PALM OIL, TOXIC - UK: (ENGLAND) CANINE DEATHS, ALERT
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Date: Wed 12 Apr 2017 19:56 BST
Source: Daily Mail [edited]
<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4406252/British-beach-fatbergs-KILL-pets.html>
Fatbergs [large masses of fat clumped together with other household
waste] from the Caribbean are washing up on Britain's beaches just as
families plan their Easter getaway. Vets are warning that dogs will
die if they eat the sinister-looking white blobs -- some as big as
boulders. And parents have been warned to steer sandcastle-building
and rock-pooling children away from them.
The lumps of congealed palm oil have bobbed thousands of miles across
the Atlantic from places like Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad. Blobs
have appeared on beaches at Newquay, Cornwall, and more are feared to
be heading for resorts along the south coast as traders gear up for
the Easter holiday season. They can be fatal for pets. Dogs have died
after eating the white or yellow waxy lumps which they love because of
the distinctive smell.
TV vet Marc Abraham said owners should not let their dogs tuck in
because the blobs -- covered in deadly germs -- will kill them. 'Dogs
will pick up anything on the beach, from pebbles, to food to palm
oil,' he said. 'These things can cause 2-fold problems: the 1st is
gastro, the 2nd is foreign body obstructions. As the palm oil is so
gelatinous, it can get lodged in the oesophagus and require emergency
surgery. If you think your dog has swallowed something it shouldn't,
contact your vet immediately.'
Penmellyn Vets, of Newquay, have gone on Facebook to warn about the
discovery of the substance on Porth Beach. The same surgery issued a
warning last year [2016] after staff had to give life-saving treatment
to 5 dogs which collapsed in agony after scoffing the white, waxy
blobs scattered on beaches at Constantine Bay and Treyarnon. 'Palm oil
has been found in small pieces on Porth Beach, just to make you all
aware,' they warned. 'Please share to keep owners informed. If you
believe your dog to have digested some, please call the practice.'
The blobs are congealed vegetable oil derived from the pulp of the
fruit of African, American, and Maripa palms.
Claire Wallerstein, of Rame Peninsula Beach Care in Cornwall, said
'It's incredibly dangerous. Dozens of dogs have died and people need
to know that it's around. We want to warn people about it, we want
people to be aware and careful with their dogs at the beach. They need
to get their dogs to the vets as soon as possible if they think they
might have eaten any of this stuff, or they could die. It's perfectly
legal for ships to dump it into the sea -- hopefully at some point the
law will be changed because obviously this stuff is dangerous and it
shouldn't be legal.'
In February [2017], blobs washed up along the Sussex coast, including
Rottingdean, Lancing, and Shoreham. Brighton and Hove City Council
warned 'Anyone who spots any suspected palm oil on the beach should
contact the seafront team on 01273 292716.' More bobbed ashore
recently at Folkestone, Kent, and others have been found on beaches in
Devon, Dorset, the Isle of Wight, and Hampshire.
A Cornwall Council spokesman said they have put up warning signs on
many beaches. 'People should keep away from the substance -- if you do
come into contact, wash it off using normal soap or shower gel and
water and wash your clothes.' Jon James, natural environment manager
for Cornwall Council, said their contractors have orders to remove the
substance from council-owned beaches and 'we will be providing advice
to the owners of private beaches.'
In June 2014, a 3 year old labradoodle, was rushed to a canine
hospital for a series of life-saving operations after he gulped down
lumps of the tropical palm oil on a walk along Kingsand beach near
Saltash, Cornwall. His owner said at the time, 'My husband was walking
him along the rocks in Kingsand when [the dog] ran off and started to
eat this large lump of palm oil. 'It was the size of a boulder. When
[the man] realised what was happening he shouted at [the dog], who ran
away. 'We were absolutely panic-stricken when we realised what it was
that he had eaten. We looked online and were worried that we could
lose him after seeing what had happened to other dogs, so my husband
rushed him to the vets straight away.' [The dog] underwent GBP 88 [USD
110] worth of vomit-inducing medicine, injections and a large dose of
antibiotics before being sent home to rest, and is now in a stable
condition. [The owner] said 'We were lucky. We are keeping him away
from the beach for now and I would warn other people to be very, very
careful if they do go to the beach. A dog died at Portwrinkle recently
from the same thing, so it's not uncommon.'
A blob weighing nearly quarter of a ton and measuring several feet
around was found on an Isle of Wight holiday beach in 2014. It needed
3 people with a trolley to cart it off the sands at Hamstead beach,
near Newtown.
In October 2013 in Cornwall, a miniature schnauzer dog, died after
eating some of the palm oil, forcing the council to post signs warning
of pollution. And in February 2014, [a woman] told how she was
strolling along the beach at Brighton with her Labrador cross, which
fell ill after eating a lump of the oil. She had to be rushed to the
vet and given life-saving injections.
A spokesman for South Hams district council near Dartmouth, Devon,
said blobs had been found on 3 beaches in the Salcombe estuary.
[byline: Nick Enoch]
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ProMED-mail
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[The photos of these in the source article above look like very large
pieces of slimy fat. They seem appropriately named as fat blobs. Fat
and salt (from the ocean) would be a very attractive (and unhealthy)
treat to a dog.
Large blobs, as the article describes, would tend to cause choking.
Also large masses of fat would cause pancreatitis. If the dog does not
choke or the blob causing the choking is removed, then any left over
fat making its way to the gastric system could still end up causing
pancreatitis. This disease has to be carefully managed and shortens
the life of our canine companions.
In addition, there could be harmful bacteria, or algae on these blobs.
If they are coming from ships, there could also be lipid soluble
chemicals in these fat blobs. - Mod.TG
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at:
<http://healthmap.org/promed/p/52209>.]
[See Also:
2015
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Palm oil, toxic, canine - UK: (England)
http://promedmail.org/post/20151120.38077982013
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Beach contaminant - UK (02): (England) canine alert
http://promedmail.org/post/20131026.2022620Beach contaminant - UK: (England) canine alert
http://promedmail.org/post/20131026.2021212]
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