Dogs

Ask the Vet, with Dr. Mark: Are Amoebae Dangerous to Swimming Dogs?

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Dear Dr. Mark,

My Genoa likes to swim when we go in the boat or walk to the lake. We are careful about allowing her to swim in areas where gators have been seen. I was glad to read the articles here about gators and how to be more safe around fresh water.

My question is about the amoeba (ameba?) that I have read about that are dangerous to humans in warm water such as lakes and rivers during Summer. Is this something I should worry about with Genoa? She's a chocolate Lab that loves to swim as most Labs do. I hate to keep her out of the water and she has never had ear troubles or any problems with swimming. Are there any worries about amoeba for dogs? Thank you for your helpful information. Karen Y.

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Hi Karen,

Great question! Amoebae, Entamoeba histolytica if you wanna get fancy, are protozoan organisms that are found in tropical and subtropical regions; therefore we just don’t see many cases up here in New York, and I really had to do some digging to refresh my memory J. Amoeba infections can be pretty serious in humans, primates, and reptiles, but are rarely an issue in dogs. People usually become infected when exposed to food or water that is contaminated by human feces. Yuk! Right?

Humans carry the infective form of the organism and WE actually transit this issue to dogs or cats. For the few number of dogs that do actually develop disease, it can cause a mucoid/bloody diarrhea secondary to ulcerative colitis. Rarely these organisms can affect the liver, kidneys, and brain. I said rarely, but I should say extremely rarely.

The bottom line here is that it is not enough of an issue to make me even think twice about keeping a lab out of the water. That’s almost as bad as keeping a fish out of the water! This would be analogous to saying never go to the mall because you might catch a cold. If Genoa would happen to get it, it is very easily treated with Metronidazole, an antibiotic. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Thanks for reading!

Dr. Mark

Dr. Nunez is a practicing veterinarian while also assisting patients through The Balanced Canine blog and his own online veterinary pharmacy.

Have a question for Dr. Mark? Send it to [email protected]. You can also follow Mark on Twitter.

Read More By and About Dr. Mark:
Dog Care: Do's and Don'ts for First Time Dog Owners

A Changing of the Guard Dog: Meet Your New Ask the Vet Columnist

My Dog Licks His Packmate's Eyes

***Thanks to the Gilbert family for sharing Cahill as a cover model for today's post.

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