Alabama Rot warning to Newtown dog owners

Local vets have issued a warning to local dog owners of a potentially fatal disease that has affected at least one pet in the area.

A case of Alabama Rot has been reported by Hafren Veterinary Group. The CRGV - Cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy / Alabama Rot is a disease that is caused by damage to blood vessels of the skin and kidney.

In a statement, Hafren Vets said they had treated a dog in Newtown with the disease. The dog has been exercised in the Newtown and Shrewsbury area in the past two weeks.

A statement said: “The cause of this disease is still unknown. It has been considered to be linked to muddy, wet woodland environments. But this has not been a confirmed source of infection.

“We are advising dog owners to wash off the mud with a Chlorhexidine solution and dry them as soon as you have finished your walk.
Should your dog develop a small lesion that you cannot recall starting from an injury , our advice is to seek advice from our veterinary surgeons.”

Explaining the disease, the veterinary practice added: "It was first identified in the USA in the 1980's in greyhounds. It is a disease that is caused by damage to the blood vessels of the skin and the kidney. In the skin, it causes ulceration and in the kidney it causes severe organ dysfunction (kidney failure).

"It has only been known to occur in dogs. Initially this disease starts with n unexplained skin lesion, often on the legs, chest, abdomen or the face/mouth. This lesion will have started from no apparent injury. This disease then leads onto Kidney involvement."

Photo: The area currently believed to be potentially affected by reports of Alabama Rot