A regular swim at a dog beach marked safe for swimming nearly ended in the death of a beloved pet after the dog contracted blue-green algae poisoning.
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Cook resident John Courtney had taken his one-year-old Jack Russell terrier Sinji to the Dengi Bamir dog beach for a swim on Lake Ginninderra on Thursday morning. When they got home, he noticed his pet was displaying unusual symptoms.
"I noticed he was very sick and that he couldn't stand up, and he would fall over and become limp," Mr Courtney said.
Mr Courtney rushed Sinji to the Belconnen Animal Hospital after the dog started going into seizures, at first thinking he had been bitten by a snake.
Instead, Sinji was quickly diagnosed with the usually fatal blue-green algae poisoning, after swallowing only a small amount of water from Lake Ginninderra during the swim.
Sinji deteriorated so quickly he had to be placed in a medically induced coma.
Mr Courtney said a website showing water quality levels in the ACT and signs at the lake said the site was safe for swimming.
"I was very concerned, I knew I had to move very quickly to save his life," he said. "Sinji absolutely loves the water and he loves playing in it.
"I didn't know how severe an effect the algae could have and I assumed you could see it as a green scum on the surface."
After being monitored overnight, Sinji was brought out of a coma and was able to leave the animal hospital the next day.
Hospital vet Shannon West said it was the first case of blue-green algae poisoning he had seen for 18 months, which he said was normally fatal.
"He was fairly lucky under the circumstances," Dr West said.
"We get a case like this every couple of years. The last case we saw 18 months ago, the dog died within the hour."
There are no tests to diagnose blue-green algae poisoning and Dr West said a small amount could kill an animal in a short amount of time.
"The signs typically present very quickly, normally in an hour," Dr West said.
"It starts with tremors and seizures and then it can lead to the dogs salivating and urinating uncontrollably."
While signs at the dog beach marked the area safe for swimming, Dr West said recent dust storm around the capital could have led to an increase of algae in the lake.
Algae in the lake can also develop more quickly after heavy rain.
He said said Thursday's incident was a warning for pet owners to be vigilant over the summer months when more dogs used designated beaches.
"Even when the lake is tested to be OK, there still can be some risks," Dr West said.
Mr Courtney said Sinji was on the road to a full recovery and on a course of antibiotics.
"We're keeping the exercise down to one short walk a day," he said.
"Sinji's still got plenty of bounce in him."