Dog owners issued urgent warning as 150 pets fall ill after walking on the beach

12 January 2022, 10:38

By Naomi Bartram

@naomibartram

Dog walkers in Yorkshire have shared their concerns after their pets fell ill with sickness and diarrhoea.

There has been an urgent warning issued to some dog owners to stay away from the beach after a number of pets fell ill.

Veterinary nurse Brogan Proud has said practices across the North East coast have received many calls from concerned locals about their pooches.

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Pet owners who live near Scarborough or the East Coast have also been sharing their concerns on Facebook, with many writing on the Best Days Out in Yorkshire and Yorkshire Coast Pet Care pages.

Here, dog parents have said their pets have suddenly begun suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea after going for a walk on the beach.

Brogan told Teesside Live: "I work within several practices up and down the North East coast and we have recently been inundated with dogs coming off the beaches with vomiting and diarrhoea.

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"Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any correlation other than contact with the beach so maybe ensure they don't eat anything on the beach and wash them off if they've been to the beach in case it is a toxin or similar.

"Personally until the local authorities have got to the bottom of it I would not recommend taking your pets on the beach for the foreseeable future.

"I have been in touch with governing bodies and they are currently looking into it.

"If your dog is showing symptoms please make the local authorities aware as well as seeking veterinary attention should your pet need it."

She also went on to say that dogs and birds could spread the illness in their faeces, adding: “It's hard to avoid all these places, it's more about being careful and vigilant with your pets.”

It's currently unknown what the mystery illness is and what is causing it, but Brogan said it could be spread by the dogs eating things on the beaches or going into the water.

Brogan advised anyone in that area to wash off their furry friends thoroughly if they have wandered on the sands, adding that the local governing bodies are currently looking into it.