Has anyone used "Select DTX' against mycotoxins?

[posspix]

I found an ad for this product, "Select DTX", in my AI guy's Select Sires catalog. Supposedly it counteracts effects of mycotoxins from moldy hay and feedstuffs. Here's a quote from its online ad:

"Select DTX is fed specifically to deal with molds and metabolites at a rate of 0.5 ounce per head per day. It is composed of special L-form lactic bacteria, saccharides, selected organic acids and vitamins.
Designed specifically for problems caused by molds and their metabolites, mycotoxins. Producers using DTX report:
Loose bowel problems dissipate quickly
Feed consumption stabilizes
Improved milk production
After 28 days, open cows show stronger estrus and conceive when bred.
General appearance of the herd improves substantially.
Economical - as low as 12.8 cents per head per day.
Stable for 2 years; store in cool dry place."

The ingredient list is: "Montmorilonite, calcium carbonate, aspartic acid, lactic acid, calcium lactate, thiamine monontrite, citric acid, papain, sodium potassium tartrate."

The ad in the Select Sires catalog says: "A combination of unfortunate weather conditions has resulted in increased levels of mycotoxins in feedstuffs this year. If your cows show any of the following symptoms, mycotoxins may be the reason for decreased performance: Sporadic loose manure, Decreased reproductive performance, Increased somatic cell counts, Excessive DAs or metabolic disorders, Reduced dry matter intakes, Reduced milk production, Short cycled heats, Erratic intakes, Cystic ovaries or even abortions, Unthrifty appearance."

Sounds like a cure-all, doesn't it?! I know some of the hay I've given my cows has smelled moldy and I've tried to remove the moldy parts... It seems to me that it couldn't hurt to try my cows on this product. Montmorilonite is the same as bentonite clay, which I know some people ingest to detoxify themselves.

Has anyone on this group tried such a product? Any opinions? - Janet

[Lannie]

I've never heard of this but am fairly well versed in molds and mycotoxins and what can and can't counteract them.

The first problem I see is that they claim the product to contain lactobacillus bacteria, but there is no bacteria listed in the ingredients. All I see is clay (the Montmorilonite), some sugar, minerals and vitamins. And citric acid is itself a mycotoxin (from Aspergillus niger), although not lethal in small doses.

The problem with a mycotoxin is it's a chemical by-product, not a living thing like mold. You can't kill a mycotoxin. The best you can do is remove it or neutralize it. The clay would help remove toxins in general from the digestive system, but mycotoxins don't stay in the GI tract. They go all over the body.

I really know nothing about this product, and it might be a great supplement to add, but I don't seriously think, judging from the ingredients list, that it would do squat to counteract a mycotoxin problem. If you think you have a problem with mold and mycotoxins, the best thing to do is go after it with oil of oregano. Oil of oregano can neutralize most mycotoxins, rendering them harmless. It's hotter than hell, though, so you'd have to figure out a way of getting it in your animal. And it's fairly expensive, although a little goes a long way. I'm not talking about oregano essential oil; it's called "Oil of Oregano" and it's diluted in olive oil.

~Lannie