How to Keep Your Dog Safe from Blue Green Algae Toxins

Blue Green Algae Exposure has been linked to many deaths in Dogs these past few summers. Here are some things you can do as a pet owner to protect your pet from these deadly toxins.

Dogs more than other animals are vulnerable to ingesting the toxic algae because of their tendency to play in the water. If you love outdoor activities with your pet and your dog  enjoys swimming and fetching in water, you want to be sure to first assess the water conditions of lakes and streams before allowing your pet to play in the water. Dogs may also ingest the toxic bacteria by licking their fur or paws after swimming or wading in infested waters.

When you come up to a body of water, look for these first indicators of possible blue green algae

• The water has a foul smell
  
• The water looks discolored, has greenish foam or scum, or mats of algae floating on the surface
  
• The water has paint like streaks in it.
  

If I see any of these signs I will not allow my dogs into the water. Although not all algae is toxic, the best advice I heard is: "When in doubt, stay out"

Self Test for Blue Green Algae

I usually do a lot of research and check with local authorities about water conditions prior to going on hikes. Many lakes will have warning signs posted when tests reveal the toxic blooms,  but so many states don’t have enough resources to test all their lakes and rivers on a regular basis.

I have been searching for a way to self test for blue green algae.  

Recently I came across a self test on Amazon.  It is made by a company named 5 strands, and it was developed by a University in Finland. We've been using the test on several occasions and it has added a great deal of security to our hiking and camping adventures.
The test is called "BlueGreen Test"

The test kit  from 5 Strands pretty much comes with everything needed for the test. 

The kit includes: test cassette — sample jar —-- disposable pipette —- disposable gloves —-- 
Additionally you will need a container to collect a sample of the test water. The instructions included in the test say “large bucket” - but I seldom have room to carry a bucket on my hikes. I decided to use a large gallon size ziplock bag. I found that not only was this large enough to hold the test water to submerge the sample jar, but it was also very handy to collect all the materials after the test was finished and to help me safely carry out the waste.

I highly recommend that you familiarize yourself with performing this test at home, prior to using it on a hike or while camping. Although the instructions are very well written and clearly explain every step of the test process, using the test for the first time was sort of scary. There are several warnings in the instructions that made me a little nervous at first. But after using the test once, I was comfortable with it.

The test takes about 25 min to complete and the results are easy to read. If you would like to see us perform the test, you can see it here: https://youtu.be/aK_oABoiMEA

The 5 stands BlueGreen Test is something I now carry with me on all my hikes. I don’t want to take any chances with our dogs getting into water that has blue green algae!


If you love taking your dogs on outdoor adventures this might be something you want to carry with you as well.
For more information go to 5 Strands product page: https://amzn.to/3zZ6je3