Resource designed to help vets and owners learn more about the condition.
A leading authority on cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy (CRGV) has launched a website dedicated to the potentially fatal disease.
Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists has been leading research into CRGV – also known as Alabama rot - since 2012 and has compiled information on confirmed cases across the UK.
The disease, which first appeared in the late 1980s, was discovered in the United Kingdom in 2012. It has a 90 per cent mortality rate when it affects the kidneys.
Now, as the traditional ‘season’ for CRGV cases approaches (November-May), experts at Anderson Moores have launched a new website to help veterinary professionals and owners learn more about the condition.
Alongside advice and information on CRGV, the website also includes a live map of confirmed cases across the UK.
“We have been at the forefront of research into CRGV for almost a decade now and have witnessed first-hand the often-devastating effects of the disease,” explained small animal specialist David Walker, who leads the team at Anderson Moores.
“We hope the confirmed case map will prove useful. Although an environmental trigger has not been definitively proven, the seasonality of the disease makes it eminently possible and the map allows everyone to see the location of confirmed cases.”
Anderson Moores has recorded a total of 277 cases of CRGV since the disease was first detected in the UK. So far this year, it has noted 26 confirmed cases – a figure that follows 47 cases during 2020, 19 cases in 2019 and 18 in 2018.
David said: “As we enter the winter months, we want to advise dog owners around the country to remain calm but vigilant and seek advice from their local vets if their dog develops an unexplained skin lesion(s), especially on the leg.
“Unfortunately, we find ourselves in the time of year when cases are most commonly identified – 92 per cent of dogs with the disease are seen between November and May. This is understandably a concern for dog owners; however, the disease remains rare.
"Hopefully, the new website will provide useful information for anybody that wants to know more about the disease.”
The RCVS has announced a new version of its 1CPD mobile app, with enhanced features for veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses to record their continuing professional development.
