Comments on: Blue-green algae: Toxic scum can kill your dog

By: nicola keane

nicola keane — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:10:32 +0000

while taking our two jack russells for a different walk and a paddle in the local marine lake, (in Croby Liverpool) suddenly the younger of the two dogs had uncontrolable bowel movement until only clear slime was being excreted. Walking back to our car we passed a sign warning of the Blue Green algae presence, only when we got home and on the net did we learn of the fatal dangers for our dogs. This DANGER should boldly highlighted.

By: mike zilem

mike zilem — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 02:43:42 +0000

wow, i am 59 years young and i was raised up next to a creek that flowed near my home,there was one deeper spot know as the BLUEHOLE where on hot summer afternoons kids would come some with ther dogs , from near and far to dive wade and swim for hours on end,moss everywhere , filthy? oh heck yeah , i was about 7 and i played in it with my friends till we were at least 14 or 15 ,after that it wasnt to kool to smell like creek water,any how my question is ???how did everyone survive this?or is this something new??

By: Heather Franek

Heather Franek — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 07:57:27 +0000

O.K., I have just found the treatment myself, from a 2005 article in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Online paper. Bring it to your vet if you suspect poisoning:

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Jim Stevenson, co-owner of the Oregon Veterinary Clinic, treated the dog with intravenous fluids and Valium to reduce the seizures.

“Every muscle on the dog was going,” he recalled. “The legs were trying to run.” But Griffin couldn’t stand.

After Mittelsteadt described the thick concentration of blue-green algae in the pond, Stevenson also administered atropine, a poison antidote, and charcoal, to absorb any remaining algae in the dog’s stomach.

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Hopefully we will stop losing pets to this horror!

- Heather Franek

By: H. Franek

H. Franek — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 07:44:41 +0000

Hi, I’m glad you’ve put this up. I believe my cat may have died from this algae, this summer - in Minnesota no less - but even when I took him into the vet, algae poisoning was not the first thing they thought of, because his symptoms were more similar to a cat who had been hit by a car and had internal injuries. The pond next to our house was covered with green algae - like a mat, just as the descriptions said. He had only ingested a small amount of water, but I think he had gone over to the pond several times over the course of several days. Obviously he did not swim but several small ingestions are probably equivalent to one swimming session.

Perhaps you could post more on your site about what the treatments are, for vets who are unfamiliar - in a small number of cases you may save a life if a person can bring in the instructions to their vet off of your web site.

By: Jolly Jim

Jolly Jim — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 05:46:05 +0000

Thank you very much for this article. I run my R Ridgeback almost daily a mile or two and at the end of the run she goes for a swim in the reservoirs here in the UP of MI. One day about the middle of June the water had golden “seeds” floating in it. For some reason ZOE did not go swimming that day. Maybe she knew something was wrong.
Thank you again for this article.

By: Susan Fox

Susan Fox — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 02:40:21 +0000

I live in Humboldt County, California (about six hours north of San Francisco) and the algae bloom warning has become a yearly event since the death of nine dogs was front page news three or four years ago.
The South Fork of the Eel River and Big Lagoon seem to be the riskiest places.
Because I know that he will drink at the first opportunity, I don’t let my rough collie go anywhere near any river or lagoon around here from late June until the rains start in October. We go to the beach instead. Not much of a sacrifice though :-).

By: straybaby

straybaby — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 02:21:45 +0000

another thanks here! i have the 12-24 hour rule for the huge puddles we get here for dot rolling, and i’m sure they dry up before algae hits, but i know plenty of others i need to pass this on to! and another thing for me to remember when i hit country living!! OY! visions of playing with dog in river dance out of my head . . .

By: Trudy Jackson

Trudy Jackson — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 00:27:37 +0000

thanks gina, I had no idea. we have an old bog down back the dogs like to jump into.

By: Katie

Katie — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 21:09:01 +0000

I too want to say thank you for covering this story. Too often we forget the dangers of water to our dogs and ourselves.

Thanks Gina,

Katie

By: Linda

Linda — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 20:36:54 +0000

Thank you for this thread post Gina. I walk my dogs around G. P. Ponds but keep them away from the water even though many people swim their dogs in the pond. Well one day I forgot my portable cloth bowl I carry and just had my water bottle so I took them to the pond and was going to let them drink then I looked at the water - nothing but gross scum and I wondered how people could let their pets swim in it. Now for sure I’ll keep them away from all stagnate water and especially the scum -