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Algae - The Risks
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| Blue Green Algae The Risks! |
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This silent but rapid killer is a dangerous hazard for any animal drinking or swimming in still water / ponds / lakes during certain weather conditions. Even non swimmers can be affected just by sipping at the water’s edge. Equally your dog can become infected just by playing with a dog which has been in infected water as those spores can be inhaled. Blue green alga is a spore which becomes active in the early warm days of spring, sooner in the south than the north. The warm weather and sunshine cause the spores to multiply. Usually found in still or slow moving water, it can sometimes be seen as a bloom on the surface, but often you cannot tell by looking. When the temperature cools, seasonally, and is wetter the situation is safer There is no antidote for the infected as the spore attacks the liver heart, spleen etc and excruciating death can swiftly follow. Many livestock and dog deaths have been reported where enough algae was ingested.Symptoms including; dermatitis, asthma, eye irritation, rashes, blistering around the mouth and nose, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea and collapse depending of the amount ingested. But any ingestation is dangerous. Direct contact or breathing airborne droplets containing high levels of blue-green algal toxins during swimming or showering can cause irritation of the skin, eyes, nose and throat and inflammation in the respiratory tract. Skin/eye contact, and ingestion are known to be routes of exposure. If you dog has been in contact with these spores there is a serious risk, just to be on the safe side, take your dog to the vet immediately. Many owners refuse to allow their dogs to swim in still water ponds or lakes until late autumn or early winter, depending on the temperature. Usually, alert warnings are put out by the water authorities to warn you, but they are unlikely to be able to cover all areas, private and public so use your own common sense. If you don't have perfect recall keep your pup on a leash near any suspect waters....for their own safety. |