Warning issued to dog owners over treat linked to potentially fatal ‘werewolf syndrome'
An urgent warning has been issued for pet owners over a dog treat that has been linked to the potentially fatal 'werewolf syndrome'.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) says a certain brand of bone chews have led to severe symptoms reported in the EU.
A health authority in the Netherlands has cautioned owners over feeding their pets chew bones from the company Barkoo after a dog reportedly died, but there has been no confirmed distribution of the products to the UK.
In the UK, the FSA warned the China-made chews have been linked to dogs experiencing 'werewolf syndrome', which can cause sudden behaviour changes among dogs, with symptoms including panic attacks, aggression, spasms, epileptic fits and in some cases death.
Tina Potter, head of incidents at the FSA said: 'While there is no confirmed distribution of affected products to the UK, there is the possibility that some consumers may have purchased these online from international sellers.
'No unsafe dog chews have been identified but, based on international investigations so far, we are advising dog owners to avoid feeding the affected chews to dogs as a precaution.
'There is no evidence to suggest these products present any risk to human health.'
Dog owners have been advised to stop feeding their dogs the products if they recognise them, and to seek veterinary advice if their pet becomes unwell.
As the chews have a long shelf life and could have been bought months ago, vets have been warned to be alert to the symptoms should a dog present with them at a surgery.
If vets suspect cases associated with dog chews, they can report them through the Food Standards Agency to foodincidents@food.gov.uk adding reference number I-009-004.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Why has there been a global surge of new Covid variant NB.1.8.1?
India is the latest country to report a surge in new Covid cases, as the latest variant NB.1.8.1 spreads across the globe. Cases have now been reported in Asian countries such as Thailand, Indonesia and China, while the UKHSA recorded the first 13 cases in England last week. However, the true numbers are unlikely to be known, given the significant decrease in the number of people testing compared to the figures seen during the global pandemic five years ago. What do we know about the variant NB.1.8.1? NB.1.8.1 stemmed from the Omicron variant and was first detected in January this year. It has quickly spread across China and Hong Kong, and has now been recorded in several states across the United States and Australia. By late April, NB.1.8.1 comprised about 10.7 per cent of submitted sequences globally, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). This rose from just 2.5 per cent one month before. The WHO declared the NB.1.8.1 strain a 'variant under monitoring' on 23 May, which means scientists believe it could potentially affect the behaviour of the virus. Why has there been a surge in new cases? Lara Herrero, a virologist from Griffith University in Australia, suspects that NB.1.8.1 spreads more easily than other variants. 'Using lab-based models, researchers found NB.1.8.1 had the strongest binding affinity to the human ACE2 receptor of several variants tested, suggesting it may infect cells more efficiently than earlier strains,' Dr Herrero wrote last month in The Conversation. Dr Chun Tang, GP at Pall Mall Medical, added: 'NB.1.8.1 isn't too different from the Omicron variant, but it does have some tweaks to its spike protein, which might make it spread a bit more easily or slip past some of our existing immunity. 'That said, early signs suggest it doesn't seem to cause more serious illness, but of course, we're still learning more about it.' 'Its spread has been identified in around 22 countries,' said Dr Naveed Asif, GP at The London General Practice. 'The WHO assesses the additional risk to the global public as currently low, and existing Covid-19 vaccines are considered effective in preventing severe disease.' However, Nimbus does appear to be more transmissible than previous variants, with notable increases reported in India, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand, notes Dr Asif. What are the symptoms? Common symptoms of the NB.1.8.1 variant include a severe sore throat. fatigue, mild cough, fever, muscle aches and congestion. It has also been reported that some patients have experienced gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and diarrhoea. Healthcare experts have stressed, however, that there is no evidence that the new strain is more deadly or serious than previous variants, and that current Covid vaccines are expected to remain effective and protect anyone infected from severe illness.
Reuters
7 hours ago
- Reuters
China to make all hospitals offer epidurals to incentivise childbirth
HONG KONG, June 9 (Reuters) - China said that by the end of this year all tertiary level hospitals must offer epidural anaesthesia during childbirth, a move it said would help promote a "friendly childbearing environment" for women. Tertiary hospitals - those with more than 500 beds, must provide epidural anaesthesia services by 2025 while secondary hospitals - those containing more than 100 beds - must provide the services by 2027, China's National Health Commission (NHC) said in a statement last week. Authorities are struggling to boost birth rates in the world's second largest economy after China's population fell for a third consecutive year in 2024 with experts warning the downturn will worsen in the coming years. Around 30% of pregnant women in China receive anaesthesia to relieve pain during childbirth, compared with more than 70% in some developed countries, the official China Daily said. The World Health Organization recommends epidurals for healthy pregnant women requesting pain relief and it is widely utilised in many countries around the world, including France, where around 82% of pregnant women opt to have one, and in the United States and Canada where more than 67% do. The move will "improve the comfort level and security of medical services" and "further enhance people's sense of happiness and promote a friendly childbearing environment," the NHC said. A growing number of provinces across China are also beginning to include childbirth anaesthesia costs as part of their medical insurance schemes to encourage more women to have children. High childcare costs as well as job uncertainty and a slowing economy have discouraged many young Chinese from getting married and starting a family. In June, health authorities in China's southwestern Sichuan province proposed to extend marriage leave up to 25 days and maternity leave up to 150 days, to help create a "fertility-friendly society."
South Wales Guardian
10 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Children in most deprived areas more likely to visit A&E and be obese
The organisation has called on the Government to lift its two-child benefit cap after its findings showed that where children grow up until the age of five has 'a significant impact' on their early outcomes and future potential. In the report published on Monday, every local authority in England was analysed against its level of deprivation and a range of early childhood health and educational outcomes. It found that, when considering early years development, the most deprived authorities were more than twice as far away from achieving the Government's 'good level' target of 75% than the most affluent areas. Only four of the 151 upper tier local authorities in England are currently meeting that target. Nearly twice as many children suffer from late-stage, untreated tooth decay in the most deprived areas (29%) compared to the least deprived (15%), while five-year-old children living in the poorest communities are three times more likely to have had teeth removed due to decay, the report found. Almost a quarter of reception-age children in the most deprived areas (24%) are overweight or obese, while general obesity levels in those areas are more than double those of children in the most affluent areas (12.9%, compared to 6%). There is also an average of 1,020 A&E visits per 1,000 babies and young children in the most deprived areas, an increase of 55% on rates in the most affluent areas, the report found. The five local authorities with the highest levels of deprivation – Blackpool, Knowsley, Liverpool, Kingston upon Hull, and Middlesbrough – were each in the lowest 20% for five of the six child wellbeing measures used in the analysis. Some 1.2 million babies and children under the age of five – 35% of the age group's total population – now live in poverty across England, the report said. It added that child poverty has increased more in the UK then in any of the 38 OECD and EU countries. Among the report's recommendations are long-term, sustainable funding and expanding provision for Family Hubs, recruiting an additional 1,000 health visitors a year and making access to Government-funded childcare hours equal for all children aged two or older, regardless of their location or parental employment. Unicef UK, joined by BBC presenter Dr Chris Van Tulleken, will present a petition calling for investments in early childhood, which has more than 105,000 signatures, to the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street on Tuesday. Chief executive Dr Philip Goodwin warned the consequences of growing up in poverty can be lifelong and said the report's findings were 'not acceptable'. He said: 'There must be immediate, decisive, and ambitious action by the government. Any further delays will entrench inequality and condemn hundreds of thousands of children to poverty and its effects, as child poverty rates continue to rise. 'The Government must act urgently to lift the two-child limit and the benefit cap and commit to investing in the vital health and education services that support children during their crucial early years.' Introduced in 2015 by then-Conservative chancellor George Osborne, the cap restricts child welfare payments to the first two children born to most families. Sir Keir Starmer said he was 'absolutely determined' to 'drive down' child poverty when he was pressed on the two-child benefit cap in Parliament last week, ahead of the publication of the Government's strategy on the issue.
