DOG owners are being urged to be cautious after a high number of cases of gastroenteritis have been reported across the country.

Many worried owners from Bracknell and Reading have taken to local Facebook groups to express concerns about their pet dogs becoming violently ill.

Louise Turley, a vet who works at Mulberry House in Wokingham, has spoken to The Chronicle to give people advice about what to do if their dog becomes ill.

She said: "Over the past two months, we have seen large numbers of dogs with severe vomiting and diarrhoea.

"The majority of dogs recover in 3-4 days with supportive treatment, including anti-sickness and anti-diarrhoea medication plus bland food however some need to be hospitalised for fluid therapy and ongoing injectable medications if they become dehydrated."

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"If your dog vomits more than a few times in a day, we recommend a visit to your vets so supportive medication can be given before they become dehydrated.

"This will help speed up their recovery and prevent hospitalisation being required. 

"It is likely that affected dogs can transmit the disease through their faeces and so we would advise keeping any unwell dogs at home to reduce contamination of local parks and fields.

"To help reduce the chance of your dog becoming infected it would be wise to keep them on a lead during walks and prevent them drinking dirty water or licking potentially contaminated ground."

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Cases of the condition, which causes acute, profuse vomiting, lethargy and diarrhoea, has recently affected dogs in various areas.