A dog owner in Bolton has issued a warning after her beloved pup died after contracting a rare disease.

Wendy Lee said Kaer deteriorated rapidly after she spotted an unusual legion on his leg.

The pup had to be put to sleep a week later.

The Bolton News:

And the owner was shocked when experts at the Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists confirmed the dog, a Brittany, had contracted cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy which is commonly known as Alabama Rot.

She said: “I noticed this unusual looking lesion on Kaer’s leg and took him to our local vets.

“They initially thought it could have been a case of obsessive licking and put him on acourse of steroids.

“However, another lesion soon appeared on his leg, then one on his tongue and he was becoming more and more unwell.

“He developed sickness and diarrhea and then took to his bed and wouldn’t move.

“It was so tragic. I’d only had him two months. He was a rescue dog who had an unsettled start in life and we were enjoying getting to know each other.

“It is a rare disease but a deadly one, so I’d urge any pet owners who notice odd-looking lesions on their dog’s legs to go straight to the vets and ask about Alabama Rot.

“My vets told me they had never come across Alabama Rot before which is why it is so important to highlight Kaer’s case and his symptoms.

!It just might help save other dogs in the future.”

The Bolton News:

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The disease, which originally appeared in the late 1980s and has a 90 per cent mortality rate, attacks the kidneys and was first detected in the UK in 2012, with 290 confirmed cases to date.

Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists in Winchester has been leading research into the devastating disease since 2012 and internal medic Josh Walker confirmed Kaer had succumbed to the disease.

He said: “We’re incredibly sorry to have to confirm Kaer was a victim of CRGV. “We have been at the forefront of research into CRGV for the past decade and have witnessed first-hand the often-devastating effects of the disease.

“Treatment largely revolves around management of the sudden onset kidney failure and, sadly, with our current understanding of the disease, is only successful in around 10 per cent of cases.”