Dogs drinking from fish ponds - Page 1

I happen to be reading the about contracts posted on this forum, when I saw one member had added to his posting that his puppies think the Koi pond is their's. Please remember that ALL fish ponds contain a bacteria that is needed for the fish, BUT toxic to dogs. The chemicals put in the ponds to maintain them does not destroy this bacteria, it promotes it. Dogs can develop unexplained anemia (one of the more severe problems), as well as difficulty in breeding, (due to low sperm counts or under-developed ova). Puppies are still in their developing stages and are even more prone to developing permanent health issues from ingesting fish pond water. Remember the best water for dogs is always fresh.

What if it's a tiny garden pond where you've never added anything to, but just let the water age before adding fish? I have a tiny one that I  *try* to keep the dog away from, it has a fountain/waterfall, and only 2 tiny goldfish. I haven't had any issues with this in all the years I've had it. Do you just mean the big, fancy koi ponds that are chemically maintained? 

Huh?  What about lakes and goldfish ponds?

Jenni:     You only have a tiny pond with "two tiny goldfish", and you state that you try to keep the dog away.   I am sure you probably change the water frequently and clean the pond liner regularly, as well as  the waterwheel (this removes any chance of algea growing).  It will not cause a problem if your dog happens to sneak an occasional drink.                                         Fawndallas:       The problem is when there are a large number of fish,  any kind in a pond,   and  dogs are left to drink out of it frequently.    The more fish in this type of setting, the more bacteria that the fish need to live is present and the more the danger to the dogs health.   Lakes are a different danger.    You have to be careful with lakes  as they tend to form blue-green algea  which  causes liver damage and death in dogs, as well as humans.   It is important to carefully look over the edges of lakes before letting your dog enjoy even swimming in it.    Any scum that you see floating on top of the water is algea... That being said, an algea free lake is better for dogs than a fish filled pond.   
I am not trying to scare anybody into tearing up their ponds.   I am just saying  dogs need fresh water not  fish water and great supervision.    

Kevinvet,
Are you referring to the nitrifying bacteria, Nitrosomanas and Nitrobacter that convert ammonia to nitrite than to nitrate?  I have never heard of these bacteria being harmful to humans or dogs.  These beneficial bacteria are colonizing bacteria and prefer to live adhered to surfaces with good water flow and oxygen enriched water.  These bacteria are ubiquitous and found in the ground and every lake, stream, river and ocean in the world.  They are part of natures filtration system.  I would say that the chemicals added to a fish pond would be more toxic than these bacteria. Without these beneficial nitrifying bacteria we would not be able to maintain fish in a closed environment like an aquarium or goldfish / koi pond.    

While I do agree that access to fresh water is absolutely necessary for our dogs, there are far worse things in ponds and lakes than nitrifying bacteria.  If you were to sample water from any aquarium or koi pond you would also find aeromonas and pseudomonas amongst a host of other microorganisms.  Aeromonas and Pseudomonas are very common and can infect humans and other animals.  You will find these in lakes, streams and ocean water as well.  There are some types of algae that can be toxic to animals as well.  Honestly, I would be more worried about the chemicals added to the pond than the bacteria present for my dogs.  There are ways to filter and maintain high water quality in a pond with out the use of chemical filtration.  Keeping the water crystal clear and the pathogen count in the water low is fairly easy with a UV sterilizer.  A UV sterilizer will kill the harmful bacteria and viruses present in the water with out adding any harmful chemicals to the water.  One thing to keep in mind is that no matter how much you filter or sterilize aquarium or pond water you will never be able to eliminate all of the pathogens, bacteria and viruses.  You can only lower the population to acceptable levels.   

I think he is partially referring to cyanobacteria, some of which do produce toxins:
http://epi.publichealth.nc.gov/oee/safefromhab.html

Slamdunc, I agree that there are far worse things in ponds and lakes than bacteria...

Cyanobacteria occurs as an algae bloom and does kill livestock and can be very harmful.  These blooms can occur is salt water; aquariums and ocean water and are usually a red slime type algae.  They can also occur in fish ponds and fresh water aquariums as blue green algae blooms.  It is very easy to control and by growing aquatic plants like water lilies and hyacynths (sp) that out compete the algae for nutrients and shade the water from sunlight.   It is important to balance the pond especially when Koi are added.  A low fish or bio load, coupled with light feedings and heavy aquatic vegetation will maintain a natural balance and little if any filtration will be needed.  However, most people lack the self restraint needed to not constantly feed their pond fish as they always "appear" hungry.  As I mentioned earlier, algae and bacteria blooms are easily controlled with a properly sized UV sterilizer, and/or the proper plant to fish ratio.

Jim,
I did not know you knew that much about aquariums/ponds/salt water aqauriums. I have worked aquariums for years and LOVE them. I am the person at work that most of the customers and employees come to when they need advice about salt water set ups.

I use to have a good sized salt water tank and several smaller (10 to 30 gallon) fresh water tanks. I now just have my 30 gallon fresh water tank. I miss having a salt water tank!

At work I take care of tropical tanks, salt water, koi and gold fish tanks.

I have a large koi pond but I do not let Casey james drink from it. My friends who have koi ponds let their dogs swim in it, and it makes me cringe :( I dont use chemicals, at all in my pond. I have a good filtration system and the water is crystal clear, but if CJ drops his ball in there, it gets soaked in the water from my instant hot, in the sink, before I give it back to him.