27 Jan 2022
Anderson Moores in Hampshire has confirmed that two dogs have died from cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy so far this month.
Joshua Silverwood
Job Title
A Hampshire referral centre has called on dog owners to stay vigilant after confirming the first two Alabama rot deaths this year.
Through data collecting and analysis, staff at Winchester-based Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists have been able to identify two new cases of Alabama rot since 1 January in Ashtead, Surrey and Wokingham, Berkshire.
Vets at the practice have been leading studies into the devastating disease, known as cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy (CRGV) since 2012, and are collating information on all cases and reports of confirmed cases across the country.
Anderson Moores has now created a website intended to keep owners up to date on how the disease develops and spreads as the year continues.
David Walker, an American, RCVS and EBVS European specialist in small animal internal medicine, leads the team at Anderson Moores. Mr Walker said: “We’re very sad to confirm two new cases of CRGV already in 2022. Unfortunately, we find ourselves in the time of year when cases are most commonly identified.
“It is understandably worrying for dog owners; however, I must stress that this disease is still very rare.
“We’re advising dog owners across the country to remain calm, but vigilant, and seek advice from their local vets if their dog develops unexplained skin lesions.”
The disease, which originally appeared in the late 1980s, was first detected in the UK in 2012. It affects the kidneys and has a 90% mortality rate.
The two new cases follow 28 throughout 2021 and 47 in 2020, and takes the total number of confirmed cases in the UK to 281.
Mr Walker added: “In launching this new website, we aim to give pet owners as much information as possible about CRGV.
“We hope the confirmed case map will also prove useful. Although an environmental trigger has not been definitively proven, the seasonality of the disease makes it eminently possible and the map allows everyone to see the location of confirmed cases.”
