Alabama Rot: Owners on alert as new case of DEADLY dog disease confirmed in UK
A NEW case of a DEADLY canine disease known as Alabama Rot has been confirmed in the UK.
A dog displaying the telltale symptoms of Alabama Rot
The flesh-eating illness has already killed seven dogs in Britain this year and almost 100 over the past four years.
Dog owners are being warned to look out for the tell-tale signs of the disease.
Symptoms start with skin sores and swelling followed by vomiting and kidney failure and, in 80 per cent of cases, death.
Dog pulled to safety after being stuck in a pipe for 24 hours
Alabama Rot can cause painful lesions on a dog's paws and legs
The exact cause is not known but it is thought to be linked to toxins from bacteria which dogs can pick up on their paws and legs during walks in muddy areas.
Vets4Pets has now reported one confirmed instance of Alabama Rot in Cornwall, although the exact details have not been given.
Alabama Rot has the medical name idiopathic cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy – or CRGV for short.
Alabama Rot can cause dogs to lose energy and appetite
It was first identified in the US in the 1980s and the first case was identified in the UK in 2012.
Owners are advised to look for skin lesions, swelling or red patches.
Another sign could be sores not caused by any known injury.
Vets are still not sure about the exact causes of Alabama Rot
David Walker, of Anderson Moores vets in Winchester, Hants, who is spearheading research into he disease advised owners not to panic, saying relatively few dogs have died.
He said: “The most important thing right now is to find the cause because then we can look at prevention and treatment.”