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- Dog owners are urged to be cautious when taking their pets to Tokai Forest.
- A community organisation warned that several dogs had become ill after playing in the river.
- The dogs apparently contracted giardia parasite, which causes diarrhoea, vomiting and weight loss.
Dog walkers have been warned to be cautious when taking their pets for walks in the popular Tokai Forest after reports that several dogs had fallen ill after swimming in the Prinskasteel River.
Parkscape, an organisation that alerts residents about what's happening in the area, posted a warning on social media, urging dog owners to be cautious after reports that giardia was found in the river.
Giardia is a common intestinal parasite that affects humans and animals.
Nicky Schmidt, founder and spokesperson for the organisation, said that, about two weeks ago, dog walkers in the Tokai area had raised concerns. Their dogs had fallen ill after playing and swimming in the Prinskasteel River in the Tokai Forest.
The Prinskasteel River runs from the Constantiaberg through the Tokai picnic site and into Lower Tokai. It then joins the Keysers River and ultimately flows into Zandvlei.
"When I received these concerning messages, I [asked] my team if they heard about giardia parasites found in the river. One of our team members noted that the Steenberg Vet had issued an alert to clients, advising dog walkers that there were increased giardia levels in the water."
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However, Steenberg Veterinary Clinic's Lora Moss said they were not aware of the claims.
"Nor have we been asked to put out an alert by any of our vets. We are trying to clarify this and will update as soon as we have any information, but as it stands no alert has been put out by Steenberg Vet," said Moss.
According to Schmidt, giardia was common in many of the streams that come off the mountain at this time of the year.
"As the water dries up, it starts to stagnate, and giardia and other parasites and bacteria levels increase. We are not aware of any dogs that have died due to this; only some of them have become ill.
"We have been in contact with local vets to understand the situation and whether there is giardia in the river," Schmidt said.
She added that, although it wasn't officially confirmed, dog owners should be cautious when taking their pets to the forest.
The spokesperson for the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, Belinda Abraham, said they had not received complaints from dog owners about the river in Tokai.
The SPCA's head veterinarian, Dr Rivona Ramnanan, said giardia was typically transmitted through the ingestion of contaminated water or food that contained the parasite's cysts.
Ramnanan said:
She said symptoms of giardia infection in dogs could include diarrhoea, vomiting, weight loss and lethargy.
"To prevent giardia infection in pets, it's essential to avoid letting them drink from or swim in potentially contaminated water sources, like rivers, ponds or streams," said Ramnanan.
According to the veterinarian, dogs must have clean drinking water when outdoors, and pet owners must be cautious when allowing them to consume anything from unknown sources.
"If your dog exhibits any symptoms of illness, particularly after being in water sources where giardia may be present, it's crucial to consult a veterinarian promptly for diagnosis and treatment," said Ramnanan.
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Cape Town's mayoral committee member for water and sanitation, Zahid Badroodien, said there had been no complaints about giardia.
"The City will require the exact location where this alleged incident took place to determine which stakeholder monitors this area. Some sections of the river are maintained by SANParks, while others are monitored by the City of Cape Town," said Badroodien.
SANParks spokesperson Lauren Howard-Clayton said they were unaware of giardia in the water.
