A local health department has a warning for NJ dog owners

🐶 Dogs should steer clear of Timber Creek Pond in Gloucester Township

🐶 Camden County health officials blame elevated levels of algal bloom in the pond

🐶 The blooms can be deadly for animals when ingested

GLOUCESTER — The Camden County Health Department has a warning for dog owners.

Keep your pets out of Timber Creek Pond in Gloucester Township’s Timber Lake Park because of a moderately elevated level of algal bloom found in a recent test performed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

The county health department is asking residents to keep their dogs out of the waterway until the situation can be treated and resolved.

Cyanobacteria, also called blue-green algae, are microscopic organisms that can be found naturally in all types of water and sometimes rapidly grow out of control, or bloom. These blooms can make toxins that are deadly for animals when ingested.

“With this confirmation, we have set up signs around the pond to alert visitors of the situation. We are working to explore treatments for the lake to avoid this happening in future seasons, but for now, please keep pets away from the pond, said County Health Officer Paschal Nwako.

The county parks department will be working alongside the Rutgers Cooperative Extension to investigate ways to resolve the bloom in the pond.

It is important to call a veterinarian if your pet shows any of the following signs:

Loss of energy
Loss of appetite
Vomiting
Stumbling and falling
Foaming at the mouth
Diarrhea
Convulsions
Excessive drooling
Tremors and seizures
Any unexplained sickness that occurs within a day or so after being in contact with water

Any questions about cyanobacterial toxin poisoning should call the New Jersey Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.

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