Alabama Rot – Vets Report Increases in the UK
Vets across the UK are reporting an increase in dogs of all breeds infected with a new and potentially fatal disease known as Alabama Rot.
Alabama Rot Disease, or cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy (CRGV), is a disease of the skin and kidneys that’s commonly proved fatal in greyhounds in the US since the 1980s and has now infected at least 46 UK dogs of many different breeds since 2013.
First detected and particularly prevalent in the New Forest area of Hampshire, CRGV has been reported in dogs from Durham down to Surrey, and as far west as Monmouthshire and Cornwall.
Left untreated the outcome is most often kidney failure
Alabama Rot acts by destroying the blood vessels (vascular system) in your dog’s kidneys. This severely damages the vital blood cleaning and filtering tissues (the glomerula) that keep your dog’s system healthy. Left untreated the outcome is most often kidney failure followed by the decline and death of your pet.
The first visible warning of CRGV is damage to the skin; often appearing as soreness or reddening associated with swelling and ulcer-like lesions. However, these might be only the surface symptoms of more serious damage being caused to the blood vessels and capillaries of your dog’s kidneys.
Loss of appetite, tired and lethargic
When these signs accompany the usual symptoms that something more serious is wrong, then it’s time to seek urgent and expert attention from your vet. If your dog begins to loose appetite, becomes unusually tired and lethargic or vomits inexplicably, then these are signs of possible kidney disease.
Of course, kidney disease in dogs has many causes that may or may not indicate Alabama Rot. Skin disorders, too, have many different initiators; including parasites, fungal infections, skin tumours and the everyday injuries endured by normal, active dogs.
Although CRGV is still a rare condition in the UK, its cause and method infection remains unknown. This means that prevention can be difficult and early diagnosis and treatment by your vet, with the expertise and technical support of Vetlab Supplies, is essential.
Vetlab Supplies supports you, your vet and your dog with diagnostic haematology kits to inspect the health of your pet’s kidney function, and microscopy equipment and consumables to examine your dog’s skin and other tissues for early signs of Alabama Rot. Your vet can then plan an efficient, timely and potentially life-saving course of treatment for your pet, although sadly it is usually fatal. It is however important for official bodies to have the disease confirmed to record confirmed cases then we can see the spread of the disease throughout the UK.
Vetlab Supplies has a range of microscopes available and haematology supplies and consumables. We also specialise in diagnostic test kits for other problems – all backed by their wealth of knowledge and experience in veterinary testing and diagnosis.
To find out more about our large range of veterinary diagnostic test kits visit our website: www.vetlabsupplies.co.uk or Telephone: 01798 874567
