Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Storage mites found in commercial dry dog food over 6 weeks storage
By Brazis, Pilar et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2008·UNIVET, Spain·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluation of storage mite contamination of commercial dry dog food.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that storage mites, which can trigger allergies in dogs with skin issues, were present in some commercial dry dog foods. After testing ten different brands designed for skin disorders, researchers discovered that one bag had mites right after opening, and by the end of five weeks in optimal conditions for mite growth, nine out of ten bags showed contamination. The most common type of mite found was Tyrophagus. This suggests that pet owners should be aware of the potential for mite contamination in dry dog food, especially if their dog has skin problems.
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Abstract
Storage mites may be considered important allergens in dogs with atopic dermatitis. High sensitization rates to Tyrophagus, Acarus, and Lepidoglyphus species have been reported in atopic dogs, and dry pet food has been suggested as a potential source of storage mite exposure. The aim of the present study was to evaluate commercial dry dog food for contamination with storage mites, and how storage time and conditions could influence the risk of contamination. Ten different premium commercial dry dog foods formulated for skin disorders were selected. Food bags were opened and stored for 6 weeks under two different environmental conditions. At different time points, samples from each bag were collected and analysed by microscopy, guanine test, storage mite-specific traps, and a modified flotation technique. On opening, two storage mites identified as Acarus siro were isolated from one of the 10 bags by flotation technique, indicating that storage mites can be present in packaged dry dog food bags. After 5 weeks of storage under environmental conditions optimal for mite growth (23.2 +/- 2.1 degrees C and 71 +/- 5.6% of relative humidity), mites were detected by microscopic observation in nine of the 10 diets. When mites were identified by the flotation technique, Tyrophagus spp. were found to be the most common contaminating species. These results show that dry dog food can be a suitable substrate for storage mite reproduction, and that environmental and storage conditions may influence food contamination and mite development.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18494758/