As the summer heat continues to swelter, livestock producers should be keeping a close eye on their livestock’s water, as it could be festering with toxins. One potential toxin producers should be very vigilant about is cyanobacteria.
Miranda Meehan, North Dakota State University Extension livestock environmental stewardship specialist, said hot, dry conditions common in late summer are ideal for the growth of cyanobacteria.
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According to NDSU Extension, while cyanobacteria itself is not a toxin, it can produce toxins that are harmful to livestock as well as people. Cyanobacteria is a blue-green algae that grows due to excess nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus. In addition, when manure and commercial fertilizers are not used correctly the potential for nutrients lost into the surface water increases. When these nutrients enter that water, they help the growth of cyanobacteria.
NDSU Extension says monitoring nutrients closely is essential in keeping cyanobacteria at bay. Implementing things such as a buffer, to make sure that there isn’t any type of run off going into the animals’ water source.
Meehan said the toxins from cyanobacteria are fast acting, but some signs of an animal having ingested the toxin are if the animal is staggering around or difficulty breathing. There are two different toxins, a liver toxin and a neurotoxin, that can come from cyanobacteria, and depending on which toxin was ingested will impact the animal’s behavior and symptoms. Extension specialists advise to call a veterinarian if there is any suspicion that livestock may have ingested the toxin.
“Some signs that there may have been a bloom is if there's dead wildlife around that. Unfortunately, the toxins act really fast, and we might find a dead animal before we actually see a bloom, or we might not even see the bloom, it might have dissipated, and we find those dead animals,” Meehan said.