Dog owners in the wider Greater Manchester region are being urged to keep vigilant after a beloved pet has sadly died from Alabama Rot.
Otherwise known as Cutaneous and Renal Glomerular Vasculopathy (CRGV), Alabama Rot is a disease that affects dogs by damaging the blood vessels in the skin and kidneys. This can cause small blood clots to form – resulting in blockages that may lead to tissue damage and visible ulceration in the skin.
When the kidney is affected, it can also lead to severe organ dysfunction, eventual kidney failure – and in a significant number of instances, death.
While the cause of Alabama Rot currently remains unknown, symptoms of the disease in dogs include unexplained redness, sores or swelling of the skin and vomiting, reduced appetite, and tiredness caused by kidney failure.
Alabama Rot has been a serious cause of concern for dog owners in Greater Manchester and the North West in previous years – and now it appears to have reared its ugly head once again over the border in Cheshire.
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Rebecca Fox and her husband James have decided to share their tragic experience with Alabama Rot – which happened while they were on holiday in the Delamere Forest with their dogs back in May – with Cheshire Live to raise awareness of the deadly disease.
After being on holiday for a week, the couple noticed that their Cocker Spaniel Millie was frantically licking her paw, limping and reluctant to put her weight on it, so they decided to get some antiseptic spray to see if that would help, but by the Sunday, Millie became “very lethargic”.
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They initially put that down to her being tired after an increase in activity level with being on holiday, but it soon became apparent that something more serious was wrong.
Rebecca told Cheshire Live: “We were predominantly in Delamere Forest because that is where we were staying and we walked round and in the forest.
“It was a very wet week and it was awful weather, so it was very muddy everywhere.
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“We had been there for a week, and so the next Friday we were all in the log cabin and Millie started frantically licking her front paw, so we thought it had got a bit infected [as] she was limping and holding it up as well by that point.
“It came on really suddenly.”
Rebecca and James Fox were on holiday with their dogs in the Delamere Forest / Credit: Google Maps
Rebecca said the Cocker Spaniel seemed uncharacteristically quiet on the way home and decided to take her to their local vets to treat the infected paw.
They were initially given an antiseptic bathing treatment for the paw, before Millie’s condition began to deteriorate further.
“Initially they sent us away saying it was a paw infection and gave us some antiseptic bathing stuff to put on her,” Rebecca continued.
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“By the Tuesday afternoon, she started being sick and that continued all day [and] then she couldn’t move much and couldn’t keep her limbs still, so we took her back at midnight and she stayed at our local vets all night.
“They rang us on the Wednesday to say her kidney numbers were rising dramatically [and] that they were failing basically.”
Despite the best efforts of the vets, Millie started to deteriorate further. The couple made the difficult and devastating decision that the “kindest thing” was to have Millie put down, with her sadly dying on 28 May.
Rebecca continued: “She was only six-years-old, a happy active spaniel [and] it was just how it took her. From finding the paw, to her dying was just seven days and she was a well and happy dog.
“This is why we want to raise awareness of this disease, because of how quickly it takes dogs when it gets hold of their kidneys.”
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Heard of #AlabamaRot in dogs? Little is known about it, but we suggest washing off mud after walks and speaking to a vet if you're worried.
Symptoms include: 🐶 Skin lesions (open sores or ulcers), esp. on legs 🐶 Signs of acute kidney injury (drinking more, vomiting, lethargy) pic.twitter.com/gHcFEvRxhK
— RSPCA (England & Wales) (@RSPCA_official) March 27, 2018
Following the loss of their beloved pet, Rebecca and James have now set up a JustGiving page to not only raise awareness, but also to raise funds for research into the cause of the little-known but deadly disease.
The couple has warned dog owners that if they see their pet with an unexplained sore, to take them to the vet as soon as possible.
“We want to help other people recognise the signs,” Rebecca said.
“The disease at the minute is not very well-researched; they don’t have a lot about it at the moment unfortunately.
“We don’t want people to go through what we went through.”
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You can make a donation to Rebecca and James’ fight to find a cure for Alabama Rot via the JustGiving page here.
More information on Alabama Rot can be found via the RSPCA website here.
Featured Image – Rebecca Fox / Cheshire Live
UK News
King Charles III’s annual income to increase by more than 50% as crown estate revenue rises
Danny Jones
King Charles III’s annual income is reportedly set to increase by more than 50% after the total revenue of the official crown estate rose significantly over the last 12 months.
Posting record-breaking profits since King Charles was coronated back in May, raking in a total of £1.1 billion for the 2023/24 financial year, the crown’s budget is now being adjusted, with a review set for 2026/27.
As per the official royal accounts published this week, the sovereign grant which helps fund members of the royal family and their civic duties is set to rise from £86m this year to £132m in 2025/26, meaning the King is set for a whopping £45m (approx. 53%) pay rise.
The royals currently receive 12% of the crown estate’s overall profits and as the majority of Britain continues to struggle with a cost of living crisis, it’s also the details surrounding last year’s outgoings and overall expenditure that have proved tough reading for many.
It makes no sense that profits from renewable energy projects are funnelled out of poor coastal communities to fund the refurbishment of Buckingham Palace.
Wealth from our natural resources should be invested in our people and communities. https://t.co/D4ZzzFiffk
In addition to roughly £600,000 of the sovereign grant being spent on the King’s coronation and other related events last year, the monarchy’s accounts also revised the £369m set aside for renovations in and around Buckingham Palace, let alone other royal residences.
According to The Guardian, “Royal accounts also show that the Prince of Wales received £23.6m income from the Duchy of Cornwall in his first full year after inheriting the land and property-owning estate from his father.”
Frogmore Cottage, located on the Windsor estate, saw a £2.4m refurbishment on behalf of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as well but has remained empty for more than a year – though the costs have reportedly since been returned to the public purse.
Perhaps one of the toughest/most frivolous to swallow for the taxpayer, though, is the revelation regarding the two new helicopters. Set to replace the existing aircraft used by the royals for the last 15 years, the two new AgustaWestland AW139s are said to cost £8m a pop.
Making 170 journeys last year and costing a total of £1,096,300, the monarchy’s travel bill rose from £3.9m to £4.2m all-told, with the official royal train remaining the most expensive per mile.
Elsewhere, in the King’s Speech (written for him) following Labour’s landslide updating of the Conservative Party after 14 years, Charles said: “Stability will be the cornerstone of my Government’s economic policy and every decision will be consistent with its fiscal rules…
“Securing economic growth will be a fundamental mission. My Government will seek a new partnership with both business and working people and help the country move on from the recent cost of living challenges by prioritising wealth creation for all communities.”
While the crown and government have reiterated the aim of “rising living standards”, many Brits will understandably struggle to take these words as sincerely as others, with urgent action needed to support some of the poorest regions across the nation.
Ex-Salford rugby player and Andy’s Man Club co-founder receives special honour from University of Bradford
Danny Jones
Ex-Salford rugby player, motivational speaker and health coach Luke Ambler has been given a special honour for his work with the men’s mental health organisation, Andy’s Man Club.
The former rugby league athlete and Ireland international – whose career started out at Salford City Reds before moving on to Leeds Rhinos, York, Harlequins and Halifax – set up Andy’s Man Club in 2016 after the loss of his brother to suicide, with the vital support group and charity growing massively since then.
Now hosting more than 4,500 men at over 190 different regional support groups across the country every week, including several here in Greater Manchester – one over at Etihad being the most recent – the non-profit has become a vital resource for men in the UK and only keeps spreading further.
To share this day with my beautiful family, mother in law and Sabrina our General Manager and all those who were graduating was a pleasure and a day I’ll remember for years to come.
As reported by The Hoot, Ambler received an outstanding contribution award from Bradford Uni on Tuesday, 16 July, being presented with the accolade during their ongoing summer graduation.
In typically humble fashion, he dedicated the honour to everyone but himself: “To all my team; my parents, my kids, my family, friends, staff and volunteers thank you – none of us do it alone.
“Thank you also to all of you who have supported us and continue to do so thank you.”
Speaking to the BBC, he went on to add: “It’s amazing to look back on how far it has come… I don’t want to put a limit on it – we really want to help more men and find out why people get into such dark places.”
Male mental health continues to be a hugely overlooked and pressing issue and the impact of organisations like Luke’s cannot be overstated, having not only provided an all-important outlet but also raised huge funds and awareness for the cause.
Meeting every Monday at 7pm, Andy’s Man Club is all about creating a safe space for men to open up about the storms affecting their lives in a safe, judgement-free and non-clinical environment. You can find your nearest location HERE.
Well done from all of us at The Manc Group, Luke. You can watch the presentation and his acceptance speech in full down below.
#ITSOKAYTOTALK
What a lovely way to honour the Andy’s Man Club co-creator.