A Bristol veterinary nurse has shared her advice for spotting signs of a virus which has broken out in northern parts of the UK.
Bristol Live spoke to a number of vets in and around the city and, while none of them had actively noticed a rise in the number of dogs with gastroenteritis in the area, one vet told us what dog owners should be looking out for.
It comes as reported cases of the illness are "higher than usual" in the Midlands.
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Sara Jackson (RVN), head nurse at Longwell Green Vets4Pets, told Bristol Live: "Gastroenteritis is a condition we see regularly in practice and refers to inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.
"This inflammation generally results in bouts of vomiting and diarrhoea which can be very unpleasant for the dog and for the owner.
"In healthy fit dogs, this condition will often pass within 24 - 36 hours with a bland diet and rest, but in some cases veterinary intervention is needed.
"Puppies, older dogs and dogs with underlying health conditions are more susceptible to complications from Gastroenteritis and they often need veterinary treatment."
According to Sara, signs to look out for include:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea with or without blood
- Lethargy and depression
- Lack of appetite
- Temperature
- Abdominal pain and tenderness
- Sunken eyes/skin tent/tacky gums, dry gums - if dehydrated
She went on to add that Gastroenteritis can be caused by many things and often vets do not find the cause.
However, some of the causes of this condition can be due to:
- Dogs eating something they shouldn't, such as spoilt/rotten food, rich food, human foods or non-food items
- Food allergies or sensitivities
- Viruses or bacteria
- Parasites/protozoa
- Toxins
- Foreign bodies
- Certain cancers
- Underlying health conditions
Advice for what to do if you suspect your dog has Gastroenteritis is to contact your vet or out of hours vets.
Sara said: "They will take a history and decide if your dog can be treated at home with over the counter medications and bland food or if veterinary intervention is needed.
"If the vet feels they need to see your dog they will also complete a full health check/examination and in some cases blood/faecal tests can be ran.
"If the vet is confident that your dog isn't too dehydrated they may prescribe a veterinary diet specially designed for dogs with gastroenteritis, give anti-vomiting medications, antibiotics and pre/pro biotics to help maintain the gastrointestinal tract.
"In some cases the patients will need to be admitted into hospital and placed into the dog's vein where we can then provide constant fluids at a rate which will rehydrate the dog, this can be for a few hours to a few days dependent on the improvement made. The benefit of having the intravenous catheter also means we can provide medications straight into the vein."
Earlier this week, Birmingham Live reported that a high number of pets in the Midlands had begun to suffer from a "violent" bout of the bug.
And one veterinary surgery in that area confirmed that experts "are seeing a higher than usual occurrence of gastroenteritis in dogs."
The rise in cases in the Midlands "is fitting with a wider phenomenon as reported by The Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network (SAVSNET).," the surgery added.
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