Lincolnshire dog owners warned to be alert over deadly disease Seasonal Canine Illness (SCI)

Although the weather is turning colder, dog owners still need to be aware of a deadly disease which is still known to be rife in parts of our area.

Seasonal Canine Illness (SCI) is a rare disease which can present itself as vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, lethargy, muscle tremors, and high temperatures in dogs of any breed or size, usually within 24 to 72 hours after walking in wooded areas.

SCI is most prevalent in September, but can occur between August and November — and pet owners are being urged to be alert of this potentially deadly disease. Hotspots for the illness have been reported recently in forests including Sherwood Forest, Thetford Forest, Clumber Park, and the Sandringham Estate - all areas popular with dog walkers from parts of Lincolnshire.

Grantham-based Belvoir Vets recently reported: “This week we believe we have seen an episode of Seasonal Canine Illness. This is a rare and poorly understood disease, normally presenting with gastrointestinal symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea after they walk in woodland.

“The cause of SCI is unknown, but some theories include mushroom poisoning, algae, or a link to harvest mites.”

The latter was certainly the case for Border Collies Bella and Ben, whose owner Clare Leggett had both of her dogs fall very ill with SCI recently.

Clare said that both went down very quickly, having eaten their breakfast one Sunday morning as normal. By 2pm, Ben was vomiting and in obvious pain:

“He was stretching his legs out as dogs do when their stomachs hurt, and we rang Minster Vets and rushed him in at around 4pm.”

Ben was put on a drip while the vets tried to find out what was wrong, and not long after Clare arrived home, Bella also showed the same symptoms and was also taken in to Minster’s Newark clinic.

Clare said: “The vets were fantastic and quickly put two and two together that it wasn’t just something Ben had eaten and the cases must be linked.”

It became clear that both Bella and Ben were suffering from SCI, and mites were found in Bella’s ears, and then when Ben was checked, mites were also found on him too.

While it’s not known if the mites which caused SCI were picked up on their walk that morning in Burton Joyce or up in Yorkshire that weekend when they visited friends, Clare is now keen to raise awareness of this illness to hopefully prevent others from suffering as they have.

“We were so lucky we were at home and could get them seen straight away, I don’t like to think what would have happened if we couldn’t have got them in so fast.”

Vet surgeon Amy Bagster, of Minster Vets, has provided the following information and advice:

“SCI can be severe if it’s not caught early and it’s important you get them to the vets quickly for early treatment,” she said.

“While we don’t know what causes SCI, we certainly advise that owners treat their dogs for harvest mites before and after walks.

“Check between their paws, their groin, stomach area, and in their ears for mites after you go for a walk, and we always recommend calling your vet if you have any concerns.”

Further advice on Seasonal Canine Illness can be found at https://www.bluecross.org.uk/advice/dog/health-and-injuries/seasonal-canine-illness-sci

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