Be wary of letting pets jump into Moose Lake: Watershed Society
Beware of letting your pets jump into Moose Lake.
That’s what the Moose Lake Watershed Society is saying on Wednesday after hearing from local homeowners of pets dying due to contact with blue-green algae.
“If you see a bloom, do not enter into the water and prevent your pets from coming into contact with the bloom,” their page says.
Currently, there is no Alberta Health Services advisory for blue-green algae, but cyanobacteria is usually an annual occurrence around the lake.
Cyanobacteria can produce several different forms of toxins, some of which are lethal within minutes to others that can bioaccumulate and cause long term damage to vital organs such as kidneys and liver.
Contact can also cause severe dermatitis (skin reactions).
Blue-green algae can also be turquoise, green, brown, red, white or mixes of these colours. Blue-green algae blooms can look like fine grass clippings in the water, spilled paint or pea soup. Sometimes they look like a thick scum on the surface. They often smell musty or grassy when healthy and like ammonia when decomposing.
If contact occurs, AH}S recommends washing with tap water as soon as possible.
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