PET owners have been issued an urgent warning after a dog was left fighting for its life after coming into contact with a deadly jellyfish.

Hilary Pullen, 45, had taken her two dogs out for a run at Talacre beach in Wales before the shocking scare.

She came across some stranded jellyfish and stopped to take pictures while one of her pups, named Ziggy, went exploring.

Believing the jellyfish to be dead, Hilary thought that there was no immediate threat.

However, Ziggy, who is only 18 months old, appeared "possessed" after barely touching the venomous jellyfish.

The coltriever – a border collie crossed with golden retriever – took only the merest of licks of the lion's mane jellyfish, according to Hilary.

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But within moments, the poor pup was left struggling to breathe, making gulping noises, and with a mania for grass.

“It was like he was possessed,” said Hilary, who shared what happened to warn other dog owners of the potential danger.

She told WalesOnline: "He must have licked it as, within 20 to 30 seconds, he began being violently il.

"He was heaving continuously for 10 minutes and began retching when his stomach was completely empty.

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“It was scary and not very nice to watch – it was like he was turning himself inside out."

The worried owner continued: "I knew I had to get him back to the car as he weighs 30kg and I wouldn’t be able to carry him.

"I got him on his lead but he was trying to eat anything that was growing – anything so that he could fill his stomach and be sick again.”

It was only later that, by using Google Lens, she discovered they were lion’s mane jellyfish, whose tentacles can still deliver a nasty sting long after they have died.

The creature, regarded as one of the world's longest, is said to have the "beauty and bite of a lion".

Hilary, who works for a digital marketing firm, hurried back to her home in Prestatyn with Ziggy struggling to breathe and swallow.

When let out into the garden, the distressed pup began eating clumps of grass.

Hilary said: “I’m aware it’s something dogs do when they are ill.

“He was manically eating grass, just trying to get something into his stomach. It was like he was possessed."

She continued: “He vomited again and, on my mother’s advice, I made some rice and eggs to fill his stomach.

"He seemed to calm down a little but was still making weird noises, like gulping sounds, as though his throat was constricted.”

After calling her vets Hilary was advised to keep an eye on Ziggy’s breathing and only to bring him in if it deteriorated further.

Still worried she began doing her own investigations – which led to an unusual solution.

Sharing pictures of the jellyfish on social media, along with a warning, one woman advised her to use Piriton, an antihistamine used to treat hayfever.

The pet owner wrote: “This happened to my dog few years ago and the vet advised Piriton. He’s a Jack Russell but the reaction he had was scary at the time.”

Another dog owner agreed and recommended Hilary crush the tablet as the powder “gets in the blood stream quicker”.

She dashed to a local chemist, bought Piriton, and gave half a tablet to Ziggy.

A thankful Hilary said: “That definitely seemed to do the trick.

“By 10pm Ziggy was drinking and looking more alert and I felt more comfortable going to bed.”

Thankfully, Ziggy seemed to have recovered well from his dangerous jellyfish encounter the following morning.

By then Hilary had taken to social media to warn others, saying: “Ziggy’s a pretty big dog so I’d hate to think what effect the toxin might have on a little one or a small child."

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Dog owners are usually advised not to administer Piriton or other antihistamines without consulting their vet.

The drugs are often recommended for dogs with itching and can also be used in cats.

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