Two dogs have died and at least three more have fallen ill after bathing in and drinking water from a lake in south-east France, with dog owners in the area warned to be extra-cautious.
The two dogs who died perished less than an hour after going into the Pelleautier lake in the commune of Freissinouse (Hautes-Alpes). They suffered from seizures, vomiting, excess salivation and loss of consciousness.
Owners have reported at least three other dogs who became ill after having walked and bathed in the lake’s water the same weekend.
The alert spread after one of the owners whose dog died, Maël Pray, posted on social media, in a Facebook Group dedicated to lost dogs or dogs in danger in the Hautes-Alpes. She told news website Le Dauphiné that “it had all happened very quickly”. “In 15 minutes, it was over. She died in the car,” she said.
The Facebook post warned dog owners about suspected poisoning at Lac de Pelleautier after several pets fell critically illMaël Pray / Facebook
The owner of a snack bar, La Motte Flottante, which is next to the lake, posted on her business page that she had heard from five dog owners in total about similar issues.
One local vet, who saw a case of a similar poisoning the same weekend, with a dog suffering from signs of poisoning, seizures, and excess drooling, told France 3: “We were able to save it thanks to the quick thinking of its owner.”
The vet added that the symptoms were consistent with poisoning with a household cleaning product or a product that “kills slugs”.
More owner stories have also been posted online about dogs falling ill after drinking from the lake.
One wrote: “Our dog went for a swim and drank water from the lake; we had to take him to the emergency department at Saint Roch because he had persistent diarrhoea and was feeling unwell.”
Another said: “A friend had to rush her cocker spaniel to the vet…he lost consciousness with convulsions and was drooling profusely, an hour after drinking from the lake…she thought he had died on the way there.” The dog was saved.
Natural bacteria or poisoning?
Algae in water can be dangerous and even fatal for dogs, but owners affected by this spate of poisonings believe that the incidents were not caused by natural algae.
On her Facebook post, Ms Pray later edited it to write: “After the autopsy, [it seems that] our dog must have been poisoned; the vet does not see how natural bacteria could be so fast [to become fatal so quickly].”
“Someone with malicious intent must have tipped a bucket of household cleaner into the lake, or worse, poison was placed there or spilled,” said the snack bar manager, repeating what she told the gendarmerie and the regional health authority l’Agence Régionale de Santé when she reported the incidents.
She said that in 23 years, this is the first time that such incidents have occurred.
Tests are now being carried out on the lake water and an inquiry has been opened. Any other dog owners who have noticed health problems with their dogs after visiting the lake area are advised to contact a local vet urgently.
