A SEVERE strain of a dog sickness bug has broken out in Swindon.

Vets in Old Town say that in the last few weeks they have treated several dogs for severe cases of kennel cough.

The condition is treatable but it can prove fatal - especially to puppies and older animals.

Because the symptoms can be so varied it can be difficult to detect in some animals.

"I have seen six cases this week but they have all been extremely severe," said vet Richard Gowshall of Eastcott Vets in Bath Road.

"I have been working in Swindon for 17 years and I have never seen an outbreak of kennel cough of this intensity and with this much of a sudden onset in all that time.

"The numbers of cases are not the problem it is the intensity.

"Earlier this week I had a dog owner in my consulting room with their pet and it was coughing.

"I just felt completely helpless.

"The dog was bringing up plegm and blood because of the severity of the coughing.

"The whole thing was unpleasant to watch and distressing for me and the owner."

He said that some animals' conditions are so severe he is having to take the unusual step of prescribing anti-coughing drugs.

But he also said the condition is treatable and preventable through vaccination.

Because of that he is advising dog owners to consider getting their pets vaccinated.

The problem is not so acute all over Swindon.

Emma Cartwright is a vet at Drove Veterinary Hospital .

She said: "This can happen at any time of year and we are always concerned when a dog gets kennel cough.

"Lately we haven't seen a huge increase in numbers here but this condition can be very localised - so it could be that one part of Swindon is overrun with it."

Richard said: "It is unlikely to cause death, particularly if it is treated. And when someone has a dog with this they will almost certainly bring it to the vet because the sounds the animal will make are really quite severe."