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Residents in the Sacramento area are being warned about blue-green algae, which has been found in rivers, lakes and ponds. Health officials are telling people and their pets about the blue-green algae, which can cause severe illness and death.
Warning signs are being posted on beaches after the death of a dog on Monday. The dog swam at Sand Cove Beach Park.
This is the third dog death attributed to blue-green algae.
According to environmental health professionals, blue-green algae can cause health issues to pets and humans when large quantities of the naturally forming bacteria form. Ingesting water can cause a number of health problems:
- Eye irritation
- Gastrointestinal distress
- Muscle tremors
- Breathing difficulty
- Neurological or liver damage
- Death
Depending on how much water was consumed and how much algae was found in the water, mortality can be rapidly triggered, said UC Davis veterinary toxicologist Robert Poppenga.
“We’ve had cases where dogs have gone in the water and come out – and within 30 minutes developed classical signs, and die,” Poppenga told The Sacramento Bee “Often people take them to the veterinarian but the dog is dead at the time of presentation.”
Blue-green algae is expected to increase as the severe California drought continues.
