Alabama rot: What is the dog disease, how common is it – and what are the symptoms?

Vets say the illness could be Alabama rot but more research is needed

At least 30 dogs have been killed by the disease in England but vets fear there could be many more (Rex Images)

Dog owners are being warned to be extra vigilant after a number of dogs have been killed by the flesh-eating disease known as Alabama rot.

At least 30 dogs in England have been killed in just 18 months as vets struggle to find a cure.

Many more pets are feared to have died from Alabama rot, which was first identified in the US in the 1980s.

What is Alabama rot?

Also known as cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy (CRGV), it leads to skin lesions, kidney failure and death but the cause remains unknown

It was first believed to usually affect greyhounds but a wide range of breeds have now been affected.

Why haven't I heard about it before?

The disease has been affecting dogs in the US for the past 30 years, according to research published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), but has only occasionally been seen outside America.

This is the first report of a series of cases occurring in England.

Several cases have been reported in the New Forest (Jim Champion/ Wikimedia Commons)

How common is it?

Researchers who analysed information on dogs taken to 53 veterinary practices in England with related symptoms between November 2012 and March 2014 found there were 71 possible cases of Alabama rot.

Of those, 41 were excluded from the study due to limited investigations or because medical records were incomplete.

Do the cases have anything in common?

The 30 dogs with suspected Alabama rot included five English springer spaniels, four flat coated retrievers, two border collies and a variety of other breeds.

They were from multiple locations but 10 had been walked in the New Forest, in Hampshire, shortly before becoming unwell.

Dogs from Northamptonshire, Yorkshire, Dorset, Shropshire, Surrey, Cornwall, Worcestershire, County Durham and Monmouthshire also displayed symptoms.

The sign warning dog walkers last year (Jamie Lorriman/Solent News & Photo Agency)

What were the symptoms?

Most of the dogs were taken to the vet by their owners because of skin lesions and while some were also showing other signs of being unwell, others developed symptoms such as tiredness, loss of appetite, vomiting and fever a few days later.

Vets are urging dog owners to act on skin lesions quickly, especially if they do not know they were caused by an injury.

With Alabama rot, skin lesions are typically below the knee or elbow, although they are occasionally seen on the face, bottom of the chest or abdomen.

They may present as a focal swelling, a patch of red skin or a skin defect similar to an ulcer.

Vomiting, reduced appetite and tiredness usually start later as signs of the oncoming kidney failure.

A woman walks her dog on Primrose Hill in the village of Dromore in Northern Ireland. (REUTERS/Cathal McNaughton)

How did the dogs die?

All the dogs’ kidneys failed after what researchers said was damage to the small blood vessels of the kidney (renal thrombotic microangiopathy).

That is also found in another rare disorder affecting dogs and humans - haemolytic uraemic syndrome - which results in acute kidney injury and anaemia, although those symptoms are not associated with the skin lesions on the dogs.

Is it definitely Alabama rot?

The BMJ report concluded that it is still unclear whether the mystery illness is an emerging disease or one that was previously present but unrecognised.

“Continued detailed clinical, clinicopathological and epidemiological evaluation will further enhance the understanding of the disease and will hopefully help to identify possible triggers, define prognostic indicators and determine the most appropriate management for these patients,” it added.

Additional reporting by PA