DOG owners have been issued a warning after a deadly illness has been detected in Richmond and Wimbledon.

Dog walkers are being urged to remain vigilant after a further five cases of ‘Alabama Rot’ have been confirmed since the start of the year.

The warning has been issued by experts at Anderson Moores, an animal hospital which is leading research into the condition also known as CRGC.

It is suspected that the disease is picked up on the paws and legs on muddy walks, so dog owners are being urged to wash off all mud from their four-legged friends as soon as they get home.

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David Walker, who heads the team at Anderson Moores and is regarded as the UK’s foremost authority on the disease, said: “Unfortunately, we have to confirm another five cases of CRGV, taking the 2021 total to 17 cases.

“Sadly, we find ourselves at the time of year when cases are most commonly identified. It is understandably a worrying time for dog owners with regard to CRGV; however, the disease remains rare.

“The disease seems to appear across many counties at this time of year. January and February are typically our highest case number months and, sadly, this year is no different.

“We’re advising dog owners across the country to remain calm but vigilant and seek advice from their local vets if their dog develops unexplained skin lesions."

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He added: “If a dog becomes affected by CRGV, the best chance of recovery probably lies with early and intensive veterinary care which may be best provided at a specialist facility such as Anderson Moores.

“Treatment primarily revolves around intensive management of the acute kidney injury and is sadly only successful in around 10 per cent of cases.

“However, the team here at Anderson Moores successfully treated a suspected case of CRGV in a Labrador Retriever. Molly was referred to our internal medicine team due to limb swelling and a deep, painful ulcerative lesion on one of her legs.

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“Following four days’ intensive treatment, her condition started to improve and we began to cautiously hope she would survive the disease.

“Molly continued to slowly improve and, after two nerve-wracking weeks, she was discharged to continue her recovery at home.

“Sadly, stories such as Molly’s are relatively rare, with CRGV remaining a devastating disease, without a known cause or treatment. The disease has taken away many beloved dogs from their families.”

To find out more about CRGV, visit here.