Don't let our Jake be just another statistic: Heartbroken dog owner calls for action over outbreak of Alabama Rot
A heartbroken dog owner has said he does not want his beloved dog to be 'just another statistic' as the number of cases of Alabama Rot rises.
The death of Philip Richardson's rescue dog, Jake, in Cannock takes the number of cases of the rare deadly disease to 109 since it was first detected in the UK in 2012.
He is one of six dogs who have lost their lives to the disease across the UK since May, according to Vets4Pets. They said there has been one confirmed case in Cannock, although Staffordshire Police yesterday said there were thought to have been three suspected cases in the Cannock Chase area and warned dog owners to be aware of the symptoms.
The other cases listed by Vets4Pets were in Frilsham in Berkshire, Little Lever in Bolton, Rugby in Warwickshire, Torquay in Devon and Chorley in Lancashire.
There is no known cause for the disease, which is extremely rare, but Mr Richardson wants action to be taken to advise dog owners on how to avoid it.
He said: "I don't want Jake to have disappeared and be just another statistic for people to go 'I don't know what caused it but oh well.'
"He was the most gentle, loving and responsive animal to have in our lives and that was robbed from us by this disease which we should be having a vaccination for in 2017. I've never experienced grief like this.
"It is the responsible thing to do to at least put up posters warning people how to avoid it."
Experts say treatment is only successful in around 20 per cent of cases and the best chance of survival is by washing pets' paws after a walk and checking for early symptoms.
David Walker, a UK expert on the condition, said: "Although we are working hard to find out the cause of Alabama Rot, it is currently still unknown, which makes the re-appearance of the disease concerning.
“The first sign of the disease 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."
Anyone with concerns has been advised to contact their vet.
