What is it ?
A potentially fatal but thankfully rare disease which causes damage to blood vessels in the skin and/or kidneys.
Sometimes there may be just skin lesions and most dogs will recover. However, if the kidneys are affected then many dogs will not survive.
What causes it ?
No one really knows for certain although research is continuing. It is possible there may be an environmental cause as many cases can be linked to muddy, woodland areas but we really don't know for sure.
How likely is it that my dog will get Alabama Rot ?
Very unlikely. There have been about 280 cases in the UK since 2012 so it is very rare. Any dog of any age, breed or sex is potentially vulnerable.
What symptoms should I be looking out for ?
Probably, the most noticeable symptom will be skin lesions or sores. These have shown to be more common on the legs but they can be anywhere on the body. Skin lesions can be small or cover a large area and there may be only one lesion or could be several.
What can we do ?
As we don't know what causes it there is little we can do to prevent it. Washing mud off dogs using just plain water may help reduce the risk but again we can't say for certain.
What we CAN do is not panic but stay reliably informed and vigilant. If you do notice any symptoms you are worried about call your vet for advice.