Lion’s Mane Jellyfish info for Dog Owners

The season for Lion’s Mane jellyfish (Cyanea capillata) on Southern Vancouver Island’s east coast is primarily in late summer and early fall, from around August through mid-to-late September. This is when the jellyfish are most likely to wash ashore dead, making encounters on beaches more likely.

Humans can be injured by the toxins in the dead stingers (pain that can last for weeks) but the toxins can cause even more serious health problems in dogs, including severe muscle cramps and potentially deadly breathing issues. Other symptoms include vomiting, swelling, lethargy and drooling.

If your dog, like most dogs, curiously pokes at a dead Lion’s Mane on a beach walk and gets the jelly on its paws or legs or wherever, immediately rinse off with sea water (NOT fresh water) and seek veterinary care as soon as possible.

Jeannine (curious-dog owner)