Alabama rot expert to give Marlborough talk

One of the UK’s leading authorities on the rare canine disease Alabama rot will be giving a talk in Marlborough next month.

The disease hit the headlines in December last year, after six dogs became ill after their owners walked them in West Woods, near Marlborough.

But it was not until January that Winchester-based veterinary surgery Anderson Moores was able to confirm that the disease was Alabama rot.

The disease usually shows as lesions on the paws and legs. The disease can then affect the kidneys, which is when it can become fatal.

The cause of the disease remains unknown, but it tends to strike woodland areas during muddy periods. It was first identified in the UK in the New Forest.

Renal medicine specialist Laura Holm, of Anderson Moores, will be giving a talk at Vets4Pets on Marlborough Business Park from 6.15pm on Tuesday, July 19.

Laura will be telling dog owners what precautions they can take to keep their pets safe from the disease, what symptoms to look out for, and what treatments are available.

Attendance costs £4 in advance or £5 on the door, in aid of The New Forest Dog Owners Group Alabama Rot Research Fund.

For more information, log on to www.vets4pets.com/marlborough