What is Alabama Rot?

Canine Black Death!

Alabama rot has an official name called Cutaneous and Renal Glomerular Vasculopathy CRGV.

Alabama rot is a relatively new and potentially fatal disease which appears to be causing damage to the canine blood vessels in the skin and especially the kidneys.

This disease is specific to the canine world and does not appear in any other animal species at this time.

Alabama rot causes blockages in blood vessels by forming blood clots which results in damage to the dog tissue. This leads to noticeable lesions and ulcers of the skin and can also lead to total kidney failure.

At the time of writing (April 2018) Alabama rot is spreading across the UK at apparently an alarming rate and is considered a fatal and deadly dog disease.

There is currently NO known cure or antidote and in most cases dogs cannot be saved and will ultimately die of these symptoms. Apparently 9/10 dogs that contracts this disease will die.

Alabama rot is considered a flesh eating disease and it is said by many that it is picked up on dog paws and legs in areas where dogs are frequently walked.

Although not officially confirmed the feedback from dog owners especially those who have lost their dogs to this nasty disease are stating it is specifically related to mud on their legs and paws and all dog owners are advised to thoroughly wash their dog’s legs after returning from dog walks in public places.

This disease is also being called the canine Black Death and it is killing all breeds of all ages.

In most cases the death is down to kidney failure which appears to start on the legs and paws of the dog in the form of sores and lesions. Please note that these sores are highly noticeable and look red wet and raw.

This disease appears to be travelling and or living in contaminated cold mud and water or a mixture of both. It is all so been reported that it is prevalent in wooded areas such as the new Forest where moisture and condensation exist on mounds of deep leaves and foliage etc.

There also appears to be no cases or feedback related to footpaths, pathways/tarmac or concrete.

General and national feedback from dog owners suggests that this disease seems to be related to areas of damp and moist grass, foliage, undergrowth water and mud or just muddy water. These seem to be the conditions Alabama rot either lives in or is being transferred through.

Busy walkways used by dog owners are said to be where dogs are picking this disease up.

Regular walked wooded, grass areas where there is water, moisture and mud possibly see a couple of hundred dogs a day. Although we love our dogs, dogs are by nature dirty as they are constantly making contact with dirty and unclean surfaces where urine and faeces are mixed multiple times a day and bearing this in mind is it any wonder dog infections and diseases can be easily transferred from one to another.

What we don’t know is if this disease is transferred off the feet of dog owner’s footwear or if it’s just picked up on dog paws on dog legs?

Remember foot and mouth disease and how everyone had to wash their footwear including vehicles wheels where they had to be hosed down and washed before entering and leaving certain places such as farmlands!

Alabama rot is such a serious disease which leads to fatal kidney failure and death within just a week unless the signs of the disease are spotted soon and only then can they be treated.

All dog owners are advised to wisely avoid busy dog walkways where there is muddy water and possibly consider finding new solitary routes for walking your dog especially in areas where the disease is now spreading.

It has been estimated that by the end of 2018 over 200 cases are expected.

So what exactly is Alabama rot?

Initially it appears as sores on the dog’s paws and legs and is also being called a flesh eating disease.

The disease leads to soreness and lesions, ulcers, tiredness, lethargy, vomiting, loss of appetite and ultimately kidney failure and death in just one week.

General feedback suggests that Alabama rot resides or transfers to dogs from wet and cold soil and veterinary reports across the UK state 9/10 dogs that contract this disease will die.

Word is this disease originated in America back in the late 8Os and has since spread across the UK only in the last five or six years with no known UK cases before this time.

Check Google maps for national UK locations of confirmed cases.

Wales, the new Forest and now the Midlands are showing active areas of the disease.

Common sense suggests that dog walkers should keep their dogs away from wet and muddy areas and stick to dry footpaths or pedestrian walkways has opposed to well worn trodden dog walked paths!

If you suspect your dog have sudden sores or lesions on its legs or paws you should seek immediate veterinary attention.

The signs to look out for are patches of swollen reddish coloured wet sore looking skin and open or ulcer like protrusions on the lower legs.

Usually within seven days the dog can demonstrate rapid kidney failure due to extreme tiredness, avoiding foods and vomiting.

Please also be aware that lesions and ulcers can appear on dogs legs for OTHER reasons the same has vomiting and tiredness can also be symptomatic of other problems that are not associated with Alabama rot therefore professional veterinary assessment is required before jumping to conclusions if you suspect your dog is ill.

Some organisations have stated this disease is spreading like wildfire however dramatic or even exaggerated that this sounds it should be taken seriously based on there being no cure.

Busy research is currently taking place but to date no cause, cure or antidote has been found at the time of writing.

Copyright Open College UK Ltd – 2018

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