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Environmental factor triggers Alabama Rot in dogs with an intrinsic disposition

The Reading Conference on Alabama Rot tomorrow (Wednesday 10th May 2017) is being organised by David Walker from Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists (AMVS).

In a 13-minute report on Sunday 7th, May 2017, David Walker spoke to Rachael Garside of BBC Radio Wales ‘Country Focus’ programme (from 6m 45s). He said:

  • In the 1980s only greyhounds in Alabama got Alabama Rot
  • No greyhounds in the UK have got Alabama Rot
  • Alabama Rot has not ‘spread’ - “it has been everywhere the whole time” since 2012. The localisation in the New Forest initially arose due to awareness of the disease by vets in that area since AMVS of Winchester had been talking to local vets. (8m 33s)
  • Damage to smaller blood vessels caused by blood clots causes organs, like the kidney, to fail and to cause skin sores, typically below the elbow or knee in dogs.
  • The true cause of the disease is not known, despite incredibly hard work looking for infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses and fungi. We’ve also looked for toxins in the dog and the environment. (10m 06s)
  • Alabama Rot / CRGV has some similarity to some diseases in people so we can use this human data to consider how to approach the disease in dogs.
  • With 98 reported confirmed cases of dogs that have lost their lives across the UK since 2012, Alabama Rot is a rare disease. [8.5M UK dog population] (11m 06s)
  • “We strongly suspect there is an environmental trigger to Alabama Rot” (11m 06s)
  • Since hundreds of dogs will walk in an area but maybe only one dog will contract Alabama Rot, it may be that dogs that have been infected with Alabama Rot have some intrinsic predisposition to the disease and the environmental trigger.
  • Washing dogs legs after a walk is not scientifically based advice - but it can’t do any harm. (12m 02s)
  • We need more money to do research to try to improve survival rates and find the cause so that preventative measures can be introduced. (12m 57s)

“We strongly suspect there is an environmental trigger to Alabama Rot. It may be that dogs that have been affected have some intrinsic disposition to Alabama Rot…” (11m 06s)

In addition, Radio 4 Today Programme (from 2 hours 57m 30s) had a 2-minute report by Gabrielle Williams whose dog died in March 2017 and David Walker.

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About Alabama Rot / CRGV

If your dog gets skin lesions or other symptoms consult your vet, without delay. “Unexplained redness, sores or swelling of the skin (on the paws, legs, body, face, tongue or mouth) are often the first sign of this disease.” (AMVS, Feb 2016) After five years, we still don’t know what causes Alabama Rot. From analysis by AlabamaRot.co.uk, we do know that 90% of confirmed cases have been in the six months during Winter and Spring (December - May). Information about Alabama Rot / CRGV for dog owners from Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists (AMVS).

Continue reading “About Alabama Rot / CRGV”

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What is Alabama Rot? by Vet’s Klinic

Alabama Rot

What is Alabama Rot?The real name of the disease is Cutaneous and Renal Glomerular Vasculopathy.(CRGV or ‘Alabama rot’) is a serious disease, which has only recently been recognised in dogs in the UK. It causes lesions on the skin and occasionally in the mouth, which can look like bites, sores, wounds or stings. Some dogs go on to develop life-threatening kidney failure. Any age, sex, or breed of dog can be affected.What causes Alabama Rot?The cause at this time remains unknown but investigations are ongoing.How do I stop my dog from getting Alabama Rot?Unfortunately, as the cause is currently unknown, it is very difficult to give specific advice about prevention. The current advice is to bathing any area of your dog which becomes wet or muddy on a walk; however, at this stage we do not know if this is necessary or of any benefit.How will I know if my dog gets Alabama Rot?Unexplained redness, sores or swelling of the skin (particularly on the paws or legs but also the body, face, tongue or mouth) are often the first sign of this disease. It is important to remember that most of the time a skin problem will NOT be caused by Alabam Rot; however, the lesions in Alabama Rot can be difficult to distinguish from cuts, wounds, stings or bites, so if in doubt it is better to seek veterinary advice. For dogs that develop Kidney failure they commonly show signs of inappetance, lethargy and vomiting at which point immediate veterinary assistance should be sought. Key Message: Although Alabama Rot can be very serious; the number of dogs affected with skin lesions and kidney failure remains low (56 confirmed cases across the UK between November ‘12 and May ‘15)If you are concerned about your dog please speak to your local vet.Please note: This information is taken from www.alabamarot.co.uk and Anderson Moores referrals.

Posted by Vet's Klinic on Monday, 18 January 2016