What We’re Reading | Keeping animals safe from blue-green algae

Let’s do what we can to keep our animals safe from blue-green algae

By Roy Lewis, for Alberta Farmer Express

Over the years with increased phosphorus and nitrogen getting into bodies of water, there have been more blue green algae blooms and that means more contact with cattle, as well as dogs, birds, wildlife and, of course, people.

With cattle, most of the time we get sudden death but also neurology cases.

Wildlife, including birds, can be a sentinel species when it comes to consumption of contaminated water. If dead wildlife are found especially by a body of water suspicions are raised. This is where wildlife officers, producers, their veterinarians and the medical profession can provide surveillance for each other.

The main focus is on the large publicly used bodies of water and Alberta Health Services posts notices about bodies of water where blue green algae has been spotted at ahs.ca/news/bga.aspx.

Read More

‘What We’re Reading’ is a quick look at some of the issues and insights Alberta Beef Producers’ content creators and editors are reading to stay up-to-date, to broaden perspectives, and to explore issues relevant to the agriculture industry.