STUART, Fla. — A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows more animals across the country are getting sick, with most dying after being exposed to the algae.
Pandora is a pint-sized patient perk. She is therapy dog, whose weekly check-ins at at Encompass Rehabilitation Center are something her mom, Becky Harris, never takes for granted.
“I think her personality is just spectacular,” she said.
Back in 2018, Pandora nearly had to be euthanized after being exposed to toxic algae outside their riverfront home. That year had one of the worst blooms in decades at the St. Lucie River.
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“It was really bad," Harris said. "Discharges were going on all summer long and then what happened at the end of August in 2018, there was a ton of discharge from the lake.”
Her veterinarian said that toxins from the algae where the fish were swimming made her sick.
“Pandora went out that morning and she saw a dead catfish and took a bite of it. I saw the whole thing," Harri said. "Later that day she was throwing up, she became lethargic, and I ended up taking her to the pet ER. She spent four days there.”
A new CDC report found this is happening to more and more animals.
In 2021, 16 states reported 117 people got sick from the toxic blue-green algae, and at least 2,700 animals-- from pets, wildlife and livestock. More than 90% of those animals that were reported sick died.
“It’s definitely very concerning that fact that we could start seeing more cases if these blooms tend to happen, more and more,” Dr. Josue Padilla of Clinic Boulevard Animal Hospital said. “Very deadly for dogs if they get exposed to this toxin.”
Recovery for Pandora was extensive.
“She was on plasma transfusions, life support drugs, antibiotics. She was on a lot of drugs and it was very expensive,” Harris said. “I made a little pact with God, and she was a therapy dog at that time, and I said I will take her two days a week, every week, from now on if you let her live.”
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Since recovering, Pandora and Harris have been advocating for clean water at the state and federal level.
“She’s best friends with Brian Mast and she’s met the governor,” Harris said. “We went up to Tallahassee. We talked to the department of health. We asked them to have warnings made more available to people. Obviously, we’d like to see less microcystin and algae in our waterways. We talked to the environmental protection up there.”
Wanting to one day fully eliminate the risk of cutting these visits with Pandora short.
“She’s so special. I hope she lives forever,” Harris said. “I don’t know if it will happen. She’s a special dog.”
That veterinarian told WPTV liver failure is a big concern if your pet is exposed to the toxins in blue-green algae.
The study noted some of the most common symptoms are being lethargic, vomiting and problems with muscle control.