Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/dogs-died-belton-lake-texas/

A pet owner issued a warning after their “mysteriously” dog died just minutes after playing in Belton Lake in Texas. More dogs in the area have been reported dead for unknown reasons after swimming in the lake.

When Delaney Presley took her 6-month-old dog, Koda, for a play-date at the lake, she had no idea the tragedy that would follow.

Minutes after playing in Lake Belton, located 10 miles west of Temple, TX, Koda began to seize and grow weak. Presley recognized something was seriously wrong and immediately began the 11-minute drive to the emergency vet’s office.

Just minutes after arriving at the vet, Koda passed away. Her cause of death was unknown and seemed mysterious. However, the veterinarians did mention that two other dogs had been brought in earlier that same day with similar symptoms and both had quickly deteriorated. The only common factor seemed to be that all three dogs had been playing in Belton Lake just minutes before beginning to seize and, ultimately, passing away.

A fourth dog was reported dead after playing in the lake shortly after, according to KCENNews.

Presley was heartbroken to lose her pup and knew she needed to warn others of the potential dangers of the lake. She issued a warning post on Facebook, saying:

“As sad as this makes me to post I feel the need to warn my other fellow dog owners. Today Koda my 6 months old puppy passed away after being at Belton lake. At the emergency vet clinic they said that they had two other dogs come in previously today that had went to the lake and sadly passed away like my boy with the same sypmtoms. The reason for kodas death is unknown but the vet said that it killed him within 30 minutes of when it entered his blood stream. Koda seized and then began to lose all strength throughout his body. It was an 11 minute drive to the vet and he was dead within minutes of arriving. I don’t know what is in the lake but it is something bad. Hold your pets close and love and cherish them”

Texas officials are investigating the multiple dog deaths and the lake water to try to identify the cause of death. While the investigation continues, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is urging visitors of Belton Lake to prevent their dogs from drinking from or swimming in the lake.

According to KCEN, officials are testing the lake water for cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae. As the American Kennel Club notes, “Blooms of blue-green algae can be toxic to canines and most often fatal.”

According to Erin Owens, the U.S. Corps of Engineers confirmed that the lake samples were sent for testing and the results will be on Wednesday the 17th at the earliest. They will release an official statement at that time.

Please remember to always be mindful of your dog and what water they drink and play in. Blue-green algae can be invisible to the human eye and is quickly fatal for dogs.

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Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog