Experts Finally Discover Cause of Mystery Dog Illness on Yorkshire Beaches – Country Living

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Vets are urging owners to limit contact between affected and unaffected dogs
Owners have been urged to keep their dogs away from Yorkshire coastlines after reports claim a mystery illness that is ‘spreading like wildfire’ has struck down around 150 pets with vomiting and diarrhoea. But now the experts claim it may have been caused by a canine coronavirus outbreak.
Vets initially feared dredging could be to blame after spotting a vessel dredging off Teesmouth last September, but researchers from the University of Liverpool believe the illness is Canine Enteric Coronavirus — a disease belonging to the coronavirus family.
“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,” Professor Alan Radford from the study told MailOnline.
“Data from laboratories suggests that similar to previous winters, CECoV appears to be more common in samples submitted for testing at this time of year. Because of this, and our previous association of CECoV to the 2020 outbreak, it would be tempting to speculate on a role for CECoV in current cases of GI disease.”
Despite this, owners are still being urged not to take pets to the beach after vets were inundated with dogs experiencing sickness and diarrhoea last week. They are urging people to limit contact between affected and unaffected dogs.
BVA President Justine Shotton told BBC Radio 4’s PM programme: “We are aware of a recent spike in cases of dogs falling ill from gastroenteritis-like symptoms in several parts of Yorkshire and North East England.
“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.”
Some of the towns where the mystery illnesses has been reported include Scarborough, Whitby, Saltburn and Seaton Sluice on North Tyneside.
While the sickness was originally thought to be linked to toxins in the water, one vet said that it is a normal occurrence this time of year. “We often, unfortunately, get waves of unwell pets with vomiting and diarrhoea around this time of year, just as in the summer we often get cases of kennel cough,” a vet at the Minster Veterinary Practice told The Metro.
“Any cases that have had to be hospitalised due to vomiting and diarrhoea have responded to supportive care. My main advice to any pet owners would be that if your pet is unwell then seek veterinary attention, if we have a mild stomach upset then a bland diet is little and often is a good idea.”
The news comes after one ‘fit and strong’ Great Dane died after developing a lune infection from swimming in the sea on the Hampshire coast. Meanwhile, another dog started vomiting after a beach visit in Fraisthorpe Beach, East Riding, last week.
Following the rise in dogs falling ill, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said that it was now communicating with the Animal and Plant Health Agency to investigate.

Kirsty Salisbury, coastal general manager for East Riding council, added: “From reports from local veterinary surgeries, the illness they are seeing within dogs and the tests carried out have not provided any direct links with the use of beaches.”
If you notice your dog falls unwell after a beach trip, contact your local vet immediately.
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