This month has been a hot and humid one which means everyone has been heading to the water. We are lucky to have an abundance of natural water holes to take a dip and cool off.

What we need to be aware of is that these local watering spots can be dangerous when agricultural and storm water runoff leave large amounts of nutrients in the water. This kind of buildup leads to the growth of green algae.

What You Need To Know

  • Blue-green algae contains toxins that can make you and your pet sick

  • It can be spotted by looking for greenish reddish blobs in the water

  • Dogs are most susceptible to poisoning as they love to play in and drink water

  • Dogs that drool, vomit, act confused or weak, or have a seizure may have been exposed

The term green algae has been making headlines across the country and more importantly to our everyday life in our back yard. It is characterized by its floating paint appearance in the water with a green and even reddish coloring.

These plumes of algae can be floating around in a body of water but becomes problematic when winds push it to shore. 

These smelly, mucky, floating plumes of algae are dangerous to our health due to the fact they can contain toxins that can make us sick.

Lucky for us we can see, smell, and distinguish areas that could be infected, but unlucky for our pets, they cannot! If your pups are anything like mine, when you arrive to a beach they are the first ones in jump in.

Tips to be sure your pets stay safe

Dogs are most susceptible to poisoning from green algae due to their love for playing in and drinking up water.

Once the toxic water is ingested, the symptoms of poisoning develop within 15 minutes.

These symptoms include drooling, diarrhea, vomiting, confusion, weakness, and seizers. If any of these signs develop you need to seek medical attention of a vet immediately. 

To avoid exposure to your pet be sure to keep them on a leash when around water. Do not allow your pet to drink from the water and provide them with clean water instead.

Avoid water ways that are still and do not have movement as this leads to more bacteria growth. When arriving to your water playground of choice, look for the algae as described above and avoid if the water looks contaminated. 

Swimming and enjoying the water is a part of summer we all look forward to, but we need to be sure we keep ourselves and our furry family members safe. Trust me when I tell you this, your pet knows you love them and will appreciate you keeping them safe!