Dog walkers warned as potentially deadly lumps of palm oil wash up on British beaches

Dog owners in Cornwall have been warned about the dangers of palm oil, after a white substance washed up on beaches in Newquay and Portheras.

“Palm oil pollution on coves around Pendeen this morning [and a dead gannet],” The Friends of Portheras, a volunteer group, said on Twitter on Tuesday, sharing images of the substance.

The white blocks were also found on Fistral Beach last month, according to Cornwall council.

“We acted as soon as the reports came in of this white substance being washed up on Fistral Beach,“ a council spokesperson told The Independent.

“Cornwall Council have been working with the site manager to ensure warning posters have been posted along the beach, as a precautionary measure​.”

The spokesperson said the council had not confirmed the substance was palm oil.

But a post on Fistral Beach’s Facebook page, published in July, suggested that it was.

“We have just been informed by the lifeguards that palm oil has been washing up on the beach,” the post read.

“This can be very dangerous for them so please keep a close eye on your dogs when walking them on any beaches today.”

The post has since been deleted.

Palm oil can make dogs extremely ill

“Over recent years there have been a number of incidents where deposits of a substance believed to be palm oil have washed up on several of Cornwall’s beaches,” Cornwall council has previously said.

“Palm oil can be observed in a variety of forms and its important to keep your eye’s open for it, especially if you are exercising your dog on a beach.

“It is sometimes seen as a scattering of pebble sized lumps that are white and waxy in appearance.

The council added “laboratory testing has shown that [palm oil] is a non-toxic, degraded edible oil or fat.

“However, there have been reports of dogs becoming seriously ill after ingesting the substance.

“Some dogs that have consumed small quantities of palm oil have suffered from vomiting and diarrhoea, which has led to severe dehydration.

“Some dogs that have eaten larger amounts of the substance have suffered a range of effects including kidney damage, liver failure and blockages of the gut.

“In some instances this has resulted in the dog needing to be put down.”

Palm oil is one of the most widely used vegetable oils in the world and is used in food and cosmetic production, as well as in other industries.

“While palm oil is not poisonous to dogs, it does have a laxative effect and, if eaten, can cause sickness, diarrhoea, dehydration and, in extreme cases, pancreatitis,“ said David Leicester from Vets Now.

“It can also cause blockages in the gut due to its semi-solid state.

“Some dogs have become seriously ill after ingesting palm oil. Much of the risk from palm oil is thought to derive from other toxic products mixed in it such a diesel oil from ships.“

Cornwall council’s website says that palm oil is legally released into the sea by ships.