If You're Walking Your Pups In Mud, Vets Are Worried For You And Have Issued A Warning

If You're Walking Your Pups In Mud, Vets Are Worried For You And Have Issued A Warning

Alabama rot is an incredibly painful and very deadly condition that pup parents and walkers have been asked to keep an eye out for.

According to campaigners, dozens of pup deaths were caused by this horrifying condition. Since 2012, it is estimated that around 200 pups have passed away due to Alabama rot, with approximately 50 occurring in 2018.

This issue has mainly affected the United Kingdom, mainly in Manchester, London, and New Forest. As such, dog walkers and parents have to be more careful when taking their pups on walks in wooded areas, and most are recommended to wash down their pups if they have wandered around muddy places.

According to Fiona Macdonald, a vet, the most common factor is indeed the act of walking pups across ground that is muddy and wet. After a trip through such terrain, pup parents should use cold water to wash their pups down entirely in order to greatly reduce the risk of Alabama rot.

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Back in November, a new Alabama rot outbreak caused many pet and animal-lovers to become concerned and worried. Paul Riley, who is a joint practice director and a veterinarian, stated that Alabama Rot seems to be a seasonal type of illness, typically creating outbreaks in the time frames of November to May thanks to the muddy, wet lands.

Alabama rot is known medically as cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy or CRGV, and essentially involves a pup’s flesh and skin slowly but surely rotting. It causes appetite loss, vomiting, fatigue, and kidney failure, but cannot be officially diagnosed until after death. It is believed that in the US, the first signs of the condition came about in the 1980s. In the UK, the first few reports popped up within the past six years.

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The best way to keep your pups safe from Alabama rot is through washing dogs after muddy walks. You should also keep an eye out for symptoms, which will include lesions on the skin, sore spots on the skin, and signs of kidney failure. Speak to a vet if you have concerns. However, it’s important to know that this condition is extremely rare and skin lesions do not necessarily mean Alabama rot has been contracted!

Feature Image Source: Pixabay

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