Alabama Rot

[EdinburghG]

Hi everyone, just wondered if anyone else had been following the recent media reports about Alabama rot , it sounds horrible for the poor dogs that have been affected, my worry is the advice seems to be avoid letting your dog get muddy ?? . Don’t know about the rest of you but my Colby is an absolute mud magnet and if there is a ditch or stream etc he is in it I have no chance of avoiding it , especially at this time of year. Does anyone have any thoughts or advice ?


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[EdinburghG]

Hi everyone, just wondered if anyone else had been following the recent media reports about Alabama rot , it sounds horrible for the poor dogs that have been affected, my worry is the advice seems to be avoid letting your dog get muddy ?? . Don’t know about the rest of you but my Colby is an absolute mud magnet and if there is a ditch or stream etc he is in it I have no chance of avoiding it , especially at this time of year. Does anyone have any thoughts or advice ?


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That was meant to be Alabama rot , stupid phone !![emoji3]


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[its.sme]

I've been keeping my eye on this horrid disease for a few years now,  the advise is very vague and I believe this is becouse they simply don't know what causes it.

I keep my eye on this site but I'm also aware that it could crop up anywhere.

http://www.vets4pets.com/stop-alabama-rot/

As you say it's near on impossible to walk a Cocker of any dog for that mater without getting muddy.......role on Summer

I do try to keep away from heavy wooded wet area's and I don't usually walk Bea near water, I have rinsed her feet and legs previously in Hibiscrub (diluted) and I keep my eye on her for anything unusual.

The only other thing I could think to do is to speak to the local vet as they should know of any issues in the area.

It's very easy to worry about them and it just shows that we are all very responsible owners, so all we can do is be as well informed as possible and enjoy our walks with our Cockers.

[elaine.e]

It's an extremely rare disease, with only around 150 confirmed cases in 5+ years in the UK dog population of more than 8 million. Even if unconfirmed cases (and there are bound to be some) doubled or trebled that figure it would still be an extremely rare disease, and any dog is more likely to die of pretty much any other illness you can think of than of Alabama Rot.

Unfortunately, it's been the subject of very sensationalist journalism, with newspapers terrifying dog owners by saying that it's "sweeping the country" and calling it a plague or black death, instead of sticking to the known facts and giving sensible advice. After all, that doesn't sell papers does it?

There are more cases during winter, with very few occurring between about May and October, and many of the dogs confirmed to have it had been walked in woodlands, or on muddy ground, at some point before contracting it. However, as the incubation period is unknown (hours, days, weeks?) it's not a proven link. The advice to avoid muddy ground or wash paws after walks isn't proven to help prevent it. There are no known cases of it being passed from dog to dog, and it's not known why one, or perhaps a few, cases may suddenly occur in an area where hundreds of dogs are walked regularly and then no further cases happen.

The cause is still unknown. At the moment all that can be done is to treat the symptoms and hope that the dog doesn't go on to develop kidney failure. Some dogs recover but sadly most don't.

I'm in the New Forest, where it was first identified, and it hasn't stopped me walking my dogs there every day. If there was a confirmed case in the precise location where I usually walk I'd walk elsewhere in the New Forest for a short while, maybe a few weeks, I'm not sure, just as a precautionary measure. But I made a decision a long time ago to make myself aware of the symptoms, to keep my ear to the ground in case there's a very local case, and otherwise carry on as normal, with the knowledge and any fearfulness tucked away at the back of my mind.

[Jaysmumagain]

I must admit the thing that always amazes(maybe the wrong word) is how these things rear their heads in cold weather, I remember 30 odd years ago while doing a receptionist job in a vets in Cheshire how there was an alarming increae in parvo, it was at it's worst in the freezing/snowy months and my natural assumption was that warm weather would spread the condition, yet it was the opposite freezing and frosty.

The map was a wee scary with several showing as Feb 2018, however, Elaine post does show that the percentage is low and we just need to keep informed.

Last September we read of the seasonal canine illness that the Queen posted info of around her Sandringham Estate, while we in the Ribble Valley I saw a notice on Duchy of Lancaster land and decided we would walk Ollie elsewhere.

[jennycockerspaniel]

Penny had a sore on top of paw and was infected  vet very thorough antibiotics poultice still wouldnt clear and weeping another poultice and anti nothing it was checked in 3 day  and last time next daybasked about her health it turned out be puncture wound   but has healed nicely was concerned when first saw it 

[GeoW]

I rather think that the Daily Mail (and some Vets) are spreading despair and despondency on this subject. It is no doubt a terrible condition and makes all us dog owners fearful for our pets. However, in terms of the dog population the cases are small in number tragic as they are.
What are we to do, mud is the default ground condition in the UK in winter; are we to deprive our canine companions of the enjoyment of the woods, moors and river banks for half the year? there must be many, many, thousands of dog hours annually spent in places like Cannock Chase, and the New Forest, yes there have been cases but how many in terms of the overall visits made each year.

I think we need to keep a sense of proportion, yes take the good advice to wash dogs paws, and check them daily for and signs of skin issues - we should be doing this anyway, but I for one will not unduly restrict our winter walks on the basis of the hysterical press reports.

[PennyB]

the mirror have done the same re media hype yet when you really read the article the conclusion is they really don't know how it is caught - they even quote the dogs trust saying you shouldn't walk your dogs in mud - errr this is the UK and we have spaniels. They really don't know if mud is a factor at all. Thankfully when my local paper had similar hyped headlines most actually didn't get too worried.

There was one case in Barry but on autopsy the dog was proven not to have it - yet I doubt people saw that 2nd headline but remembered the hype of the 1st