Dog owners are being urged to stay away from a ‘killer’ poison plant that has been spotted on the shores of several UK beaches.
At least four pooches have died and many more taken sick after going for walks on popular beaches in Cornwall and Carmarthenshire, south-west Wales.
It is not yet clear what is causing the symptoms, which include sickness and diarrhoea, but owners are suggesting their pups might have digested the deadly Hemlock Roots.
The plant, which is nicknamed ‘dead man’s fingers’, is widely recorded as the most toxic plant to both humans and animals growing in the northern hemisphere.
Sightings of the ‘poison parsnips’ have led Carmarthenshire County Council and Cornwall Council to advise dog walkers to stay away from their beaches for the time being.
They also told owners to ‘stay vigilant’ and recommended they seek assistance from a vet as soon as possible if their hound has ingested or touched the plant.
A three-year-old English Bull Terrier, named Duke, was one of the dogs who recently died after being taken for a walk at Little Fistral in Newquay, Cornwall.
His owner Djamila Bousksou said his beloved pet had to be admitted to the ICU after he suddenly developed ‘severe vomiting, a collapsed oesophagus and bloody diarrhoea’.
A three-year-old English Bull Terrier, named Duke, was one of the dogs who died after being taken for a walk at Little Fistral in Newquay, Cornwall
Hemlock water dropwort roots, also known as ‘dead man’s fingers’, are widely recorded as the most toxic plant to both humans and animals
Visitors to Fistral Beach (pictrued) and Little Fistral in Newquay have been noticing their canines becoming unwell in recent weeks following walks at the popular tourist destinations
The coffee shop owner said the pain of losing Duke was ‘unbearable and immeasurable’, calling the canine as a ‘strong, happy and loyal well-behaved boy’.
Describing Duke’s treatment, Ms Bousksou told Voice Newspapers : ‘We decided we didn’t want Duke to suffer such a rollercoaster any longer and as a final last resort the vets opened up his stomach in the tiny hope they could find some answer or way to save him.
‘But they found nothing but toxicity, toxic foul-smelling fluid and inflamed and collapsed intestines; and kindly delivered him from his suffering by not waking him up again.’
A number of other visitors to Fistral Beach and Little Fistral beach have reported their canines becoming unwell in recent weeks following walks at the popular tourist destinations.
There have been similar reports from other dog-friendly beaches in the Newquay area and at Llansteffan beach in Carmarthenshire.
Several owners have had to spend hundreds of pounds on vet bills, such as Lottie James, whose nine-month-old puppy fell ill after visiting the Carmarthenshire beauty spot.
The 29-year-old says she has spent £250 so far, but claims other pet owners she knows ‘have spent over £1,000 on getting their dog better’ after visits to the beach.
She told the BBC: ‘We took her to the vet, because I could see that she was in quite a lot of pain, her tail was between her legs, she was very weak, off her food, off her fluids
The coffee shop owner said the pain of losing Duke was ‘unbearable and immeasurable’, calling the canine as a ‘strong, happy and loyal well-behaved boy’
Coffee shop owner Djamila Bousksou said the pain of losing Duke was ‘unbearable and immeasurable’, calling the canine as a ‘strong, happy and loyal well-behaved boy’
It is not yet clear what is causing the sudden illness, but it has been suggested that the pups might be digesting either palm oil or hemlock root (pictured: Sunset from Little Fistral beach)
‘It has scared us a little. We’re going to wait and see until maybe something is done about it.’
A number of other theories have also been offered for this sick dog mystery, with some suggesting the cause may be dirty puddles and potential sewage issues.
But the fears surrounding the Hemlock Roots have led local officials to advise owners to avoid their beaches for the time being.
A spokesperson for Cornwall Council said: ‘We have received reports that Hemlock roots, which can be poisonous to animals, have washed up in the Fistral and Little Fistral area.
‘Hemlock is native to Cornwall. During the winter it can be washed downstream from riverbanks and ends up on our beaches. As a precaution, we are putting up signs urging dog owners to be vigilant and keep their pets on a lead..’
Newquay Town Council added: ‘We have received a number of calls and messages about dogs becoming very unwell after visiting the Fistral/Little Fistral area.
‘Cornwall Council are aware of this. For now, we’d advise avoiding that area with your dogs. If you have any further questions, please contact Cornwall Council directly.’
Carmarthenshire Council provided the same warning to the public, but stressed the plant was ‘not likely to be found on dynamic, exposed areas such as beaches, unless its roots are washed up on shore’.
Hemlock water dropwort roots – which are also known as ‘poisonous parsnips’ or ‘dead man’s fingers’ – were found on the shoreline of a popular UK beach
There have been similar reports from other dog-friendly beaches in the Newquay area and at Llansteffan beach (pictured) in Carmarthenshire
Consumption of the ‘poisonous parsnip’ can lead to nausea, vomiting, seizures, lethargy, sweating and visual hallucinations, as well as death.
In February 2024, the plant was found washed up on the small side of Aberavon Beach, Port Talbot, leading the Coastguard officials to warn dog walkers to be ‘extra vigilant’ and to avoid contact with the plant at all costs.
While all parts of the hemlock water dropwort can be potentially deadly if ingested, the roots are the most toxic part of the plant, hence the nickname ‘dead man’s fingers’.
The part of the roots that looks like a parsnip contains a powerful neurotoxin called oenanthetoxin, which triggers spasmodic convulsions, usually followed by sudden death.
However, all parts of the plant are poisonous and only a small piece can be fatal if ingested.
This includes the green part of the plant which grows to more than a metre high and is commonly seen in streams, ditches, rivers and lakes across the UK.
Rather confusingly, hemlock water-dropwort is part of the Umbellifer family of plants, which also includes species of celery, parsley, parsnip and carrots.
For this reason, hemlock water dropwort’s flowers look very similar in appearance to parsley, with attractive white flowers.
According to Wild Food UK, the hemlock water dropwort is even more poisonous than the deathcap mushroom, which contains enough toxin to kill an adult.
Poisoning by the plant is an infrequent event and animals are the more common victims, such as dogs on a walk.
But generally, members of the public should refrain from picking and eating plants in the wild.
The plant was once picked and cooked in a curry by eight students in Argyll, Scotland.
Despite them only eating the sauce, as they felt the ‘parsnips’ tasted too bitter to eat, four fell gravely-ill and needed hospital treatment to survive.
Fortunately, boiling involved in preparation of the root resulted in less severe toxic effects and severity of symptoms than otherwise would have been seen.
