Lindsay Tong took her 10-year-old Jack Tsu dog Ella for a walk in the Tuetoes Wood part of Laughton Forest during the morning of Thursday, September 1.
She said Ella is still incredibly poorly and the vets are unsure when she will be able to return home, leaving her very worried about her dog. Lindsay believes the problem is seasonal canine disease caused by harvest mites in the woods.
Lindsay, who lives in Scotter,said that soon after returning home from the walk, Ella was very restless and couldn’t settle like something was itching her, before her beloved pet vomited numerous times that evening.
After ringing the vets, the earliest appointment she could get was late the following day, but as there had been no more vomiting Lindsay hoped her dog was already over whatever had bothered her.
Lindsay said: “They saw her the next day and said she had an allergic reaction to something, as she now had a rash on her stomach and they felt this would have caused her to vomit. They gave her anti-vomiting and steroid jabs and sent me away with an antihistamine for her.
“I took her home and she seemed to perk up a little and then suddenly in the morning she drastically declined. She was salivating and shaking and very distressed. She wouldn’t walk or move and had her tail firmly between the legs.
“I rushed her back to the vet who kept her in to do bloods and monitor her. She vomitted hourly so they gave IV fluids and antibiotics and said she seems very poorly, so they now think it is actually seasonal canine disease.
“Her heart rate went worryingly high, so she had to be given painkillers which knocked her out, as she was clearly in pain.
“Harvest mites were found between her paws and on one ear. Her entire body is covered in a red rash and her gums have gone bright red.
“I’m crossing everything that she will get through this and the vets will get her better, but I’m scared, so am encouraging to dog walkers to avoid the woods. There were various other dog walkers there when we went, so I hope they are all okay.”
Of the 909 hectares covered by the Laughton Forest Plan, only a little over 100ha are freehold where there is some provision for public access. The remaining 800ha is leasehold managed by the Forestry Commission on a long-term lease, which does not allow for public access.
A Forestry England spokesperson said: “We have not had any contact from local vets but are sorry to hear that a dog has become ill and is needing treatment after their exercise included Laughton Forest.
“Many hundreds of dogs regularly come and enjoy the nation’s forests. We recommend that owners take their dogs to a qualified local vet for examination and treatment if they are concerned about their health.
“And we would encourage all dog owners to check our webpage with helpful tips on how to have a safe and healthy visit with your dog https://www.forestryengland.uk/dog-health.”
Online advice about harvest mites in dogs can be found online here from vet charity for pets in need PDSA.
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