A BELOVED pet dog has died after it is believed to have been poisoned by palm oil washed up on Weymouth Beach.
Owner Martha Lewis has spoken of her heartbreak after Lola, a Chihuahua-Jack Russell cross, died after licking the fatty white lump on the sand during a walk on the beach.
Seven-year-old Lola was rushed to the vets when she started experiencing vomiting and diarrhoea after the walk. She rapidly lost weight and had a high blood pressure.
Sadly, Lola - who had no underlying health issues - did not recover and died of pancreatitis and kidney failure three days later.
Miss Lewis, 25, said: "We didn't actually see Lola come into contact with anything that looked like palm oil but that was what the vet said was likely cause of death due to her symptoms, and because she started to deteriorate soon after we had walked her on the beach.
"Lola was too poorly to make a recovery and we had to say our goodbyes to her. We are completely heart broken and she will be sorely missed."
It is thought the palm oil washed ashore after being dumped out at sea by a tanker.
Miss Lewis hopes to raise awareness in a bid to prevent another dog suffering a similar fate.
She added: "We are not experts on palm oil and have only learned about it being an issue on beaches in the last few days.
"I think it's extremely important for dog owners to be aware of the risk of palm oil and the symptoms to look out for in their dog if they ingest it.
"It is essential that owners take their dog to their vet as soon as possible if they see these kind of symptoms because time can make all the difference in a dog surviving palm oil poisoning."
Tankers delivering palm oil are permitted to dump a limited amount of the residue out at sea.
Although they are required by law to do so more than 12 miles from the shore, lumps of it often find their way onto beaches.
"Hopefully other dogs could potentially be saved by the knowledge being shared about the dangers of palm oil," Martha added.
"We just really want Lola's message to get out there and are so grateful for all of the lovely messages and support."
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