A mystery illness which has claimed the lives of several dogs in Norfolk and Nottinghamshire is being investigated by the Animal Health Trust (AHT).

The veterinary charity is appealing to dog owners who have walked their dogs on the Sandringham Estate, in Thetford Forest, in Clumber Park or Sherwood Forest since the beginning of August 2010, to help with the investigation.
 
Peter Webbon, Chief Executive of the AHT, said: “We need the help of dog owners to gather information about this mysterious seasonal illness which is causing a number of dogs to become seriously ill.
 
“The illness comes on very quickly, usually within 24 hours, and causes vomiting, diarrhoea and lethargy. We are asking dog owners who have walked their dogs in any of the four sites to fill in a questionnaire – regardless of whether your dog was taken ill or not.”
 
It is very important for the charity to also hear from owners whose dogs didn’t get ill following walks at the sites. This will enable the AHT to discount various factors and, hopefully, lead to the identity of the mysterious dog killer.
 
If you have walked your dogs at any of the four sites since the beginning of August 2010, please download, and return, the relevant questionnaire and map from the AHT’s website. Alternatively, if you would like to request a copy of the questionnaire to be emailed to you or a hard copy sent in the post, please email info@aht.org.uk with the name of the site and your email or postal address. Please also report any other incidences of the illness to this email address.
   
To fund this investigation the AHT has established a Seasonal Canine Illness fund and is asking for donations towards the cost of the research.