Could the water in West Kelowna make your dog sick?

Parts of West Kelowna are currently under a water quality advisory and a vet is warning pet owners that dogs shouldn’t drink the water either.

In the past few weeks, Dr. Moshe Oz of Rose Valley Veterinary Hospital said he’s noticed more dogs coming into the vet with a parasite called Giardia.

"It's usually found in stagnant water. Usually, we have it a few times over the summer, it's normal, but the last couple of weeks we've seen multiple cases of Giardia."

The water advisory was put into effect on Aug. 4, and Dr. Oz said he’s seen more than 10 cases of the parasite since the end of July.

However, Dr. Oz said he can’t link the two together, as the actual West Kelowna water would have to be tested.

Approximately 11,000 people in West Kelowna have been told be cautious when it comes to the water. The advisory continues until further notice for customers on the Lakeview System. It affects 4,000 connections in Lakeview Higher, Rose Valley, Boucherie Centre, Shannon Wood, Tallus Ridge and Shannon Lake.

The Rose Valley Reservoir is experiencing higher than normal turbidity, which means viruses and microorganisms can then attach to the particles in the water.

Kirsten Jones, Communications Supervisor with the City of West Kelowna, said that the City of West Kelowna has a turbidity level of 1.2. A water quality advisory is sent out when turbidity levels are between one and five. After five, it becomes a boil water advisory.

Oz said the same rules that come into play for humans should come into play for animals.

During a water quality advisory, it is recommended that children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems bring water to a boil before using it. These people should also use boiled water for drinking, brushing their teeth, washing food, mixing formula and making ice.

That means animals should drink bottled water or boiled water that is cooled and should not drink toilet bowl water or any form of stagnant water in the advisory area.

Giardia causes animals to have chronic diarrhea, which can be a green colour and be slimy and full of mucus. Oz said in cases not detected early, dogs can experience dehydration, vomiting and other problems.

When a dog comes into the care of Dr. Oz, a stool sample is taken from the dog and medication is given right away.

Other veterinary clinics in West Kelowna told KelownaNow they haven’t noticed a higher increase of Giardia at this time.

Has your animal gotten sick since the water advisory was put into place? Let KelownaNow know.