Although many people take their pets to the lake to cool off, be aware that blue algae is at levels high enough to kill pets now in North Carolina. | Canva
Although many people take their pets to the lake to cool off, be aware that blue algae is at levels high enough to kill pets now in North Carolina. | Canva
Jordan Lake is generally popular, especially when the weather is warm. Pet owners, however, should take care as algae blooms are thought to have sickened, and even killed, some dogs over the weekend.
With the veterinary cases, the Chatham County Public Health Department has published a warning on social media, advising pet owners to keep their dogs out of the water. The state Department of Environmental Quality and state Department of Health and Human Services is investigating.
“There's some coves sometimes where there's more muck that comes together, and we just kind of avoided those areas,” John Lakas, a resident of Chapel Hill who took his dog to the lake, said in a WRAL report Monday.
The Farrington boat launch area of the lake hasn’t been linked to any of the cases yet, but samples were being collected from various spots at the lake.
If you take your pet out in the water with you, keep an eye on the water. If you see discolored water — areas that resemble the look of spilled paint — that are unnatural colors like green, blue, red or brown, chances are that’s an algae bloom.
If dogs ingest some of the algae, they might start showing symptoms like vomiting, stumbling and falling, loss of energy, tremors and seizures. In that case, pet owners should contact a veterinarian, sooner rather than later. It can be deadly, and it can kill quickly.
It's rare for humans to become ill from an algae bloom, but devastated pet owners said it’s not worth the risk for your four-legged friend, with some advising that if you see what you suspect to be algae, don’t let your pet in the water.
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