Dog owners in the UK have been issued a warning after numerous dogs have been left needing treatment.
The furry four legged friends have been coming down with a 'mystery illness' with hundreds said to be suffering from the disease in the past week.
More are expected to be diagnosed in the coming days.
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The illness is said to have originated in northern-England after 150 dogs were reported to be sick after spending time on the beaches.
Owners have been reporting numerous symptoms in their beloved pets that "will knock your dog off its feet" for weeks.
These include vomiting and had diarrhoea and lack of appetite, reports Derbyshire Live.
Despite thoughts that the cases were linked to the beach, the British Veterinary Association (BVA) said more cases were now being reported to vets further inland involving dogs who had not been to a beach.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s PM programme on Friday (14 January), BVA President Justine Shotton said there was not enough evidence to speculate on the reasons or any possible links to beaches and other environmental factors.
Dr Shotton said: "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. We’ve heard reports from vets in the area who are really far inland and they are also seeing an increase in these kinds of cases in dogs that have never been to the beach, so I’m not sure yet if we have enough information to make that link.
"With gastroenteritis, most cases are mild, but some dogs may need hospitalisation with a drip. In the worst situations, it can become haemorrhagic leading to secondary complications or even death, but that is very rare."
She added: "While pet owners are understandably worried, the cases may be part of a normal increase in gastroenteritis that vets see during the colder months. We saw something similar a couple of years ago, and the latest data from the University of Liverpool’s veterinary surveillance database points to the spike being part of normal seasonal variation at the moment.
"Our advice to concerned owners is to contact their local vet for prompt treatment if their dog shows any signs of illness, such as vomiting and diarrhoea."
