A 'POTENTIALLY infectious canine disease' is spreading around Bicester and surrounding villages.

Dogs have been contracting the disease called Haemorrhagic Gastroenteritis (HGE), a condition where they often pass blood in their vomit or diarrhoea.

One owner, who recounted on Facebook the details of their dog's illness, said Bicester Vets advised she was the ninth person to call up in one day over the symptoms. 

Although there has been a number of calls to Bicester Vets, it said it often sees more cases of HGE at this time of year.

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Bicester Vets said: “There are unfortunately many different causes of this condition (some which may be infectious) and so at this time we cannot speculate on the cause of this supposed outbreak.

“Most of these cases, if caught early can be relatively easily treated but sometimes dogs do become unwell and need to be admitted for further supportive treatment and tests."

The vet advises dog owners to contact them or your nearest practice if your dog is vomiting, has diarrhoea or appears quiet or off their food.

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It added: "If your dog has developed any of these symptoms we also advise not walking him or her to reduce any potential spread to other dogs.”

A dog owner from Bicester recently had her dog stay overnight at Bicester Vets after noticing her dog had diarrhoea containing blood.

She said in a Facebook post: "I thought my baby was dying she was that bad."

She was told she was the ninth person to ring up that night with the same issues.