Posts tagged "algae dogs"

Few things are cuter than watching a happy dog splashing around in the water. (After all, it's called the doggy paddle for a reason.) But a hidden danger lurks in many lakes and ponds -- noxious blooms of blue-green algae that can be harmful to people and fatal to dogs.

Officials in Minnesota last month warned residents to keep kids and pets away from suspicious looking lakes after linking the algae to the death of a 3-year-old black lab, the Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

The blue-green algae thrive in still waters, Matthew Lindon, a pollution control specialist with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, tells Paw Nation. These algae occur naturally in many bodies of water, he says, and normally don't cause harm to swimmers, either human or canine. But when nutrients in the lake are rich and temperatures are high, the algae can multiply like gremlins, forming a thick scum on the surface.

These large masses of algae, called harmful algal blooms, sometimes produce dangerous toxins, according to a fact sheet produced by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. After coming into contact with the algae, people or animals might have skin irritation or breathing problems. Dogs and other animals have died after drinking lake water containing the toxins, the Agency reports.