How to Protect Your Dog from Toxic Seaweed in Austin
Lady Bird Lake is prone to harmful blue-green algae blooms that produce toxins that are deadly to dogs. Here’s how to protect them.
Alyssa Vidales, Austin American-Statesman
If you were planning to spend your Labor Day weekend at the beach on Lake Geneva, you may have to change your plans.
Four beaches in the city on Lake Geneva remain closed due to blue-green algae. This algal bloom can produce toxins that can make people and animals sick and, in some cases, even lead to death.
According to the Walworth County Health and Human Services Department, Riviera Beach, Big Foot Beach, Town of Linn Beach and Linn Pier Road Beach on Lake Geneva have been closed since Tuesday due to algae. The four beaches are also marked “closed” on the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ beach closure map.
Williams Bay and Fontana beaches on Lake Geneva, which were also closed last weekend through Tuesday due to algae, have now reopened. The Geneva Lake Environmental Agency and Walworth County Health Department said they will continue to monitor the condition of the water.
What are blue-green algae?
According to Walworth County DHHS, “Blue-green algae are photosynthetic bacteria known as ‘cyanobacteria’ that can cause illness and death in humans and animals. Blue-green algae are a natural part of marine ecosystems and algal blooms have been present for many centuries.
“Algal blooms occur when conditions are right. Little wind, warm water, sunlight and abundant nutrients, especially phosphorus, increase the likelihood of a bloom. Blue-green algae follow sunlight and nutrients by floating to the surface, where they can form thick foam layers or mats and the surface can appear bubbly or foamy. Algal foam can be blown to different locations by wind.”
Not all algal blooms produce toxins, and larger blooms can have higher concentrations of toxins. However, there is no way to know immediately whether a bloom is dangerous or not – a laboratory test that takes several days is required. Harmless blooms can also become more toxic, and toxic blooms can become harmless over time.
How to protect yourself from blue-green algae
The DHHS strongly advises avoiding swimming and other recreational activities in areas where blue-green algae are present, the water looks like “pea soup” or “spilled paint,” or where algae mats are floating.
You should also avoid fishing where there is algae. Always catch fish before preparing and eating it. Also, always shower with soap after swimming in a lake.
“Harmful algal blooms can change rapidly in severity and location based on lake conditions,” the DHHS said. “Knowing the potential risk so you know where to swim is key to keeping your family and pets safe and healthy until the bloom passes. Swimming is the highest risk activity because of the risk of inhaling or swallowing water. Boating or kayaking poses fewer risks.”
How to protect pets from blue-green algae
Blue-green algae can be especially dangerous for pets and other animals because they are more likely to eat it or lick it off their fur. The DHHS strongly advises not to let pets swim in or drink from “discolored water or water in which you see foam, scum, or floating clumps of blue-green algae.”
Every time your pets swim in a lake, be sure to wash them afterward and bring fresh drinking water with you when you go to the lake.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, blue-green algae can cause lethargy, difficulty breathing, diarrhea, seizures, weakness, vomiting, and even death in pets. Seek immediate veterinary care if you believe your pet has been poisoned by blue-green algae.
Symptoms of blue-green algae disease in humans
According to the Wisconsin DHS, contact with blue-green algae can cause the following symptoms in humans:
- Sore throat
- traffic jam
- Cough
- Panting
- Breathing difficulties
- Eye irritation
- Itchy skin
- Red skin
- Urticaria
- Blow
- Earache
- agitation
- Headache
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
- Vomit
Citizens and veterinarians should call 608-266-1120 or complete the online form “Harmful Algae Bloom (HAB) Illness or Sighting Survey, F-02152” to report any blue-green algae blooms and related human or animal illnesses to the Wisconsin Harmful Algal Blooms Program.
