New research suggests a coronavirus swept through the UK infecting pet dogs at the same time as the human Covid pandemic broke out.
Researchers at the University of Liverpool and the University of Lancaster say a wave of dog vomiting was likely to be strain of canine enteric coronavirus (CeCoV).
Clinical samples were taken from from 71 animals, Mail Online reports, revealing that the dogs had been infected with canine enteric coronavirus.
The outbreak lasted from December 2019 to March 2020 and peaked on February 2, according to the study.
Their main symptoms were a loss of appetite and vomiting lasting up to a week. Fewer than one per cent of the dogs died after contracting the virus.
The study, which was published in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, said: "In conclusion, this multidisciplinary approach enabled a rapid response to a newly described outbreak of canine gastroenteritis and identified a CeCoV as a potential cause.
"Previous CeCoV seasonality suggests further outbreaks may occur."
