Pet owners have been issued a warning after at least 150 dogs have been struck down with vomiting and diarrhoea.
Owners are being asked to avoid several beaches in north Yorkshire, over fears there could be toxins in the water, leading to the mass illnesses.
In a public post shared on Facebook, veterinary nurse Brogan Proud - who runs the Yorkshire Coast Pet Care - said: "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: "Just to say - dogs/ birds etc will likely spread the problem in their faeces etc so I wouldn’t be surprised to see pets catching this just being near the beach ie the lines or cliffs etc - its hard to avoid all these places its more about being careful and vigilant with your pets.
"... If your pet is unable to keep food and water down then they should be taken to your vet for support."
And others were quick to comment on the post, with one person writing: "I walked my 2 year old on Whitby beach on New Years Day and the next day sickness and diarrhoea. I have never seen my dog so lethargic and literally not moving- thankfully vets back home have sorted him out. Thanks for the post."
While another added: "My 6 month old Lab has had horrendous diarrhoea for the past 4 days , thankfully he’s now almost back to his usual self. I was going to contact the vets today if there was no improvement. We have walked on both the beach at Robin Hoods Bay and the railway line at Bay / Thorpe."
And a third said: "There seems to be something doing the rounds. My dog had it and needed medication from the vets. He was really quite poorly for a week.
"He had been on the beach but from talking to others it seems to be an issue for dogs everywhere on beaches or not."
We hope these pups make speedy recoveries. If you are concerned about your pet please speak to your vet immediately.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock
Lucy Devine