Vet warns dogs ‘at risk of death’ from sewage-infested seawater

A high-profile vet is warning people about the dangers of letting dogs swim in sewage-infested seawater.

Pollution warnings are in place for dozens of beaches in England and Wales after untreated sewage was discharged into the sea around the coast.

These include: Bognor Regis in West Sussex; Newquay in Cornwall; East Looe in Cornwall; Heacham in Norfolk; Rest and Sandy Bay (Porthcawl) in Bridgend; Morecambe North in Lancashire; Cowes in Isle of Wight; Robin Hoods Bay in North Yorkshire; Sidmouth Town in Devon; Shoreham Beach in West Sussex; and Southend-on-Sea, Essex.

Veterinary surgeon Marc Abraham told Yahoo! News that people should stop pets from going in the sea while raw sewage is rife across the country.

Dogs can contract illnesses such as gastroenteritis, which can be fatal, by ingesting poisonous seawater directly or from licking their fur after a swim.

Abraham said: “It can cause vomiting and diarrhoea, and be bloody expensive if they are hospitalised, at around one or two thousand pounds.”