The Summer Danger Hiding in Plain Sight (In the Water) 🌊

Quick one for you before your next walk near a lake, pond, canal or reservoir — because this time of year it matters more than usual.

Blue-green algae.

You've probably heard the name. You might even have walked past it without realising.

But here's what a lot of pet business owners don't know:

Blue-green algae isn't actually algae — it's bacteria (cyanobacteria, if you want the proper term), and it can produce toxins that are genuinely dangerous to people and animals. 😬

What It Actually Looks Like

This is the bit that catches people out — it doesn't look like a hazard. It can show up as:

✔️ Green or turquoise wispy streaks, like someone's spilled paint on the water ✔️ A green scum sitting on the surface

✔️ Cloudy or lumpy clumps of green particles

And it tends to build up right where dogs love to paddle and drink — along the shoreline.

Paint like Blue Green Algae

The Quick Test

Not sure what you're looking at? Poke it with a stick:

✔️ Breaks into small particles or clumps → likely blue-green algae

✔️ Tiny round leaves (2-4mm) → that's duckweed, harmless

✔️ Hair-like strands or soft tubes → that's filamentous algae, also harmless

Why The Big Deal?

Blue-green algae has been linked to the deaths of dogs, horses, cattle, birds and fish across the UK. For people, contact can mean skin rashes, eye irritation, vomiting, diarrhoea, fever and joint or muscle pain.

If a dog in your care (or you yourself) has been in contact with water you think might be affected, don't wait it out — get veterinary or medical advice straight away.

What You Can Actually Do About It

There's a free citizen science app called Bloomin' Algae (from the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology) where you can report blooms you spot, and even get email alerts for bloom records in your area. Handy if you're regularly walking dogs near the same stretch of water and want a heads up before you go.

We don't have to be scientists to keep the animals in our care safe. We just need to know what to look for, and what to do if we spot it. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE APP