Health Wellness
Written by Kelly Glasson, Staff Writer
Emergency Preparedness & your Pet
dangers of swimming in your local pond
During the summer months in Charleston when the heat is brutal and the humidity is at an all time high, cooling off in the water is a necessity. It is also important for our dogs to keep cool and is very helpful in lowering their body temperature. But what happens when what you think is helpful to your dog actually becomes harmful and potentially fatal? Melissa Martin, a resident in Wilmington, North Carolina suspected nothing when taking her 3 dogs to swim in a local pond. What she didn’t realize was this swim was about to become fatal. In an emotional Facebook post shared by Martin to warn other dogs owners about this bluegreen algae after losing all 3 of her dogs to lowcountry dog 10
it, she explained that her dogs started having seizures. Upon bringing them to the emergency veterinarian, she discovered their livers had shut down, leaving her with nothing she could do. Deaths in dogs have been reported due to this algae in North Carolina, Texas, & Georgia. Swimming bans have been placed in multiple locations across the country throughout this past summer due to this harmful algae. “The toxins produced by blue-green algae is potentially fatal to dogs,” says Dr. Sarah Graham, an emergency veterinarian at Veterinary Specialty Care. “Pets may be exposed by swallowing contaminated water while swimming, licking the toxin off of their fur, or contact with their skin.”
