Vets’ heatwave algae alert for dog owners
STEER YOUR PETS CLEAR OF WATER WHICH MAY HOUSE BACTERIA
VETS have warned of a bacteria lurking in lakes and streams that can seriously harm dogs.
Pet owners should be cautious of blue-green algae while taking summer walks with their pet.
The algae can grow in all aquatic environments, but is especially dangerous in still water during the current hot weather.
If a dog comes in to contact with the highly poisonous algae, it could result in long-term health problems - or even death.
The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) provides services for pets across the UK whose owners struggle to afford treatment costs for their sick and injured pets.
Nina Downing, a veterinary nurse from the charity, said: “Dogs are particularly at risk, as they are more likely to drink from ponds while out on a walk, or groom themselves after swimming in affected water.
“The more aware we are of the potential dangers, the better we can protect our precious four-legged friends.” The hazard has been reported in Leicestershire on a number of occasions in the past few years.
One woman discovered blue-green algae at Mammoth Lake, in Watermead Park, Birstall, in January and the toxic algae also bloomed in Dishley Pool in Loughborough last August.
It was sighted at Hicks Lodge in Moira in 2020, while an outbreak the previous summer saw the closure of Rutland Water Beach and aqua park.
Blue-green algae often appears as a green or blueish scum, but sometimes has a brown tinge.
It is seen on the water’s surface, but can sometimes clump up and the blooms can create foam on the shoreline.
There is no way of telling if algae is toxic just by looking at it, and some types of blue-green algae are only dangerous at certain times of year, but the advice to pet owners is to always be cautious and not take any risks around it. Experts advise to steer your dog away from any form of still water, and if it looks bright green, avoid.
Animal Corner, Page 24