Can dogs drink pond water treated with copper sulfate safely?

Hello Chris. I know that the stories about this algae is very concerning. If there are areas around you where city officials have stated that this particular algae may be present, then it is a very good idea to avoid those areas with your pet. Contact with the algae can cause very serious neurological issues in pets that lead to respiratory distress and even death. There have been several cases here in my home town of Austin where people tragically lost their pets. However, if your city officials say that an area is safe, then you should be OK to let your dogs swim and drink in cleared water areas. Always check before you visit lakes and rivers for the latest health advisories. and bring water from home for your pets to drink if you are unsure of the area. Stay safe! I'm from Colorado, so say hello to those beautiful mountains for me! Please Feel free to contact me with a Consultation if you have further questions!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Mj tested positive for blue green algae but I'm glad you sought out veterinary attention. Clinical signs of poisoning are dependent on the toxin involved. Microcystins can result in liver damage or failure. Signs of liver injury include vomiting, diarrhea, blood in stool or black, tarry stool, weakness, pale mucous membranes, jaundice, seizures, disorientation, coma, and shock. Death generally follows within days as a result of liver failure. Blood work changes include elevated liver enzymes, a low blood sugar, a low protein, and even abnormal clotting. These are things that your veterinarian would be able to detect. Anatoxins result in neurotoxicity evidenced by excessive secretions (e.g., salivation, lacrimation, etc.), neurologic signs (including muscle tremors, muscle rigidity, paralysis, etc.), blue discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes, and difficulty breathing. Death typically follows within minutes to hours of exposure as a result of respiratory paralysis. If Mj is not showing any of the clinical signs above, I think her risk of being in liver failure is low. However, her pale/white gums are very concerning to me, as this could indicate anemia, or a low red blood cell count. This can make dogs dangerously hypoxemic, meaning they don't have enough oxygen in their blood stream to perfuse their tissues. I would contact your veterinarian to let them know that she is having these signs, so they can determine, based on her exam and bloodwork from her previous visit, if additional intervention is necessary. I hope this is helpful!

This is a potentially serious problem. A piece of copper may cause copper toxicity which can damage the liver or be fatal. Inducing vomiting may be dangerous, so that decision should be left up to your veterinarian. An abdominal x-ray can be taken to confirm or rule out an ingestion. If Kalli did swallow a piece, it should be removed as soon as possible. This may require endoscopy or surgery.

Hello. You just need to use your own senses. If the water looks very cloudy & there is obvious scum on the water & collecting on the shore, stay away. If the water smells particularly putrid, stay away. Basically, if you would not go into the water, neither should your dog & everyone will stay safe. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

From Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook: In dogs, the most prevalent adverse effects associated with penicillamine are: -Nausea, vomiting, and depression. While penicillamine should be given on an empty stomach (at least 30 minutes before feeding), if the animal develops problems with vomiting or anorexia, four remedies have been suggested: -Give the same total daily dose, but divide into smaller individual doses and give more frequently. -Temporarily reduce the daily dose and gradually increase to recommended dosage. -Give a long-acting antiemetic one-hour before dosing. -Give with a small amount of food (e.g., cheese or bread) if one of the first three do not alleviate vomiting. -Although thought infrequent or rare, fever, lymphadenopathy, skin hypersensitivity reactions, or immune-complex glomerulonephropathy may occur. A case of hemolytic anemia in a cat has been reported. -Penicillamine can reduce GI dietary mineral (zinc, iron, copper, and calcium) absorption and cause deficiencies with long-term use. Pyridoxine deficient states may occur; supplementation advised. Dietary restriction of copper intake is an important part of therapy but does not replace copper chelation if excessive copper storage is already present. Dietary copper is restricted to <5 mg/kg (ppm, dry matter basis). Most puppy and adult dog foods contain 15-25 mg/kg (ppm, dry matter basis). Prescription hepatic diets contain lower levels of copper. For example, Hills L/D contains 4.9 mg/kg copper (ppm, dry matter basis). Organic diets may or may not have an appropriate copper level - being organic does not necessarily mean it is healthier. You may want to contact your local municipal authority or water utility company to inquire about mineral contents. Copper level could also be increased if you house uses copper pipes. you can get your water tested. If the water contains more than 100 micrograms per liter, then bottled demineralized water should be used. This water should contain only 1 microgram of copper per liter. Demineralized water and distilled water are processed differently and may not contain the same amount of copper. I am not aware of the specific copper contents of different brands, you may have to call the information number for a specific brand to ask about the copper contents.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This can actually be quite severe of a toxicity and while it is not for sure that Jessie was exposed to it, it is certainly possible. There are several signs that can develop secondary to this toxicity. Most concerning ones are signs secondary to neurologic effects and liver failure such as melena (black stools), severe vomiting, lethargy, seizures, difficulty breathing, pale gums and/or collapse. Given that she is already acting strange, she should be evaluated by a veterinarian to start checking for any of these possibilities. I hope that she is fine and she was not actually exposed. Good luck and have a great day!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Charlie. There are a variety of diseases that can be spread through water. However, if he only sniffed the rain water or licked a small amount, then it would be unlikely that he would be affected. This is especially true if he is still acting normally. In the future, try to avoid rain water. However, dogs seem to seek it out. Monitor him for any vomiting or attitude changes. I hope this information helps!