Pet owners warned to keep animals away from lakes and ponds after death of dogs

A Kerry County Council sign warning against making contact with the algal bloom that may appear in Lough Leane during the summer months. 

A vet is calling upon pet owners to keep their animals away from lakes or ponds with stagnant water after the death of a number of dogs that had been swimming in a lake on the border of Leitrim and Fermanagh.

Aoife Ferris of Lakeland Veterinary Services in Belleek, Co Fermanagh, said they have already witnessed numerous dogs in need of serious veterinary intervention after swimming in the lake over the past 48 hours.

Ms  Ferris said the lake, containing blue-green algae that is toxic to pets, was the cause of a number of serious illnesses, leading to acute organ failure in some cases.

Speaking to RTÉ radio’s News at One, Ms Ferris revealed her practice had come into contact with a number of cases where animals had died after swimming in Lough Melvin.

Ms Ferris described the recent cases that have occurred after dogs have been swimming or playing near the lakes, with physical signs presenting themselves almost immediately.

"Immediately, after they've come out of the water, some of them have started to present with signs such as drooling from their mouth, frothing at their mouth, seizures. And ultimately, unfortunately, these dogs have passed away pretty quickly after being down there."

The vet revealed that although there is a formal investigation underway to determine the cause of death for these animals, she feels all the clinical signs indicate the deaths were caused by an algae in the water.

“It is an algae called blue green algae. And it is very, very toxic to pets. 

They don't necessarily have to ingest the water. It can be something as simple as having a little bit of this on their paws and licking their paws afterwards. 

"It can cause acute organ failure.”

Ms Ferris spoke of how quickly the algae damages the animals bodies, saying: “Usually it works on the body very fast. It's very, very toxic. So it's really important for pet owners to be aware of this.” 

The appearance of the algae can vary, sometimes forming scum on top of the water, sometimes appearing as brown in colour.

Algae in Lough Leane in 2019. Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of a blue-green algae which may have the potential to form an algal scum which is harmful to pets.

The algae can also appear as foam on the shoreline, with an earthy or musty scent.

Not only does this algae pose a threat for animals, it is potentially harmful to humans, Ms Ferris warns.

“From the research that we have done over the last number of days, we can see that it can cause illness in humans. So it would be important for people to maybe avoid swimming in those areas as well.”

The algae appeared in Lough Leane in Killarney back in 2019, prompting Kerry County Council to erect signage as a warning to visitors.

Kerry County Council also made the decision to advise members of the public to keep their dogs on leads and prevent them from entering the water for their safety.