Vets' warning as doggie sickness bug hits Lancashire

An outbreak of the illness, which can last for up to five days and can kill in extreme cases, has been identified near Preston .

And vets have now issued advice for owners worried about the spike in acute gastroenteritis.

“Symptoms usually last for 24 to 48 hours,” said Lancashire vet Paul Calway.

“We recommend that dog owners take their pets to a vets if they last longer than that, or the dog continues to be sick while only drinking water, or if they seem depressed within themselves.”

Hundreds of cases of the canine bug have been logged via a dedicated veterinary surveillance database set up by the University of Liverpool. In one confirmed case in Walton-le-Dale,

Joanna Cooke feared the worst when her border collie, Jess, contracted the illness at the start of February.

Joanna, owner of Holland House Farm shop in Higher Walton Road, said: “It was a horrible experience, to the point where I thought she wouldn’t make it as she is an old 11-year-old Border Collie, who has diabetes.

“My dog got it for six days, then she was fine for four days, then she got sick again for another six days. She has fully recovered now, but I was worried due to her diabetes.”

Vet Paul Calway, who is clinical director at the Oakmount Veterinary Centre in Burnley, advised owners not to let their dogs mix with other animals.

They should only feed them bland food, such as chicken and boiled rice, and make sure they drink plenty of water.