Blue Algae in Greifensee, two dogs have died

Family, Education, Health and Pets
1
Zürich police have confirmed that two dogs have died after an outing by the Greifensee. High concentrations of blue algae may be a likely cause.

From an article in the 20 Min:

https://www.20min.ch/story/zwei-hund...e-519181759943

If water is cloudy, if it appears to have oil-like streaks or flakes on the surface, do not let your pets swim in it or drink from it. People should avoid it as well.

Blue algae has shown up in many areas of Switzerland in recent years; please keep an eye on local news. And keep an eye on any water in the areas you and your pets frequent.

If after encountering such water conditions your dog starts to shake, seem to have a seizure, act uncharactisticly lethargic, vomits or even if that little voice in the back of your head starts chattering, get to a vet ASAP.

2
And if your dog does jump in, wash wash wash the cyanobacteria off, put your vet on call and watch for symptoms!

3
Firstly thank you MelconCollie for the heads up for people who may not be aware of the situation at Greifensee. Very helpful advice for dog owners.

I feel very sorry for the dogs that have died due to their owners stupidity when it is very obvious to the naked eye that there is an algae problem in the Greifensee lake at the moment.

There is a scummy,slimey residue on the surface of the water and there is an odour also. It seems to be moving down the lake from Niederuster towards Greifensee. It has also appeared at Badi Furren.

To play it safe I would avoid swimming or allowing kids and dogs ANYWHERE near the lake for the time being. I do not understand why it takes two deaths before the police bring it to our attention. Surely water quality tests must be carried out and the public notified in these situations?

Darcy

4
Switzerland is soooo crowded that areas around lakes are either nature protection areas or swimming/public areas. In both of them dogs should be on a leash. So, how could this happen?

On top of that, right now is the wildlife breeding season. From small ducks to beavers.

5
You piqued my curiosity so I looked up the regs in the Greifensee area:

https://greifensee-stiftung.ch/hunde.html

Hunde sind am Greifensee gern gesehene Gäste. Damit die empfindliche Pflanzen- und Tierwelt und andere Gäste am See nicht durch Hunde gestört werden, gilt es die folgenden Regeln zu beachten:

- Im Schutzgebiet dürfen weder Hunde noch Hundehalter die Wege verlassen. Die entsprechenden Zonen sind in der Karte rechts rot markiert.

- Nehmen Sie Ihren Hund im Schutzgebiet immer an die Leine.

- Keine Leinenpflicht gilt in den Erholungszonen. Trotzdem sollte der Hund nur frei laufen, wenn Sie ihn jederzeit unter Kontrolle haben und er keine anderen Gäste stört.

- Rund um den See gilt Kotaufnahmepflicht.

So in the nature conservation areas dogs and their owners must stay on the trail, and be kept on lead.

In the Erholungszonen, there is no leash requirement. However, dogs should only run free when the owner has them under control at all times. Dogs should never disturb other folks using the area.

(My note: 'Under control' can mean voice control with a well trained dog. It requires the owner to pay constant attention to where the dog is and what it is doing, though. Put the d*mned phone away. And if your dog is not instantly recallable, keep him on lead until you have mastered that skill.)

Poo must be picked up throughout the entire area.

A map of where the Schutzgebeit and Erholungszonen are can be found here:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer...818393776&z=13

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But all this is beside the point during a blue algae event. Right now, keep your dog under control and away from the water, in all zones around the lake.

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And veering OT but while we are talking about water dangers... for all new to Switzerland:

https://www.blv.admin.ch/blv/de/home...tospirose.html

Leptospirosis is a summertime concern as well. Don't let your dog drink from standing water - puddles, plant saucers, etc. And get him vaxx'd!

6
Indeed, blue algae is a seasonal thing. I guess there could be warnings about sunny and warm seasons and what could grow on the lake water.

It happened this year, it will happen next one. And unless there's an unusual cold and rainy spring and summer, it will keep happening.

7
Just a general headsup.

Blaualgen, cyano algae, are omnipresent in Swiss lakes. Ususally they're not a problem, but the current weather are not usual, they can make cyano algae a deadly trap. Water temperatures in the high twenties with lots of sunshine are thought to be optimal growing conditions for them. The algae prefer calm and stationary waters.

If you can't see your feet when you're kneedeep in the water you do want to stay out. Likewise when you see stuff that looks link pollen on the surface, doesn't need to be yellow-ish. What applies to you grownups applies all the more to dogs and children.

And do pay attention to signposts on the shore and heed their instructions.

The Greifensee appears to be a prime candidate for explosive cyano algae growth. It looks like the same applies to the Neuenburgersee, lake Neuchatel, a month ago a dog died. They're not alone though.