Blowfish warning: Perth pet owners told to be on alert and ensure dogs don’t eat toxic fish

Perth pet owners have been put on alert over toxic fish.

Blowfish look harmless but they can be deadly. Every year growing puffer fish numbers migrate from the river to the ocean but this January is different and Murdoch University’s James Tweedley said there was one key reason.

“This year the water temperatures have been warmer than normal and so I think they’re starting their migration from the estuary into the ocean a couple of weeks early,” he said.

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Many swimmers have been bitten by the fish, which have sharp beaks.

“I was worried that they were going to nibble my toes off,” one youngster told 7NEWS.

Despite being a nuisance for swimmers, Dr Tweedley shared that “the real danger is not actually for humans - it’s for dogs”. That’s because the toxins inside the fish are able to paralyse and kill animals.

“Dogs will sniff them out and gobble them up - sometimes before owners are even aware,” The Animal Hospital’s Claire Sharp said.

“Sometimes we’ll see multiple cases in a single day.”

The advice for pet owners if their dog eats anything at the beach is to get them to a vet as soon as possible.

Blowfish are in their highest numbers in and around estuaries but they’ll also swarm hard structures, anything they can nibble food from - think rock groynes, jetties and even boats.

If you see a blowfish on the beach throw it back if it’s alive. If not, drop it into a bin and out of reach of dogs.