The City of Austin is now investigating a report of a dog that died on Sunday within one hour of swimming at “Barking Springs,” which is an area downstream from Barton Springs Pool. The cause of death is unknown, but exposure to toxic algae is a possibility.
City scientists observed a few isolated mats of algae near rocks in that area and have taken samples for testing. Earlier this summer, the City of Austin detected toxins in algae samples at all monitoring locations on Lady Bird Lake and at Emma Long Metropolitan Park on Lake Austin. No toxins have been detected in water samples.
Ingestion of toxins in algae may be fatal in dogs. Dogs may be exposed by drinking the water, eating the algae, or licking it off their fur. People can have symptoms from these toxins as well but, because humans are less likely to ingest the algae, the risk is far lower.
If your pet has a sudden, unexplained illness or signs of poisoning after swimming, call your veterinarian right away or the Texas Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222. You may also report the suspected exposure to harmful algae at AustinTexas.gov/Algae.
