Puffer fish suspected for death of Ballito dogs

Ballito Veterinary Hospital reported yesterday that two dogs had died and a third was ill after returning home from being taken for walks on the Salmon Bay and Zimbali beaches at Ballito.

“The cause of the dogs’ deaths still remains unknown.

“But on visiting the same beaches today, a number of dead puffer fish have been observed washed up on the shore,” said Dr Kevin Stevens.

“Puffer fish are extremely poisonous and we feel may well be responsible for the symptoms that were displayed.”

The Courier sent a photo of the fish to Ushaka Marine World and curator of the aquarium, Simon Chater confirmed they are puffer fish, common on our shores.

“It is hard to say why they have washed up on the beach but it may have been a sudden cold water spell that threw them ashore,” said Chater.

“These puffer fish, aptly named’ evil eye puffer fish’, are very toxic due to the toxin tetrodotoxin found all over their bodies including the liver, intestines, ovaries and the skin.

“The toxin causes paralysis leading to respiratory failure.

“If the dogs suffered respiratory failure it is almost a given that ingesting some of the fish caused their sudden deaths.

“The third dog may have only licked the fish rather than ingested it, and therefore suffered milder symptoms and recovered.”

“If a child should touch the fish and lick his/her fingers, he/she may feel a tingling on the lips and tongue.”

One of our North Coast Courier Facebook followers, Lisa Fittkau Adendorff, was fastest to the draw, suggesting this as a possible reason for the dogs’ deaths yesterday when we published the original story (‘ Two dogs dies after walking on Ballito beach’).

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