Dog owners take note - deadly disease Alabama Rot is on the rise in the UK.
Six more cases of the devastating condition which can cause a dog's flesh to rot away have already been reported this year compared to the whole of 2017.
Dubbed 'dog's black death', the cause of Alabama Rot is still unknown and is believed to affect all breeds.
Vet care experts Vets4Pets has compiled an interactive map outlining the confirmed cases of the deadly disease in the UK.
North East dog owners should take note that four cases have been reported in our region:
- Crook (May 2018)
- Sacriston (December 2017, areas walked include Heugh Edge Woods)
- Darlington (December 2015)
- Hamsterley (December 2012)
First appearing in the UK six years ago, the flesh-eating disease has an appallingly high death rate.
The illness causes lesions on the skin and occasionally in the mouth, which can look like bites, sores, wounds or stings, and some dogs go on to develop life-threatening kidney failure.
What is Alabama Rot?
CRVG, commonly known as Alabama Rot is a potentially fatal, flesh-eating disease that effects dogs and if it is not spotted early enough, the condition can lead to sudden kidney failure.
What are the symptoms to look out for?
One of the first signs to look out for is a skin sore, most commonly found below the elbow or knee.
There will be distinct swelling, red skin or may even appear open and ulcer like.
More serious symptoms that indicate kidney failure can appear within two to seven days. These include vomiting, loss of appetite and unusual signs of tiredness.
How can it be prevented?
As the cause is unknown, there is no definitive way of preventing your dog contracting the disease but there are steps that can be taken.
Vets4Pets say that knowing the warning signs is key to being able to treat the disease.
Tips for dog owners after exercising your pet is to wash off woodland mud, check for signs of CRGV and if you have any doubts, get in touch with the vet.
David Walker, a leading expert on the condition and co-author of the research, from Anderson Moores told Walesonline : "This research, which was funded by the New Forest Dog Owners Group and the charity Alabama Rot Research Fund, was designed to look for geographical patterns, as well as environmental and climatic risk factors.
"A distinct seasonal pattern is suggested, with the vast majority of cases occurring between November and March, and limited cases over the summer months – just 6.5% of cases have been confirmed from June to October.
"In the scientific world a lot of research is not earth-shattering, but it all builds together and little by little we make progress.
"This information is good in terms of how we manage the next stage of research, however we need to be careful and not jump to any conclusions at this point."
'I would hate for anyone else to go through this'
Grant Diehl, who used to take Labradors Amber and Pearl for daily walks in Sacriston Wood, first noticed Pearl was limping and struggling to put weight on her right front leg on January 24.
She was taken to Vets4Pets in Framwellgate Moor on Friday with a swollen red toe and issued with a course of antibiotics. It was not until Monday when X-rays confirmed the cause of Pearl’s suffering was not a fracture.
Grant, 36, said: “She could not really put any weight down on her right leg, and she would not get out of bed. There were no skin lesions which is usually the first sign of Alabama Rot.
“Even on the Monday morning, I was expecting to pick her up later that day. It was that afternoon they said her kidneys were not functioning as they should be.”
Once suspicions of Alabama Rot were raised, Pearl was moved for more specialist treatment at Wear Referrals in Bradbury. But such was the spread of the disease, vets were left with no choice but to put the Labrador down on Wednesday morning.
Grant added: “We only took her in for a limp, and she had to be put down.
“Everyone is so sad, I think it’s hit me the most because looking after our dogs was my thing in the house.
“The house is so quiet now. Amber just plods along, but Pearl was such a bundle of energy. You would always know she was about. She was a big part of our family.”
Are the amount of cases going up?
In total, the UK has now seen 169 confirmed cases of Alabama Rot across 38 counties, since 2012
|Year||Number of cases|
|2018 (so far)||46|
February has seen the highest number of cases, with December to March having 70.50% of overall confirmed cases.
David Walker said: "Of course dog owners, particularly those in the areas with higher numbers of cases, may be nervous about Alabama Rot, but it’s still an extremely rare disease and we’d encourage owners to continue exercising their pet as normal.
"We’ve seen cases of dogs walked with other dogs, in the same place every day, developing the disease, while the other dogs remained completely unaffected.
"If a dog becomes affected, the best chance of recovery lies with early and intensive veterinary care at a specialist facility such as Anderson Moores or the Royal Veterinary College.
"Any dog owners who are worried that their pet might have Alabama Rot should contact their veterinary practice immediately.
"This will help build knowledge about the disease and also give a dog the best chance of survival.
"Research will continue and, in time, we all hope the cause will be identified."