You have read about it on Facebook or heard it on the news this month. Three dogs died in Austin after playing in a water front dog park called Red Bud Island, where 40% of the water was covered by blue green algae, and they died shortly afterward. Three more dogs died in North Carolina, beginning with seizures after only 15 minutes of exposure. These are the stuff of nightmares, for pet owners and veterinarians. I have thankfully never seen a case of this rare toxicity, but it is real.
Blue-green algae are single cell organisms, but make large colonies and filaments. They grow in a wide variety of conditions and can thrive in nutrient-rich stagnant bodies of water. They can form blooms so thick it appears that blue-green paint covers the surface of the water. Blue green algae are found all over the world, and there are many kinds.
Two forms, Anabaena and Microcystis, are found in Texas that are known to produce substances which cause taste and odor problems in water supplies, and they can produce toxins that are poisonous to fish and wildlife that drink water contaminated with the toxins. Fish kills have occurred in private stock ponds as a result of blue-green algal blooms and there have been a few reports of livestock dying from drinking water contaminated with blue-green toxins. In addition to toxicity to fish and wildlife, there are documented cases of blue-green algal toxins harming humans in other parts of the world through the consumption of poorly treated waters.
Symptoms of blue-green algae poisoning depend on what type of toxin (,microcystin vs. anatoxin) is present. Clinical signs of blue-green algae that produce microcystins, typically include:
• Malaise/lethargy
• Weakness
• Not eating
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Black-tarry stool
• Collapse
• Pale gums
• Jaundice (yellow) gums
• Shock
• Seizures
• Death
With blue-green algae that produce anatoxins, symptoms include:
• Inability to walk
• Hypersalivating
• Excessive (eye) tearing
• Tremors
• Muscle rigidity
• Difficulty breathing or blue gums
• Death
Either way, these are bad toxins, with no specific antidote. Best advice is to keep your pets away from stagnant mossy green ponds.
The City of Lewisville has our water checked out by state regulatory agencies and it always passes with flying colors. We normally have outstanding water here in Lewisville, but it can have a “dirt” taste in August. Some people say it is the lake “turning over”, others say it is from algae blooms that are harmless. But it is undeniable that sometimes in August the water can taste funny.
What I see as a vet is more bladder infection and stones in August that I believe might be related to decreased water drinking because of the off taste. Even dogs and cats can taste water and have preferences. If you see that your pet is drinking less water in the hot weather, please offer them filtered or bottled water, or maybe even put some ice cubes in it. We need to do anything to encourage lots of water drinking during these “dog days of summer.”
For more information:
http://www.pethealthnetwork.com/dog-health/dog-toxins-poisons/blue-green-algae-a-deadly-danger-dogs
