While you might have thought that the only danger the average British dog had to navigate on a routine outing was getting soaked to the skin during one of the country’s ubiquitous rainstorms, you should be aware that a new danger has been identified that threatens dogs in certain coastal areas. Giant chunks of waxy palm kernel oil have proven to be deadly for some dogs unlucky enough to ingest them.
Where did these chunks-o-fat come from?
What are chunks of palm kernel oil doing on beaches in Britain? The suspicion of that large tankers, which carry the oil from such far-flung locations as Asia, Central America, and Africa, to ports in Britain, get their tanks washed out while at sea in preparation for the next item they will ship, once deliveries are made. They are supposed to carry out this operation well-away from shore – at least 12 miles, according to maritime safety regulations – but in at least one poisoning case it’s suspected that a ship cleaned its cargo holds much closer to shore.
What’s the harm in a little fat snack?
Although no one seems to be completely sure what exactly in the blobs of floating fat it is that is sickening and killing dogs, theories abound. The stomach contents of one dog that become acutely ill after it was seen to be ingesting something on the beach were verified to contain not only palm kernel oil, but also large quantities of bacteria. So it’s possible that these dogs are getting extremely ill due to bacterial contamination. We also know that dogs don’t break down fats well, and when they eat it – even an amount that would be easily processed by a human – they can become ill with pancreatitis. So it’s obvious to imagine the problem posed by eating an entire chunk of this fat.
It’s even possible that these dogs suffered from an acute GI blockage, since it’s likely that on their way into shore, these toxic fat blobs picked up a host of other items, and a dog presented with what it considers to be tasty fat treat will eat first and ask questions later.
Don’t take chances
It’s important to remember that dogs love the taste of fat in any form, and they’ll gobble it down before their owners know what happened. So if you see these odd blobs of fat on beaches you frequent with your pups, make sure you keep them away. The best way to do this is to keep your dog leashed at all times, or avoid walking on beaches altogether.