AHT advises keeping alert for SCI
The Animal Health Trust has issued this year's first alert for Seasonal Canine Illness (SCI), as the time approaches when the first cases are usually spotted.
The most common clinical signs of the illness include sickness, diarrhoea and lethargy, and they are usually noticeable between 24 and 72 hours after being walked in autumn woodland. Dogs of any size, breed or sex can be affected and cases are usually seen between late August and November.
The AHT is continuing its investigation into the mystery illness, and will be studying five different sites: Clumber Park and Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, Rendlesham Forest in Suffolk, and Sandringham Estate and Thetford Forest in Norfolk.
During 2012, the AHT has been working closely with the veterinary profession to raise awareness of SCI, in order to better prepare vets to deal with any cases they encounter.
Currently, the AHT is trying to pinpoint a cause for the condition and are studying possibly causes linked to wildlife. For a full update on the progress of the investigation, click here.
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
