A HAMPSHIRE vet has warned dog owners to be careful of Alabama Rot following a rise in dog deaths across the UK.

Josh Walker, an internal medicine specialist at Linnaeus-owned Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists, in Winchester, is at the forefront of research into the disease, which is known as Cutaneous and Renal Glomerular Vasculopathy (CRGV), and has spoken out after an alarming spike in cases.

The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) diplomate and RCVS recognised specialist said Anderson Moores, which has a website dedicated to CRGV that offers advice and information, including an up-to-date UK map of cases, confirmed 11 fatalities across the UK in the final two months of 2023, compared to just five across the rest of the year.

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Josh said: “Unfortunately, we have had a busy winter period so far, with eight cases confirmed for November and three in December.

“These numbers should be considered a minimum, though, as we have further results pending.

“Recent locations for CRGV deaths are diverse and include Surrey, Kent, Hampshire, Yorkshire, Cornwall, Staffordshire and Shropshire.

“I would stress that this disease is still very rare in the UK and we’re advising dog owners to remain calm while also being extra vigilant.

“The key advice is for them to seek immediate advice from their local vet if their dog develops unexplained skin lesions as CRGV develops extremely rapidly.

“Treatment largely revolves around the management of sudden onset kidney failure and, sadly, with our limited understanding of the disease, it is only successful in around 10 per cent of cases. That’s why prompt action and diagnosis is so important.”

It comes after several cases of the disease were reported near Basingstoke on Facebook at Sherfield on Loddon.

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Anderson Moores has been leading research into CRGV since it first appeared in the UK in 2012 and has recorded a total of 318 deaths in all.

Josh added: “We aim to give pet owners and our veterinary colleagues as much information as possible via our bespoke CRGV website, which includes a map highlighting the location of all confirmed cases across the country.”

More information on the disease can be found at Anderson Moores' dedicated CRGV website at alabama-rot.co.uk.