#GoodToKnow - Alabama Rot

#GoodToKnowHealthSafetyWellbeing
Written By Toby Duncan

You may very well have seen news articles doing the rounds on social media talking about a mystery illness that can be fatal for dogs popping up around the country - but what exactly is Alabama Rot, and how can we avoid it?

What is Alabama Rot?

Alabama Rot is the name often given to a disease called Cutaneous and Renal Glomerular Vasculopathy (CRGV).

CRGV is classified as “a thrombotic microangiopathy - that is, a disease in which blood clots form in the very smallest blood vessels within the body.” [1] This can lead to organ damage, and eventually kidney failure and death.

Why should pet parents be aware of it?

We unfortunately don’t yet know what causes CRGV, and this makes prevention tricky. The best course of action at the moment is to have an awareness of the disease, including signs and symptoms so that early treatment can be sought if needed.

Although cases in the UK are still fairly rare (318 confirmed cases between November 2012 and February 2024 [1]), it’s better to avoid potential exposure where possible, and to know what the signs and symptoms may mean if they appear.

What are the key symptoms?

Via the PDSA [3]:

Symptoms of Alabama rot can include:

What should you do if you spot these symptoms and suspect CRGV?

The PDSA’s advice is as follows:

“It’s always best to contact your vet if you see any wounds on your dog, especially if they’ve been walking somewhere known for Alabama Rot, or if they seem unwell. Alabama rot is very rare so it’s unlikely to be the cause of your dog’s symptoms, but it’s always safe to have them checked if you’re worried.”
— [3]

What can you do to prevent CRGV?

Again, it’s important to note that a) without knowing what exactly causes CRGV, it’s hard to advise on prevention, and b) this is still an extremely rare disease affecting dogs in the UK. With that in mind, there are some pieces of advice that may help to keep your dog safe.

Wash your dog’s feet after a muddy woodland walk

At present, the best advice being given is to wash your dog’s feet and legs after a muddy walk, especially in woodland. There appears to be a link between muddy woodland walks and cases of CRGV, and it’s suggested that proper removal of mud may help to reduce the risk of CRGV.

This is also an important part of general care and husbandry - leaving your dog with muddy fur and skin is extremely uncomfortable and can lead to other issues such as sores, so it’s important that you clean them up after each walk regardless of what you may assess your overall risk of CRGV to be.

Carry out regular inspection of your dog’s feet and legs

You can do this whilst cleaning and drying your dog’s feet, and even in the summer if you’re not washing them so often this can be a great way to check for other issues such as ticks or general minor injuries to claws and paw pads.

The easiest way to check your dog’s paws is to lift their leg slightly and bend their paw gently backwards, like you would do with a horse’s leg. This makes use of the leg’s natural movement, and doesn’t put strain on your dog’s muscles and joints by trying to pull the foot upwards at an unnatural and uncomfortable angle. Once their paw is in position, have a quick visual inspection of their paw pads and claws, and run a finger or thumb in between the pads to check for trapped debris that may cause discomfort. You can check their legs as they remain in a standing position.

Avoid walks in areas with reported cases

There may potentially be an environmental trigger for CRGV, although according to the Royal Veterinary College, “there are no recommendations to avoid walking your dog in particular areas.” [1]. So far, the main link seems to be between cases of CRGV and woodland areas.

Previous advice has been to avoid areas with confirmed cases, and you may still wish to keep up to date with this and use this to inform choices about walking locations [3]. You can check an up-to-date map of reported and confirmed cases here [2].

Be aware of the facts

While dogs of any type can be affected, Anderson Moores reports that “the highest risk groups are hounds, gundogs, and pastoral dogs such as Labradors, spaniels and Hungarian Vizslas.” [5].

There appears to be some seasonal distribution - the Royal Veterinary College reports that most cases occur between November and May [1], and Anderson Moores puts this figure at over 91% of cases [5].

There have now been cases in 47 of the 48 counties in the UK [5], with 318 confirmed cases between 11/2012 and 02/2024 [1].

For further information on CRGV, visit the sources utilised in this article below, and check out the ARRF (Alabama Rot Research Fund), a UK charity providing key funding for research into this disease - you can also make a donation towards this funding by clicking the button below to visit their web page.

Toby Duncan
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