Poisoned in the woods: Ordeal of family hit by mystery illness that's killed 30 pets

By CLAIRE ELLICOTT

Nigel and Janette Young with their six-year-old son Robert and their four Highland Terrier dogs - Molly, Mona, Kip and Sandy - who became ill after visiting Laughton forest


When Nigel and Janette Young took their dogs to the woods, they were expecting a relaxing afternoon of walking and playing ball games.

Instead, their excursion resulted in all four dogs being put on intravenous drips after falling seriously ill.

Scores of pets have been struck down by the same mystery illness, which causes vomiting, dehydration, lethargy, diarrhoea and breathing difficulties, after being walked in woodland - and up to 30 have died.

But despite various theories about what is causing the deaths, such as deadly blue algae or poisonous fungi, none has proved conclusive and experts are baffled.

Fortunately for the Youngs, their West Highland terriers Kip, Sandy and Mona, all aged eight, and the dogs' mother Molly, 11, are now recovering at home after four days in a vet's hospital.

Mr and Mrs Young, both 45, and their six-year-old son Robert took the terriers for a walk in Laughton Wood, near Scotter, Lincolnshire.

But when they returned home, the dogs became restless and were scratching and licking their paws.

The Youngs took them to a vet, who prescribed antibiotics. But the dogs' conditions deteriorated overnight as their mouths locked shut and they became dangerously dehydrated.

They were taken to a vet's hospital and kept on drips for four days before they were well enough to return home.


Suffering: The dogs at home, five days after falling ill


But other pet owners haven't been so lucky. At least ten dogs have died after falling ill following walks in wooded areas in North Nottinghamshire.

The affected areas include Sherwood Forest, Clumber Park, Haywood Oaks, Blidworth Woods, Sherwood Pines and Thieves Wood.

Other dogs have fallen ill in Lincolnshire and after walks in the Queen's 20,000-acre Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, but have recovered.

In 2009, after a spate of similar illnesses, Natural England carried out tests on samples taken from infected dogs but found no trace of manmade poisons.

One theory is that the dogs ingested a natural poison, such as fungi, but their owners say they didn't notice their pets eating anything unusual.



Mystery: A killer disease affecting dogs has spread to the Queen's Sandringham Estate, in Norfolk


Veterinarian Janice Dixon said she had treated several ill dogs who had been taken for walks in the Sherwood Forest area but found no sign of fungi in their vomit or faeces.

Another possibility is that a tick or mite could have caused the deaths. But both Mrs Dixon and Natural England found no signs of the creatures on the dogs who died.
Former dog trainer Ryan O'Meara, who edits K9 magazine, has suggested blue-green algae might be causing the deaths.

Dogs do not need to drink infected water to be affected, but merely have to walk in a boggy area and lick their paws to get the toxin in their system.

Mrs Dixon also suspects algae might be the cause, as small quantities - just 20 parts per billion - are enough to kill a dog.

It is difficult to test for the algae on live animals as samples are needed from the liver, but the Environment Agency examined a number of specimens. Although they found blue-green algae in some, other samples were clear.

As a result of the deaths, signs have been put up around the affected forests warning dog owners to keep their animals on leads.

Stuart Burgess, of the Forestry Commission, said: 'The deaths have been locally concentrated and we think ten to 30 dogs may have died as a result of this mystery illness.

'We don't know what's causing it yet, but we're working with other agencies to get to the bottom of it.'


source : dailymail