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DAYS OUT AT THE BEACH:
ADVICE FOR DOG OWNERS
by Dugie Gemmill, Parkside Veterinary Practice
As Storms Ciara and Dennis fade into memory for those of us lucky
enough to have not suffered damage or loss to their destructive power,
I found myself having a not untypically British conversation with a dog
owner from our Wallasey branch, who for years had taken advantage
of the walking to be had along the beautiful beaches of the Wirral. Our
conversation drifted to how the front at New Brighton was ravaged by
waves and high winds, and then to the deposits of all manner of debris
on the beaches that would appear.
Although a frequent visitor to the beach he was not aware of a problem we
often experience on the Wirral coast – palm oil nuggets, lumps and even
boulders! In 1991 a Maltese ship, the Kimya foundered sixteen miles off
Holyhead and since then has leaked its palm oil cargo into our seas. Often
after heavy storms it makes it way as far as North Wales, the Wirral and
Southport. This edible vegetable oil is also used as a tank cleaning agent in
ships and they are legally allowed to flush their tanks into the ocean if more
than twelve miles from shore. Sadly, dogs seem to love it and unfortunately
while it is edible, it is heavily contaminated with oil and diesel residues.
Dogs eating it may become quite ill, some may require intensive therapy
and there have been fatal cases reported. Dullness, collapse and vomiting
are signs we have seen at the practice. Pancreatitis has been suggested to
be a complication. I advised the gentleman to be aware of any warning
signage on the beaches that the council might place and to heed any
warnings on local social media pages. If there is any suspicion that a dog
has eaten palm oil it should be taken straight to a vet. We would usually
induce vomiting with an injection. Dogs which are ill may require blood
tests and intra-venous fluid therapy.
We are lucky to live somewhere with such beautiful beaches but as in all
things there are hazards – some obvious, some less so. The sensible safety
rules over large waves, tides and strong currents apply as much to dogs
of all sizes as they do to children. At the moment, summer may seem a
long way off - remember dogs with thin coats and very pink skin can get
sunburn. Dogs don’t wear flip-flops when the sand is very hot, and their
feet can burn! Take plenty of fresh water on a trip to the beach. Dogs can
become very thirsty and if dehydration is compounded with drinking
sea water it is possible to see a condition called salt poisoning – severe
dehydration, dullness, vomiting, even brain swelling and collapse.
30 wirrallife.com
We all know how inquisitive dogs can be – they will have a sniff, a lick or a
paw at almost anything – and I often think the more disgusting something
looks, the more likely it is to spark an interest. Many years ago, my sons
and I were walking a beautiful, several-mile long beach in the north-west
of Scotland, called Balnakiel. It was stunning. One of our dogs, a teenage
Staffie cross was meandering ahead, but we lost sight of him. We all
quickened our pace and we approached what looked like a large rock, but
as we drew near appeared to be the back of a dead seal, washed onto the
shore. With still no sign of Cooper, we held our noses and walked by until
glancing back I saw the little devil inside the seal’s body cavity! It is awful
enough when our dogs roll on a dead fish, seagull or seal, but if they eat
rotting material there is the risk of illness. At Parkside we see the results
of a dog’s encounter with jellyfish several time each year. It is very unlikely
that such an encounter would prove fatal, but severe retching, drooling or
vomiting are frequent signs. Skin rashes, itching and redness of the feet
aren’t uncommon.
My last tale of beach-based drama we encountered on a September break
in Devon. Many of our clients know of Ghill, my little Staffie x Jack Russell
friend – Dr Gilbert to his colleagues at work! He loves a tennis ball, and
I confess he has slightly worn teeth as a result. On a beach a tennis ball
has the habit of collecting sand. The sand has a predilection for being
swallowed. Thankfully Ghill is indestructible and merely kept me busy the
following day trying to collect sandy diarrhoea in poo-bags on the campsite
we were staying on. However, ball-chasers and sand-diggers, could ingest
enough sand to create an impaction or blockage in their intestine which at
its mildest would need pain relief and intravenous fluid treatment and at
its worst could require surgery.
Please don’t avoid our wonderful beaches and coastline, just be a little risk
aware... oh, and remember to pick up after your dog…
Dugie is a graduate of Glasgow University and has worked at Parkside
Veterinary Practice since 1990 and has been the Clinical Director for the last
seven years. He has a keen interest in laparoscopic and orthopaedic surgery.