Washed up 'by-the-wind sailors' pose threat to dogs at the beach

DEL MAR , Calif. — Mike Henke and his dog Ziggy are the Del Mar Dog Beach regulars and have been visiting the beach for ten years.

According to Henke, Ziggy starts crying in excitement as soon as the pair head west towards the dog beach. But something has been different about their beach trips lately.They are joined by jellyfish-like creatures known as"by-the-wind sailors," Velella Velellas- or blue blobs."They can be so hard to see, you may not even see your dog contact them,” said Dr. Brieana Sarvis, the Hospital Director of San Diego Humane Society's Escondido Campus.

ABC 10News spoke with many people at the dog beach who didn't even know the Velella Velella was bad for dogs. If a dog ingests the by-the-wind sailor, it could mean vomiting, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal issues. Dr. Sarvis recommends ice-cold water for a stinging mouth and a bland diet for an upset stomach. If vomiting continues, a vet visit is a good idea."He doesn't really eat things off the ground and stuff. All he cares about is throwing his bumper and going in the water and that's it,” Henke said.

According to the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, the Velella Velella patterns are somewhat hard to predict, but they usually show up in late spring and early autumn.

California Del Mar Dog Beach Dogs Mike Henke Safety San Diegp Scripps Institute Of Oceanography Velella Velella

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