Summertime Alert for Dogs Who Swim

Freshwater ponds, lakes and streams could be deadly to your water dog if they contain toxins borne by blue-green algae.

If the water where your dog swims looks cloudy, with a green or blue-green cast, you should suspect a dangerous overgrowth of blue-green algae, and prevent your dog from ingesting the water.

Whole Dog Journal confirmed a recent report, currently in wide circulation in dog-related e-mail lists, from a Michigan dog owner whose nine-month-old Border Collie, Vita, died shortly after swimming in a pond near Fenton, Michigan. The man regularly brought his three Border Collies to the pond for conditioning swims. But on Monday, June 25, his youngest dog threw up after drinking some of the water, and shortly afterward, lost consciousness. Thinking that the dog had heatstroke, the owner immediately applied ice to her stomach, checked her temperature (which was normal), checked her gums (also normal), and called his veterinarian. The owner quickly took his unconscious dog to an emergency veterinary clinic, and she was placed on a ventilator, but did not survive.

The emergency vet told the dog’s owner that he had recently seen other dogs die of blue-green algae toxicity – a condition that can kill pets, livestock, and people who drink the contaminated water. “Had I ever heard of the danger of blue-green algae, I never would have allowed my dogs to swim in that or any other pond; I would have bought a pool,” the owner told Whole Dog Journal.

The dangers of a “toxic bloom” of blue-green algae are well known in some states. According to a website published by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, certain environmental conditions that generally occur late in summer can trigger a sudden overgrowth of a certain family of algae called cyanobacteria. This type of algae occurs in many aquatic environments year-round, but may thrive to a dangerous degree in during periods of sustained warm, sunny days in shallow, nutrient rich bodies of water. In these conditions, the blue-green algae suddenly “blooms” – that is, reproduces exponentially. The algae produce a powerful toxin – one of the most powerful natural poisons known. The state of Minnesota warns its citizens about this hazard, stating that the blue-green algae blooms are occasionally responsible for the deaths of livestock and dogs who drink contaminated water.

However, when the man whose dog died this week in Michigan contacted his state’s Department of Natural Resources, looking for more information about the dangerous algae, he says he was told that the toxic blooms rarely occur except in late summer, and not to either panic or panic other people. “Had someone else panicked, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now,” the grieving owner told the state representative.

Dog owners should be aware that toxic algae blooms usually occur in late summer or early fall, but can occur at any time. They can occur in marine, estuarine, and (especially) fresh water. The latter are of the greatest concern to dog owners, as dogs are commonly taken to ponds, lakes, and reservoirs in the summer for recreation, exercise, and cooling -- and they routinely drink the water. Some of these algae blooms look like foam, scum, or mats on the surface of the water. The blooms can be blue, bright green, brown, or red (“red tide” is perhaps the best-known so-called “harmful algal bloom”) – but some blooms may not affect the appearance of the water. The water may or may not smell bad. As a further difficulty to dog owners trying to protect their dogs, not all algal blooms are toxic!

When an algal bloom is toxic, obviously, it can kill or seriously sicken an animal, sometimes as quickly as within 15 or 20 minutes of ingestion. The effects depend on the amount ingested, the size of the animal, the amount of food in the animal’s stomach (a full stomach has some protective effect), the sensitivity of the species and individual animal, and the amount of toxin present in the bloom.

According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, “An animal that has ingested toxins from an algae bloom can show a variety of symptoms, ranging from skin irritation or vomiting to severe disorders involving the circulatory, nervous and digestive systems, and severe skin lesions. In the worst case, the animal may suffer convulsions and die . . . . People are seldom seriously affected by toxic algae because the unpleasant odor and appearance of water associated with blue-green algae blooms tend to make us avoid it. However, skin rashes, nasal irritation, or other health effects may result from skin contact with algal toxins. Swallowing or ingesting water with a blue-green algae bloom may cause symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, or nausea; headache, throat irritation, or muscle pain; and in severe cases paralysis or respiratory failure.”

Further, the Minnesota Department of Health recommends that humans not ingest, swim or wade in water with blue-green algae, or let children or pets enter it. “If contact does occur, the material should be washed off thoroughly, paying special attention to the swimsuit area. If your pet comes in contact with a bloom, wash off your pet’s coat to prevent the pet from ingesting the algae while self-cleaning. If you suspect the animal is sick from the algae, call a veterinarian immediately.”

“More people should know about this hazard,” the Michigan dog owner told us, his voice choking with grief. “I don’t want this to happen to anyone else’s dog.”

Source:  Whole-Dog-Journal.com