Mold Dogs are Unprofessional

When you go to hire a professional company that deals with mold contaminations, there are a few different things that you need to look for to determine whether or not the company is actually professional or not. Do they use the most modern methods of mold detection and cleaning? Do they wear protective gear? What kind of gear do they wear? Body suits? Respirators? And this is perhaps one of the most important questions of all: do they use animals to detect the presence of mold in your home?

The simple fact is that companies that use dogs to detect mold in a home or business are not professionals. They just are not. The practice of using dogs to detect mold in a home or in another building is inhumane and cruel to the animal, simply because of the knowledge that pets are just as susceptible to health damage due to mold as human beings are. A “mold dog” cannot detect whether or not the mold that exists in your home is toxic, what kind of mold it is, or in what quantity that it may exist. This is what mold laboratories and testing kits are for. All a mold dog can do is tell you if mold exists on the premises or not.

It can cost thousands of dollars for a company to have a dog trained to detect mold, but even after the dog is trained, it is almost surely money thrown down the drain. Dogs are trained to actively inhale mold spores, which is something that we as human beings are repeatedly told NEVER to do. We are told to wear respirators to filter these harmful spores out of the air that we breathe when we are dealing with mold. The animal is not aware that these spores can harm them at all. Dogs can develop severe skin, eye, and sinus infections and not to mention lung infections and even pneumonia. Unfortunately, the dog has no way of telling us that something is wrong with it. It knows, but cannot communicate this to us.

There are many other more modern, more professional ways to deal with the task of detecting mold on a piece of property. Any company that uses mold to detect dogs is not one that you want to deal with. Mold dog websites often have pictures of completely healthy animals and they will remain healthy for a while, but the typical cause of death is due to mold-related health complications.


Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration contractors and
Mold Remediation companies across the united states.

Mold Causes Valley Fever in the Southwest

There is a mold that exists in the southwestern United States, different areas of South America, and the deserts of Mexico that the majority of people are not aware of when they visit the area. The people the most at risk for coming into contact with this mold are construction workers and archeologists, because they dig around in the soil where this mold tends to be found. What is it called and just how dangerous is it really?

Coccidioides immitis causes a skin disease that has been referred to as “Valley Fever” by some, but as Coccidioidomycosis to physicians. The features of this skin disease are typically rashes, coughing, myalgia, rashes, and headaches. Myalgia is synonymous with “muscle pain” and this can be a sign or symptom of many other different kinds of diseases, not just Valley Fever. The usual cause of myalgia is the over-use of a specific muscle or possibly an entire set of muscles. If a person does not have a medical history of overworking or accidents, then the myalgia is probably being caused by a bacterial or even a viral infection. If it is present in a person chronically, then it could possibly be a sign of some deficiency in the person’s nutrition.

The disease is known to be endemic in the states of New Mexico, California, and Arizona.

The most common cause of C. immitis exposure is due to the digging or disturbing of soil that has been contaminated. For the mold spores to get into the air and allow you to inhale them, this contaminated soil typically needs to be wet and recently, in order for archeologists to be able to dig in soil in the southwestern United States, they have ordered the soil be saturated with water first to avoid this exposure. This has been put into practice not only with archeologists, but also any other occupation that involves digging into the soil. Soil can also be stirred up due to natural disasters such as earthquakes or dust storms.

Those at the risk for developing the most serious aspects of the disease can include those who are pregnant and in their third trimester, African Americans, Asians, and anyone with a weakened immune system, such as those who have HIV or AIDS. Severe pulmonary disease could develop in these individuals in addition to the skin rashes, fever, and other symptoms that are associated with Valley Fever.

Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration companies and
Dallas Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors.

Dangerous Mold in the Desert

It might not have occurred to you, but mold can exist even in some of the hottest climates, such as parts of the southwestern United States. Just because this mold can exist there, however, does not mean that it is not a danger to human beings. People who live in the deserts of the southwestern U.S. might not think that they are in any danger from mold due to the high temperatures and lack of rain, but the fact is that these areas are in just as much danger of mold and water damage as areas that get more rain and have more life-friendly temperatures.

Coccidioides simmitis is a dangerous mold that lives in the western deserts of the United States and causes what has become known as “Valley Fever”. This is a skin disease that can lead to death if it is left untreated for long enough and while this mold is located in the deserts of the southwestern United States and even Mexico, it is oddly absent from the deserts of other continents such as Asia, Africa, and Australia.

The reason that mold damage can be a huge problem in areas of desert such as those of Arizona and New Mexico is that residents sometimes use “swamp heaters” to cool down their homes and offices during the most hot and dry parts of the year. Unfortunately, the downside to these will cause the indoor humidity to skyrocket and condensation ends up building on windows and any other cold surface. Leaks can also occur where water pipes flow upward to the coolers on the rooftops and this can cause water damage to attics, ceilings, and walls.

Water and air conditioning are very important in desert climates and so the possibility of air conditioning condensation leakage and plumbing leaks is pretty high. Air conditioners and fans are used almost constantly and in some places, hot water heaters are not needed during the majority of the year because the water is hot when it comes out of the faucet.

Most of the mold insurance claims in the deserts of the United States are caused by water damage, even though most people think that desert climates do not have enough moisture to cause mold to become an issue. With the presence of the mold that causes Valley Fever in the southwestern United States, if you live in a desert area, you should be extremely careful to make sure that water leaks in your home or business are taken care of very quickly and efficiently.


Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
South Carolina flood water damage restoration and other states such as
Connecticut water damage restoration companies across the united states.