DOG OWNERS across the region have been urged to be on their guard as the deadly dog disease Alabama Rot continues to spread across the country.

Four new cases have been confirmed by specialists, including one in Radcliffe, taking the total of confirmed cases since 2012 to 102.

The condition begins with ulcers on the dog’s skin and lower legs before the rapid onset of kidney failure and is believed to be caused by parasite or toxins produced by E. coli.

The news of more cases comes after the first ever Alabama Rot conference was hosted by specialists regarding the disease.

Dr Huw Stacey, vet and director of clinical services at Vets4Pets, urged dog owners to research the condition.

He said: “Treatment is supportive, but is only successful in around 15 to 20 per cent of cases, which is why we’re encouraging all dog owners to use the online interactive guide to help them understand the clinical signs and confirmed locations of the condition.

“The first sign that is normally seen is a skin sore that isn’t caused by a known injury.

“Most commonly these sores are found on the lower half of the leg and appear as a distinct swelling, a patch of red skin or are open and ulcer-like.

“Any dog owners who are worried that their pet might have Alabama Rot should contact their veterinary practice immediately.

“This will help build knowledge about the disease and give a dog the best chance to recover from the condition.”

David Walker, who hosted the conference along with other experts, is the UK’s leading expert on the condition and said that discussions went well.

He said: ““We were delighted to welcome scientists from the field of human medicine to the conference, alongside vets from academia and specialist private practice.

“The conference was very positive, with everyone contributing greatly to the discussion, and we look forward to continuing to work with our fellow professionals to research this condition.

“We’ve already started the process of setting up a steering committee, to help focus the enormous experience and knowledge from the 30 specialists who gave up their time for free to attend.

“The committee will be in regular contact to co-ordinate efforts and collate any new information to aid progress in research.

“Among the items we discussed was the sharing of data from similar human health issues to identify any possible connections.

“Of course, the news of more confirmed cases today just increases the need to focus on discovering why this condition occurs.”

Alabama Rot, which first appeared in the late 1980s affecting greyhounds in America, has now been found in 29 counties across the UK since it was first detected in the UK in 2012.

All of the UK cases confirmed with Alabama Rot to date had been breeds other than greyhounds, however, the first UK greyhound with skin lesions and kidney failure – the hallmark features of Alabama Rot – has now sadly been confirmed.

The cause of the disease, clinically known as idiopathic cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy (CRGV) is still unknown, but one of the discussion points at the conference was the importance of funding.

“Research is vital if we are to understand more about this condition, find a cause and be able to prevent or treat it, and funding is essential to achieve these goals,” added Mr Walker.

“We are working with organisations including Vets4Pets, which has more than 400 practices across the UK, some of the UK veterinary schools and the Alabama Rot Research Fund, to increase the research effort.

“There is a very useful guide available online for any concerned dog owner at www.vets4pets.com/stop-alabama-rot/, which can help people know the locations of confirmed cases and advice on how to spot signs.”

Details about the Radcliffe dog will be reported as soon as we have it.