Vets confirm five new Alabama rot cases

Vets have confirmed five more cases of Alabama rot, taking the total since 1 January to 17.

Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists in Winchester leads research into the potentially fatal cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy (CRGV), also known as Alabama rot.

New cases

The team that leads research has now confirmed the new cases, which have occurred in Longwick, Buckinghamshire; Wimbledon and Richmond in Greater London; and Reading, Berkshire.

Previous cases have been identified across the UK, including areas such as Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Surrey, Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cornwall, Devon and Staffordshire.

In total, the UK has now seen 268 confirmed cases, including 17 since the turn of the year.

‘Remain calm, but vigilant’

David Walker – American, RCVS and European Board of Veterinary Specialisation European specialist in small animal internal medicine – leads the team at Anderson Moores and is the UK’s foremost authority on the disease.

He said: “The disease seems to appear across many counties at this time of year. January and February are typically our highest case number months and, sadly, this year is no different.

“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.”

Treatment success rate low

Dr Walker added: “Treatment primarily revolves around intensive management of the acute kidney injury and is sadly only successful in around 10% of cases.“However, the team here at Anderson Moores successfully treated a suspected case of CRGV in a Labrador retriever called Molly.

“Sadly, stories such as Molly’s are relatively rare, with CRGV remaining a devastating disease, without a known cause or treatment. The disease has taken away many beloved dogs from their families.”

Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists remains heavily involved in ongoing research into the causes of CRGV. To find out more about CRGV, visit its website.