Yesterday the BBC reported about a Mysterious Illness in Dogs, that had killed 13 dogs across Britain in recent months. We passed the article to our vet, Jonathan Nurse, to get his view.
A poorly understood condition in dogs has been seen in the New Forest area. There have also been possible cases in Worcestershire, County Durham, Cornwall and Surrey. Dogs present with skin wounds/lesions and acute kidney failure. We have not seen cases in Basildon and the surrounding areas.
Despite extensive tests being run on affected dogs, the cause of the problem is still unclear. One theory is that it is caused by a toxin from the bacteria E.coli and that dogs have been exposed to the toxin when walking/swimming in flooded areas. However, this is only a theory and has not been confirmed
There is some evidence that shampooing your dog after exercising in flooded areas may reduce the risk of exposure but again this is by no means certain.
Although we have not seen any cases at Cherrydown, we recommend checking your dogs over daily for any skin wounds or sores on the leg. If any sores are found we recommend that they are checked by us and that the dog is not exercised where any skin lesions may get wet. A real challenge at the moment!
Also, if they go off their food or are sick we would recommend a prompt blood test in case of kidney problems.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this blog please contact us at the clinic. Alternatively, you can add your question to our Facebook pageand someone will get back to you
