Roadie and Lee Knorr.jpg

Lee Knorr and her American bulldog Roadie. Knorr said her three dogs and two cats drank Flint's toxic tap water for about a year before she bought a filter for her pets water. Courtesy photo.

FLINT, MI -- Four dogs have tested positive for lead poisoning in Genesee County in the last two months, but it is unknown if the animals were in Flint or how they were exposed to the hazardous material.

Jennifer Holton, spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the Animal Industry Act of 1988 doesn't allow her to reveal where the animals were located or talk about an individual dog.

"We can't discuss case-specific animals," Holton said.

There have been five cases of dogs that tested positive for lead, according to Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development figures released as part of thousands of pages of emails, internal communications and other documents unveiled by Gov. Rick Snyder on Friday, Feb. 12.

"Whatever they are doing for themselves they should be doing for their pets as well," Holton said. "If they have any concerns they should be working with their vet."

Flint resident Lee Knorr worries that her three dogs and two cats have lead in their system from drinking toxic tap water in Flint.

Knorr's two American bulldogs, yorkie/matlese and two cats had their water dish filled with unfiltered water from her home's tap for about a year.

"I have worried about them to the point that I went out and bought a filter for them," she said. "I have not seen any obvious adverse effects, but I don't really know what to look for."

The Michigan State University extension office has urged pet owners to get their animals examined by a veterinarian if they think their animal has been exposed to lead.

Severe lead poisoning is more common in young animals and affects the gastrointestinal and nervous systems, according to Merck Veterinary Manual.

Dogs also may exhibit anxiety, hysterical barking, jaw champing, salivation, blindness, ataxia, muscle spasms, opisthotonos and convulsions, the Merck Vetrinary Manual said.

Some GI problems caused by lead poisoning include anorexia, colic, emesis and diarrhea or constipation occur in dogs, the manual said.

The amount of absorption depends on multiple factors and varies between animal species, the MSU extension said.

"I do worry about my pets, but my mind has been more occupied with my three grandchildren and four great nieces and nephews that also live on my street," Knorr said.

Flint's water is currently in the national spotlight after elevated blood lead levels were discovered in some Flint children after the city changed its water source from Lake Huron water purchased from the Detroit water system to the Flint River in April 2014, a decision made while the city was being run by a state-appointed emergency manager.

State regulators never required that the river water be treated to make it less corrosive, causing lead from plumbing and pipes to leach into the water supply.

Even though the city reconnected to the Detroit water system in October, local officials have advised Flint residents not to drink city water unless they are using a lead-clearing filter.

Dominic Adams is a reporter for The Flint Journal. Contact him at dadams5@mlive.com or 810-241-8803. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.