# Dog drinking pond water



## vogurt (May 24, 2013)

We live on 20 acres, and my 1 year old will always, on her own go for a swim. Or during play time jump in the pond or crick and just gulp up water. her water dish in the garage where she stays, but obviously she'll take the water that's she's in!

We give her all the necesarry heart worm pills etc, and there anything we have to worry about?


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Yep. Leptospirosis, Giardia, Blue Green Algae........But the lepto you can get through a break in the skin as well. I always carry water and try to stop my dog from drinking from ponds but it can be a losing battle.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

It depends where you live. In my area, I would worry about: giardia; blue-green algae; water moccasins; alligators. And more.

Here's an example of how things can go wrong very quickly: 

The dog swimming hole at the local dog park is filled by a pump that draws off a pond nearby. My friend's GSD does what you describe -- gulping the dirty water. Last Friday, she was the only dog gulping the water, the others were just splashing and playing. Twenty minutes after leaving the park, she vomited violently. In the SUV, on the way home, she started having seizures. She didn't even recognize her owner and was thrashing her body against the wall of the car. She was screaming in pain. 

She went to the vet immediately. She was in ICU care for the next 36 hours. Multiple organ systems were affected by whatever toxin was in that water. The vet did not expect her to live. She did -- and she's fine. She was lucky she got to the vet as fast as her mama could drive, and the vet staff had been warned by phone that she was on the way and to be ready. My guess is that vet bill will be between $700-$1,000 since she had to go to an emergency clinic since it was 5PM on Friday.

The current theory is blue-green algae there: 
Blue-green Algae and Dogs, Blue-green Algae Poisoning in Dogs and Cats


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## vogurt (May 24, 2013)

we live in Minnesota.. The guy behind pumps the water for the stream I believe, and it is in inside and around a giant wetland space.\


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