The New York Sea Grant and the State Parks have joined in to release a brochure and fact sheet educating the public on the dangers Blue Green algae pose when consumed by pets.
"It's pretty serious if they ingest it," Dr. Denelle Capobianco said, "So you would want to prevent your dog from going swimming or drinking any water that might be contaminated."
When ingested, pets could experience vomiting, diarrhea, stumbling, and excessive drooling among other symptoms. This could happen as soon as a few minutes from when a pet takes in the algae.
Blue Green Algae was seen in Hoyt Lake earlier this year, and according to Capobianco, it can remain in the water for "multiple weeks".
Her suggestion is to keep away from any water that has been infected, and to make sure dogs and other pets are leashed very close when walking around those areas.
For more information you can look at the fact sheet and brochure found in the links provided.
