A vet from a poison information service has suggested the link of two dogs dying in High Wycombe to water at a local park is "tenuous" – and urged owners not to "jump to conclusions".

Nicola Robinson, who works with the Veterinary Poisons Information Service and Animal Poison Helpline (VPIS), said the death of 12-year-old Border Collie Blade and another nine-month-old puppy after walks at the Rye didn’t indicate a serious safety threat to dogwalkers in the area.

While Buckinghamshire Council awaits the results of a water assessment, a spokesperson advised owners to “keep pets on a lead and not let them into the water” as a precaution, but Nicola said the owners of the puppy were adamant it hadn’t gone near the Dyke next to the park.

She said: “There are a lot of dogs that walk through the Rye every day, and we haven’t seen a huge number reported. A few have had vomiting and diarrhoea, but it’s only the serious cases that are referred to the VPIS – and the link is just too tenuous.

“It would need to be confirmed that the two dogs who died had eaten or drunk in the same place. Here, there’s just no easy link, and if there was, there probably would have been a number of other cases.”

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Julian Walters, who said he was “in shock” after suddenly losing 12-year-old Blade less than 24 hours after he became ill following a walk at the Rye, suggested he had ingested “something toxic that caused a haemorrhage” on Tuesday, June 18.

Speaking last week, Julian added: “It just happened so quickly. It’s hard to come to terms with because he was relatively fit, and he wasn’t ill.

“I’ve never lost a dog under these circumstances before. It’s a really difficult thing to go through.”

The VPIS previously warned dog owners in High Wycombe to “be vigilant” while walking near the Rye and “seek veterinary attention if they are concerned about their pet”.