Dear Dr. John,
We have an appointment to have our dog seen at our vet in the morning. He drank some stagnant pond water in the woods that had some algae growing on it late this afternoon. He vomited a few times this evening. It had us concerned. While he might have picked something else up, we did some quick research, and it appears that he may have been exposed to something called cyanobacteria which apparently can have some devastating effects. Hopefully, everything will work out, but we thought this might be a good topic because of the many dogs that walk in the woods near our home that might also drink the same water. J.D.
Dear J.D.,
I cannot say with certainty what your dog may have consumed or what may happen, but the topic is one of potential significance at this time of year with algal blooms occurring on ponds and lakes throughout our area. Cyanobacteria algae can color water a blue green but is more commonly seen later in the season when temperatures are higher. It is important to note that not all algae are of this kind and therefore many algae are not harmful if ingested.
Toxins produced by cyanobacteria can lead to many significant and rapid onset clinical signs including shaking or seizures, vomiting and diarrhea, liver failure seen by icterus or jaundice, as well as itching and rash. I am hopeful that if your dog seems comfortable right now that he will be fine and that whatever he potentially consumed was not of a toxic cyanobacteria.
In case of any toxic ingestions, it is important to act quickly by inducing vomiting, neutralizing and absorbing the toxin with activated charcoal, giving fluid therapy to flush kidneys and the bloodstream, and doing bloodwork to assess various organ functions looking at liver and kidney values as these are the two organ systems that detoxify the body.
If ever one is concerned about a potential toxic exposure to their pet, they should have the animal seen as soon as possible at an emergency facility rather than waiting.
Dr. John de Jong is President of the World Veterinary Association. He owns and operates the Boston Mobile Veterinary Clinic and can be reached at 781-899-9994.
