Two dogs were left needing emergency treatment after eating potentially deadly palm oil on Ainsdale beach.
Their owners Neil and Martha Prior are now warning other dog walkers to be vigilant for the substance when visiting the beach.
The couple were walking three-year-old Bruce and two-year-old Herbert on Sunday when they noticed the dogs were eating a strange substance.
Due to its white colour, Neil initially thought the block could be a washed up fish but having heard of earlier reports of palm oil on the beach, decided to take no risks.
Within half an hour, the Bedlington Terriers had been taken for emergency treatment at Vets4Pets where it was confirmed the item was palm oil - a substance which is harmless to humans but can be fatally toxic to dogs.
Neil said: “I’ve been up in Southport for four months now and we walk the dogs on the beach daily.
“We’ve take the dogs there and I came across it once before bit it was a lot smaller.
“It was more orange but I was still aware it was palm oil and so it was dangerous. This time it was a lot bigger, the whole chunk was probably three or four inches.”
He continued: “The vets had to induce vomiting so they gave them something to induce the vomiting before the palm oil could get into their system. It was important that we got them there quickly.”
With charges from the emergency vet service plus the costs of subsequent blood tests, Neil and Martha ended up paying around £600 as a result of the ingested palm oil.
“At the end of the day, they’re like family and you love them, so you do what you have to.
“But if you’re on the beach, just keep them on a lead where the high tide is and be aware of what you’re dog is sniffing around.”
Large amounts of palm oil were found along the Sefton Coast in the summers of 2017 and 2018 after washing up from a two decade-old shipwreck. Extensive clearance efforts were carried out by Sefton Council and signs have been put in place warning of the harmful effects.
A spokesman for the Sefton Coast Landscape Partnership said: “Palm oil debris is harmless to humans, but it can be fatal to dogs if eaten.
“Unfortunately dogs are attracted to the smell of the stuff, so pet owners are advised to remain vigilant if walking your dog on the coast, especially around tidelines.
“Pet owners should keep their dogs under close control on the beach, especially along the tideline, although the material can appear elsewhere on the beach after a high tide.”
