Dog Owners Beware!

Just a heads up for boaters who own dogs.

Signs have been put in place in the New Forest warning dog owners about a little-known disease that has killed 17 dogs across Britain in recent months. The Forestry Commission notices tell owners to take their pet to a vet should it develop lesions on its legs, paws or face. Vets say the disease - which leads to kidney failure - is most likely "Alabama Rot", (Idiopathic cutaneous and renal glomerular disease) which was first seen in the US in the 1980s. The actual source of the disease is as yet unknown. However, the Environment Agency has ruled out chemical contamination in water supplies. Whilst the majority of the dogs that have died in the past year were in the New Forest, but there have been other instances in Surrey, Cornwall, Worcestershire and County Durham. The notices say owners should take their dog to a vet even if the lesions appear a week after a walk.

Alabama Rot had been associated with greyhounds, but the deaths in Britain in the past year have affected a variety of breeds. David Walker, from Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists in Hursley, Winchester, said: "What I would say is that if you see a skin wound on your dog then don't just leave it. Ordinarily you might say I'll leave that for 24, 48 hours - I would say don't do that, get down to your local vet." Mr Walker said his practice first saw cases in December 2012 and since then vets had developed a "much better handle on what the disease is. There was a theory in the 1980s that Alabama Rot might be related to a toxin produced by E. coli bacteria, but his team had looked very hard for the bacteria and the toxin in infected dogs and not found either - so the 'trigger' of recent cases remained unknown."

There is some original research published in the late 80's Click Here A more up to date report is also available Click Here. So the lesson is: Any unexplained wound should be checked as a matter of urgency.