More than 150 dogs struck ill as urgent toxin warning issued across UK beaches

AN urgent warning has been issued for dog owners to avoid walks on several North Yorkshire beaches after more than 150 pets fall ill from "toxins" in the water.

Vet nurse Brogan Proud urged dog owners to keep their four-legged friends off Scarborough beaches after a spate of cases of diarrhoea and vomiting.

In a Facebook post on Best Days Out in Yorkshire and Yorkshire Coast Pet Care pages, the worried vet said practices she worked at were being inundated with cases of sick pets.

She wrote: "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.

"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 added: "So I wouldn’t be surprised to see pets catching this just being near the beach i.e. the lines or cliffs etc, it's hard to avoid all these places it's more about being careful and vigilant with your pets.

"It's currently unknown what it is and what is causing it - if it comes from the dogs eating stuff on the beaches or going into the water."

Countless dog owners have since come forth with stories of their pets getting ill after a walk on the beach.