I want to share with you another article by Dr. Becker. I, for one, didn’t know that blue/green algae could be deadly. Summer Killer Alert: Please Don’t Let Your Pets Breathe, Touch, Eat or Drink Here.
Story at-a-glance
- A summertime hazard many pet parents aren’t aware of is toxic blue-green algae, which are found in freshwater lakes, streams and ponds
- Blue-green algae contain deadly cyanobacteria that can cause severe illness and death, most commonly in dogs who swim in or drink from contaminated water sources
- Exposure to blue-green algae is a medical emergency and immediate veterinary care is required
- Since blue-green algae toxicity is often fatal even with aggressive treatment, play it safe by keeping your pet away from any body of water that is greenish in color
- Not all blue-green algae are toxic; harmful blooms usually smell bad and resemble pea soup, green paint or floating mats of scum
Also, just last week I learned about a dangerous plant called grass awns at Tails Around the Ranch, featuring Sam and Elsa, two great Standard Poodles. Their Mom writes, “… I know only too well that fox tails are very much alive and well in urban settings and can easily attach themselves to a leg or paw while walking. The result can lead to infection and extensive (read expensive) vet treatment.” If you, like me, are not familiar with this plant, you can visit Mr. Google or just follow the blog link to learn more about it.
It seems we and our animal friends live in a dangerous world. It’s summer here. Be safe.
Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess with Lucy and Chia 
We gave something that acts like velcro. It sticks to their hair and my clothing. It might be foxtail.
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I know, me neither!
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I have never thought of algae as being dangerous or look to see if it is a blueish colour. Nor did I know about grass awns….thank you so much my friends.
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I think I will have to see a foxtail in person to be able to recognize it later.
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GREAT INFO! I don’t have to worry about the Scotties and water. They refuse to go near it.I’m not sure about the foxtails. We do have something that sticks to their furnishings and has to be manually removed.
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Just look at the water. If the lake has good movement, it’s probably not got algae growing on it. But it does give one “paws.”
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Thank you for sharing this! My humom and her friend wanted to take me and my bff to the lake this summer! She didn’t know about the dangers of blue/green algae!
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Really? I have to get to AZ sometime.
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Freshwater lakes, streams, ponds? Not in Arizona.
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Oh, that sounds awful. I am sorry you had to go through that.
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This is VERY useful advice. i have had an event with grass awns (know as flea darts to us) The nasty dart worked its way up the inside of my floofy ear flap and in to my ear canal! I had a bad case of head shaking and a visit to the Vet to have it removed. Not a funs time for all involved!
Loves and licky kisses
Princess Leah xxx
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No kidding. Some days are harder than others, luckily we somehow manage and arming ourselves with info is one of the best ways to ‘keep on truckin’.
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Sometimes I wonder how we all lived this long, with all the ways to get sick and die!
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I couldn’t believe I never knew about this. Be safe.
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Amy, we have here also that poisonous algae, every summer there is in TV information to keep animals out of that water. This blue-green algae looks like paint poured in water, so it looks dangerous, too.
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Thanks for passing along this info, Amy and Lucy. Blue green algae is quite serious and grass awns (foxtails) can result in some very unpleasant results if not removed immediately. Hoping all our fur-iends stay safe this summer.
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