Alabama rot
So this week I was reading both veterinary news and looking through general news for things in the veterinary world that have made it to the general public. One of the major stories I found was about Alabama Rot.
Alabama rots scientific name is Cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy (CRGV), any dog can get it and in 9 out of 10 dogs it is fatal. The disease was discovered in the USA in the 1980's however there wasn't a confirmed case in the UK until December 2012 since then 98 dogs have died and already 15 in 2017 alone. Though this disease has been around for a while there is no cure and not much understanding as to what causes the disease. But there has been scheduled a UK's first conference for Alabama rot.
The disease itself causes legions on the dogs skin and sometimes in the mouth, these legions can look like bites, stings or wounds, without a known injury. If you suspect any of these with your dog and you see that something isn't right with your dog, go to the vet straight away. As the way that this disease works it by affecting the blood vessels ( vasculopathy on the skin (cutaneous) and on the kidneys ( renal). Which explains the name it affects these blood vessels by causing tiny blood clots which blocks the vessels and in the end will cause the tissue to become damaged or die. In the skin this can lead to ulceration however if this happens in the kidneys it can cause kidney failure. So if you see your dog licking at a legion on the skin that could look like an ulcer or a wound, if you have no known cause of injury, take you dog to the vet immediately, the vet will then be able to confirm weather your dog has Alabama rot, the earlier you catch this disease the more likely your dog is to survive.
The treatment for Alabama rot is varied depending on what symptoms your dog has, if it is only a legion stage or just a legion then the vet may explain the best type of management they may prescribe your dog antibiotics or the area covering, or a non-steroidal painkiller . However if your dog has an acute kidney injury then your dog will be taken into intensive management and will often be referred to a specialist.
As there isn't much known about this disease there isn't much that can be done for prevention of your dog getting the disease, and as there is no vaccine or cure it is hard to move forward. There is a positive though, dogs won't always develop renal failure and most legions on the skin aren't caused by Alabama rot. So there is always a good chance that your dog will recover however if the legion is Alabama rot then if it isn't treated swiftly then it can quickly lead to renal failure which is a lot harder to treat and save the dog.
So please be aware at the moment most cases are reported in winter and spring so take that into account if you see a legion on your dog. The disease hasn't affected humans. I hope this has been useful and do not hesitate to see your vet if you have any queries. Thank you for reading I hope this was educational and helpful. the information for this blog has been taken from (Alabamarot.co.uk)
Alabama rots scientific name is Cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy (CRGV), any dog can get it and in 9 out of 10 dogs it is fatal. The disease was discovered in the USA in the 1980's however there wasn't a confirmed case in the UK until December 2012 since then 98 dogs have died and already 15 in 2017 alone. Though this disease has been around for a while there is no cure and not much understanding as to what causes the disease. But there has been scheduled a UK's first conference for Alabama rot.
The disease itself causes legions on the dogs skin and sometimes in the mouth, these legions can look like bites, stings or wounds, without a known injury. If you suspect any of these with your dog and you see that something isn't right with your dog, go to the vet straight away. As the way that this disease works it by affecting the blood vessels ( vasculopathy on the skin (cutaneous) and on the kidneys ( renal). Which explains the name it affects these blood vessels by causing tiny blood clots which blocks the vessels and in the end will cause the tissue to become damaged or die. In the skin this can lead to ulceration however if this happens in the kidneys it can cause kidney failure. So if you see your dog licking at a legion on the skin that could look like an ulcer or a wound, if you have no known cause of injury, take you dog to the vet immediately, the vet will then be able to confirm weather your dog has Alabama rot, the earlier you catch this disease the more likely your dog is to survive.
The treatment for Alabama rot is varied depending on what symptoms your dog has, if it is only a legion stage or just a legion then the vet may explain the best type of management they may prescribe your dog antibiotics or the area covering, or a non-steroidal painkiller . However if your dog has an acute kidney injury then your dog will be taken into intensive management and will often be referred to a specialist.
As there isn't much known about this disease there isn't much that can be done for prevention of your dog getting the disease, and as there is no vaccine or cure it is hard to move forward. There is a positive though, dogs won't always develop renal failure and most legions on the skin aren't caused by Alabama rot. So there is always a good chance that your dog will recover however if the legion is Alabama rot then if it isn't treated swiftly then it can quickly lead to renal failure which is a lot harder to treat and save the dog.
So please be aware at the moment most cases are reported in winter and spring so take that into account if you see a legion on your dog. The disease hasn't affected humans. I hope this has been useful and do not hesitate to see your vet if you have any queries. Thank you for reading I hope this was educational and helpful. the information for this blog has been taken from (Alabamarot.co.uk)
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