Dog dies of deadly Alabama Rot in the Borders

Vets have confirmed that a dog in the Borders has died of a deadly fleshing-eating disease.

Two cases of Alabama Rot have been confirmed in the UK in the past week, one in Wimbledon and the other in Hawick.

Cases of Alabama Rot, which first appeared in the late 1980s in greyhounds in America, have spread to England and it is affecting all breeds.

Hawick Veterinary Practice shared the news on social media, they said: "Sadly, we are able to confirm that a much loved Hawick dog lost his fight against CRGV (Alabama Rot). ??

"This has brought the total number of cases of this poorly understood disease to 200 in the UK since 2012 and 25 in 2019. We understand that you will be concerned for your dog and would encourage all owners to be vigilant for signs but not to panic.

"Unfortunately, it is difficult to give specific advice about prevention as the cause is not yet known. You may wish to consider 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. We are not currently advising dog owners to avoid walking in any particular locations."

Alabama rot is a disease that damages blood vessels in the skin and kidney. It causes blood to clot in the vessels causing ulcers on a dog’s skin and Kidney failure.

Alabama rot’s full, scientific name is cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy (CRGV).

The cause of the disease isn't known, but it symptoms seem to appear in dogs who have been walked in woodland or muddy areas, but vets say they are "not currently advising dog owners to avoid walking in any particular locations."

The first symptoms of Alabama Rot are skin lesions, ulcers or sores on the legs, body, mouth or tongue.

Dogs will quickly get symptoms of acute kidney injury such as vomiting, reduced hunger or unusual tiredness.

How to spot the symptoms of Alabama Rot:

  • Skin lesions appear as a distinct swelling or a patch of red skin

  • The sore, open wounds commonly appear below the elbow or knee

  • Within two to seven days of infection the dog will develop signs of kidney failure including vomiting, reduced hunger and tiredness

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