Help us fight disease and injury in animals

(SCI) Questionnaires

In October 2010, the AHT launched an investigation to try to find out the source of the illness, known as SCI, which develops suddenly and causes vomiting, diarrhoea and lethargy. To enable us to learn more about the illness we asked dog owners who had walked their dogs at two sites in Norfolk and two sites in Nottinghamshire to fill in a questionnaire – regardless of whether their dog was taken ill or not.

We received more than 400 questionnaires and useful information from 600 dog owners. We are now analysing this data. The information gleaned will hopefully help us to piece together the puzzle.

We are reasonably confident that SCI is a seasonal problem – the last case reported to us was in mid-November 2010. Our aim now is to learn as much as we can, and hopefully find the cause of SCI, before late summer when we expect cases to begin reoccurring.

In 2011, we will again be focussing our investigation on the same four sites, and one additional site, however we do not believe that dogs are at any more risk walking at these sites than at any other woodland sites.

If you have walked your dog/s in any of the areas listed below from 1 August 2011 and would like to help with our investigation, please download, print out and complete the relevant questionnaire.

• Questionnaire and map for Sandringham Estate
• Questionnaire and map for Clumber Park
• Questionnaire and map for Thetford Forest
• Questionnaire and map for Sherwood Forest 
• Questionnaire and map for Rendlesham Forest

Number of questionnaires received in 2011:

	Dogs taken ill	Dogs not taken ill	Total questionnaires received
Clumber Park	2	17	19
Rendlesham Forest	30	11	41
Sandringham Estate	49	24	73
Sherwood Forest	8	3	11
Thetford Forest	6	26	32
Total	95	81	176

 

Number of questionnaires received in 2010:

	Dogs taken ill	Dogs not taken ill	Total questionnaires received
Clumber Park	2	40	42
Sandringham Estate	35	180	215
Sherwood Forest	4	13	17
Thetford Forest	12	114	126
Total	53	347	400