Warning not to 'panic' over mysterious dog vomiting bug that could be linked to beaches

It seems to have affected pets that have visited beaches, according to reports.

As many as 150 dogs have reportedly come down with the vomiting bug so far.

Some vets are now even warning dog-owners not to take their pooches to the beach.

However British Veterinary Association president Justine Shotton has advised people not to ‘panic’.

In a blog post, she said: ‘We are aware of a recent spike in cases of dogs falling ill from gastroenteritis-like symptoms.

‘Vets see gastroenteritis cases relatively commonly in practice, but numbers seem to be increasing and more widespread than usual.

‘At this time, we can't speculate on what might be causing the symptoms, and there is currently no evidence to suggest a direct link between the illness and the dogs visiting the beaches.

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‘We’ve heard reports from vets in the area who are really far inland and they are also seeing an increase in these kinds of cases in dogs that have never been to the beach, so I’m not sure yet if we have enough information to make that link.’

The cases of the vomiting bug first were noticed in the north east and Yorkshire, with dogs falling ill after visits to beaches in the region.

North Wales Live reports that one person said her six-month old cockapoo Loki became ill last week and he was ‘taking longer than normal to recover’.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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