PULLMAN, Wash. - As summer temperatures take hold, toxic blue-green algae blooms can be a deadly threat to pets across the Pacific Northwest.
Exposure to blue-green algae - or cyanobacteria - can kill pets in as little as 15-20 minutes. Animals can be exposed to blue-green algae and its toxins by simply contacting any affected water body, including ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, or even residential decorative ponds and neglected swimming pools.
"Just grabbing a ball or a stick from the water or even licking algae off their fur can be fatal," said Dr. Chelsea Sykes, a diagnostic toxicologist at Washington State University's Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory.
Cyanobacteria are microscopic organisms that live in fresh bodies of water that usually multiply and bloom when water is warm, stagnant, and rich in nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen from sources such as fertilizer runoff. Blooms typically occur in late spring through early fall and can resemble thick, slimy green paint or pea soup on and in surface waters and eddies of running waters. Blooms, however, can have many colors.
Dead fish, waterfowl, or other animals around a water source may indicate the presence of blue-green algae, but it is impossible to tell whether a given body of water has a toxic bloom without sophisticated testing. During warmer months, it is best to assume all still or slow-moving surface waters are potentially contaminated.
"Unfortunately, you can't tell if a bloom is toxic just by looking at it," Sykes said. "That's why we always say, 'when in doubt, stay out.'"
Symptoms of algae poisoning in pets can develop quickly and include vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, disorientation, pale gums, skin rashes, seizures, difficulty breathing, or collapse.
If a pet is showing signs of exposure, immediate veterinary care is critical. Pet owners can call their veterinarian or the WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital emergency line at 509-335-0711.
"Once symptoms begin, the window for treatment is very short," Sykes said. "Fast, aggressive care gives the best chance for survival."
To reduce the risk of exposure, Sykes recommends avoiding any water that looks discolored or like spilled paint, preventing pets from drinking or swimming in unknown water, and rinsing them off with clean water if they do get wet. It's also important to keep animals from licking their fur afterward.
"The best protection is prevention," Sykes said. "Keep your pets leashed near open water and always be cautious. It's not worth the risk."
