

OkPaw asks a few quick questions about your pet and tells you in 30 seconds whether it can wait. Free on Google Play for Android.

OkPaw is on Android now – an iPhone version is on its way.

Common questions

How much moldy food is dangerous?

Ingestion of moldy food puts dogs at risk of toxicity.^[1]

What should I do now?

Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet right now.

What should I avoid doing?

Do not make your dog vomit unless a vet tells you to, and do not give any human medicine.

Sources

Pet Poison Helpline

How this page was made: written with the help of AI from the sources below, then checked claim by claim against those sources. Urgency levels follow OkPaw’s fixed safety rules. It is guidance, not a diagnosis. How we write our pages

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