Pond at Edmond dog park tested for blue-green algae after pup goes to ICU
As Oklahoma heats up, the sun comes out and the rain slows down, blue-green algae can start to show up on ponds and lakes.
A dog owner now has a warning for others after she claims her pup got sick from the Edmond Dog Park Pond. The City of Edmond has locked the gate leading to the pond until officials can figure out if it's safe for dogs to go back in the water.
"We have never taken him to a pond before, so we thought it would be fun for him," Elizabeth Wright said.
Wright said a fun trip to the Edmond Dog Park Pond this weekend turned into a nightmare situation.
"I'm really scared he is going to die," she said.
Wright shared a picture of her 3-year-old German shepherd, Sarge, playing and drinking from the water. Everything seemed fine until they got home.
"We had been home about an hour. He started leaning to the side a little and started limping," Wright said.
Sarge's health quickly deteriorated. He started vomiting and soon couldn't stand. Wright rushed him to the emergency veterinarian.
"My dog is a perfectly healthy 3-year-old German shepherd. He has no medical history, no medical issues. Now, he is in the ICU," she said.
Wright contacted the city of Edmond, and officials decided to close the pond at the dog park and test the water.
"We aren't really sure what is going on, but we are going to keep it closed indefinitely and have it tested," said Casey Moore, with the City of Edmond.
The same pond had to be closed in 2019 and 2020 after blue-green algae, which is toxic for dogs, was found in the water. Blue-green algae doesn't normally appear, however, until later in the summer.
"You usually don't see that until it's hot and dry out," Moore said.
City officials said the tests should come back soon. They will then decide what to do from there.
Wright hopes other dogs don't get sick as Sarge did.
"I just sat at home and cried. He is like family. Your dog is like family," Wright said.