Three of my four dogs love to swim, as do I, and these very sad days in the northern woods even swimming can be extremely hazardous to our health.

Freshwater ponds, lakes, and streams today can be very dangerous if they contain toxins borne by a ‘blue-green algae.’

If the water where you, your kids, or your pets swim looks cloudy, with a green or blue-green cast, you should be very wary that a deadly overgrowth of this algae may be occurring, and you should prevent your children and your pets from ingesting any of this water.

A pet magazine recently confirmed a report from a Michigan dog owner whose nine-month-old Border Collie died shortly after swimming in such an algae-riddled pond.  This dog owner had regularly taken his three Border Collies to this pond for summer swims.

 Very recently, his youngest dog vomited after drinking some of the pond water, and shortly afterward, the dog lost consciousness.  Thinking that his pet had suffered 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 then quickly rushed his unconscious dog to an emergency veterinary clinic where she was placed on a ventilator, but very sadly, she did not survive.

The emergency veterinarian told this dog's owner that he had recently seen other dogs die from this ‘blue-green’ algae toxicity - a condition that can kill pets, livestock, and even people who drink this contaminated water.

And the dangers of this ‘toxic bloom’ are now well known, even in far northern states.  According to a website published by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, certain environmental conditions that 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 can thrive to a very dangerous level during periods of sustained warm, sunny days in shallow, nutrient rich bodies of water.

And Global Warming isn’t helping any of this.

In extremely warm conditions, the ‘blue-green’ algae suddenly ‘blooms’ - that is, it reproduces exponentially.  This algae then produces a very powerful toxin, one of the most powerful natural poisons known today.

The state of Minnesota is now warning its residents about this hazard, stating that blue-green algae blooms are occasionally responsible for the deaths of livestock and dogs that drink this contaminated water.

Dog owners should be aware that these toxic algae blooms usually occur in late summer or early fall, but they can occur at any time of the year, if the weather is warm enough.  And, they can occur in both salt and fresh water.  But the latter are of the greatest concern to dog owners, since our dogs commonly swim in ponds, lakes, and reservoirs in the summer months for recreation, exercise, and to cool off; and most canines routinely drink the water they swim in.

Some of these algae blooms look like foam, scum, or mats on the surface of the water.  These toxic blooms can be blue, bright green, brown, or red (‘red tide’ is perhaps the best-known ‘harmful oceanic algae bloom’), but some blooms may not even affect the appearance of the water at all.  And the water may or may not smell bad.  As a further difficulty for people trying to protect their kids or pets, not all algae blooms are toxic.

But when they are toxic, they can obviously kill or seriously sicken an animal, sometimes as quickly as within 15 or 20 minutes of ingestion.  The effects depend on the amount of water ingested, the size of the animal, the amount of food in the animal's stomach, the sensitivity of the species and the 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.

"In humans, skin rashes, nasal irritation, and 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."

The Minnesota Department of Health recommends that humans not ingest, swim, or wade in water with blue-green algae, or let children or pets play in 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."

Yet one more thing to worry about on my nature walks with my dogs these very sad days in the northern woods.

When I was a child, I loved wading through the thickest algae I could find in lakes and ponds, in search of frogs and turtles, and no one ever feared algae.  And I never heard of any animals dying from drinking water out of an algae laced pond.

And these days, the dreaded 'Red Tide' is appearing far more frequently in many parts of the world, in earth's many oceans.

Yet some people still refuse to even believe in Global Warming.
 

Please protect your children and your pets, and please check on the algae conditions in your area before you or they dive into the water for a cool, refreshing, summertime dip.