A MYSTERY dog illness sweeping Britain’s pets could be coronavirus, experts have said.
The bug, which was first reported on the Yorkshire coastline, has seen a number of pups getting seriously ill after going on walks.
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One owner, Nicola Jane, from Leeds, West Yorkshire, previously told how her dog became limp and lifeless with the bug a few hours after their canal walk, Yorkshire Live reports.
And Alan Radford, a Professor of Veterinary Health Informatics at the University of Liverpool, now says the rising cases in sickness and diarrhoea in dogs could be linked to coronavirus.
Working as part of a small team headed by SAVSNET, the Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network, Professor Radford said: “Analysis of real-time data collected by SAVSNET from veterinary practices suggests that in Yorkshire, levels of disease have been statistically higher than we would expect for three weeks – we can therefore call this an outbreak in Yorkshire.
“In other regions, the increases we have seen so far look more like normal seasonal variation.
“However, such signals can change quickly, and we will continue to monitor the situation.”
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He went on to reveal one of the top candidates for the infection could be Canine Enteric Coronavirus (CEC).
CEC bears no relation to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid and does not pose a risk to people who may come into contact with infected dogs.
The bug has also has been around far longer than Covid and has only ever produced a relatively mild illness in dogs, despite affecting thousands each year around the world.
Bethaney Brant, SAVSNET project coordinator, added: “Although the cause is unknown it is likely to be infectious. It therefore makes sense for owners and vets to handle suspect cases carefully, and limit contact between affected and unaffected dogs.
“Thankfully affected dogs usually make a full recovery with appropriate care and there is no known risk to people.”
If your dog is showing symptoms of sickness and diarrhoea, the illness is usually self limiting and will resolve on it’s own, but if the condition persists or your pet is showing signs of distress, always remember to seek guidance from your local vet.
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