KERR COUNTY, Texas – In the wake of flooding in the Hill Country last month, an expert is urging people to keep pets away from rivers, lakes and other waterways in those areas to protect animals from contaminants.

Dr. Debra Zoran, co-founder and director of the Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team (VET), told KSAT that floodwaters are not considered safe for animals or people.

“All floodwaters have contaminants in them that are quite dangerous to humans and animals,” she said. “That’s whether you ingest them or whether they’re in contact with your skin.”

Zoran was deployed to Kerrville on July 4 with the university’s Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue.

She has been the agency’s veterinarian of record for several years and takes care of the rescue dogs.

“We know for a fact that in order to do their jobs, search and rescue dogs are going to have to get in the floodwaters,” Zoran said. “It’s just part of the job.”

This job can have negative long-term effects on the dogs, which is why Zoran makes sure they are properly bathed after every trip.

Non-working dogs do not have that same kind of protection, especially when it comes to drinking water.

“So if you think about your own house and what lives underneath your sink, what lives in your garage…all of these different things. Whenever floods happen, all of these things are now released into those waters,” Zoran said.

She said she has seen these kinds of contaminants, such as household cleaners and fuel, many times in the past 15 years in the field.

When assessing for potential toxins, she also notes the environment around the impacted area.

Because the flooding happened near still-water rivers, naturally occurring algae blooms are of particular concern when thinking of pets.

“They can be very toxic to dogs if they eat them,” she said.

However, these floodwaters are not safe for people, either.

Some contaminants can be transmitted to people without their knowledge, with some going undetected for years.

“They [the contaminants] can cause a variety of different health issues, ranging from immune problems to even cancer,” Zoran said.

Helping a pet find water in other ways, such as giving them baths or bringing them to backyard pools, can help prevent health issues before they happen.

Zoran said it may take weeks or months for the floodwaters to return to normal. The public should only go near it after several samples have been tested, she said.

“It’s just going to take a little while for this entire basin and region to come back to a place of ‘normalcy,’ and I think we just need to give it a little time,” she said.

Read also: