Cat dies from shellfish poisoning

At least one cat has died after being fed toxic shellfish from a Western Bay beach.
Two others have shown signs of paralytic shellfish poisoning and responded to treatment, said Paul Greaves, one of the owners of Bayfair Veterinary Hospital where all three cats were treated. The cat that died did not respond and had to be euthanased.
He was concerned because the cats were deliberately fed the shellfish.
Cat owner Graham Helps said he had been feeding shellfish to Bubba regularly over the past few months. Bubba, 9, became sick after eating six or seven tuatua at Omanu beach.
Mr Helps was not aware of the poison risk and had not seen any warning signs around the beach.
He noticed Bubba was unwell one night.
"He was stumbling around and was hyperventilating," he said.
Mr Greaves treated Bubba on December 29, and said the effect of the poisoning was rapid.
"The cat was given tuatuas at 4pm and it seemed that they were very toxic because by 11pm the cat was disoriented, wobbly and ataxic - it looked like it was drunk," he said.
Bubba was treated with vitamin shots, steroids and a IV drip.
Levels of toxicity in shellfish were hard to calculate because the toxic level in each organism could vary, said Mr Greaves.
"But obviously the tuatuas were very toxic," he said.
Of the three cats, Mr Greaves is aware that one ate a bowl of pipi. He presumes this is the cat which died because of the amount eaten.
Mr Greaves said he had not seen the problem in previous years.
 "People need to use their common sense and if something is toxic to humans, it will most probably be toxic to animals as well," he said.
Mr Greaves said it was not 100 per cent confirmed that the cats suffered from PSP as tests were not done due to expense.
Costs of treating the cats were between $300-$500 and owners could not afford further tests.
 Phil Shoemack, medical officer of health with Toi Te Ora - Public Health Service, said nothing had changed since the shellfish warning was put in place before Christmas.
He said the warning would lift when the affected areas produce clear results for two weeks.
He said he could not estimate when it would be lifted.
He said he was aware one person had been treated at Tauranga Hospital for shellfish poisoning, the day the warning was issued. The person's illness was severe enough to have them admitted to hospital but the patient had recovered.
While it was was not known exactly what caused the poison outbreak, Dr Shoemack said warmer weather had played a part.
"It's more probable that something like this is going to happen in the warmer weather because phytoplankton reproduce quicker and there is a higher possibility of biotoxins," he said.
The health warning is related to all bi-valve shellfish and includes mussels, pipi, tuatua, cockles, oysters, scallops, cats-eyes and kina. Paua, crayfish and crabs could still be taken, but the gut should be removed from each before cooking.
Consumption of shellfish affected by the toxin could lead to numbness and tingling around the mouth and face, difficulty swallowing or breathing, dizziness, double vision and in severe cases, paralysis and respiratory failure. The symptoms normally occurred within 12 hours of a person consuming affected shellfish.
The area that is affected includes the entire coastline from Tairua south including Whiritoa, Whangamata, and along the Bay of Plenty coastline from Waihi Beach, including Tauranga Harbour to the mouth of the Whakatane River.
All inshore inlets in that area are also affected, however the coastline east from Ohope Beach is currently considered safe.

Health warnings updates are available on 0800 221 555 or www.toiteorapublichealth.govt.nz