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Community News

‘Saving Needy Dogs’ in Swindon Alabama Rot found in Swindon dog

Saving Needy Dogs is a Swindon post mortem - owners warned to
group set up to find permanent,
loving homes for animals from keep a close eye on their pets
Swindon’s Dog Pound and beyond.
Formed in 2012 by a group of four Veterinary specialists in Winchester
dog loving Pound volunteers, Saving have confirmed a case of Alabama
Needy Dogs was granted charity Rot in a Swindon dog after a post-
status by the Charities Commission mortem was carried out.
in 2015. Alabama Rot (CRGV) is a condition
SNDogs is also the main point in dogs that can be fatal and was
of contact for Swindon’s ‘Lost and first discovered in the USA in
‘Pat’ is approx. 10 years old and
Found’ dog community. has lived on the streets or in the 1980’s. Skin lesions, typically
Run entirely by volunteers SNDogs dog pounds for most of his life. appearing as ulcers or erosions
provides foster homes, as the A gentle giant looking for a home. on the limbs, ventrum or muzzle,
commonly appear less than a week
before clinical signs, and the disease
Janet’s dogs are not kept in kennels, is thought to originate from toxins
fundraises and attends events with
produced by forms of E.Coli bacteria.
Puppy the dogs looking for homes. Jessica Worthington, 26 of Haydon
Skool All the dogs needing homes can Wick, took her dogs Pippa and Molly
be found on the SNDogs Facebook for a regular walk in West Woods
Jessica Worthington remember-
Have fun teaching your dog page – with descriptions of their in Marlborough where they are
good manners and behaviour ing Pippa who fatally contracted
at one of our friendly classes characters and approximate age. thought to have contracted the Alabama Rot
3 Playskool class for puppies SNDogs is dependant on condition.
3 Adult beginners/improvers donations of food, jumbones and Jessica said: “We took them for a
3 Senior Skool/advanced classes other pet items and is always on walk around Haydon the day after Swindon’s Thameswood Vets have
3 One to one advice & training the look out for volunteers. and the dogs were as lively as ever. posted information for dog owners
3 Fun agility workshops Contact: [email protected] or On the following Sunday, Pippa on their website and social media
www.janetspuppyskool.co.uk call 07940 268101 seemed different somehow so I pages, stating: “The key message is
APDT Member (01066) If you would like to adopt one of simply took her to get checked out that: ‘Although the disease can be
Janet Garrett DipCABT (QCF-Level 4) the dogs or for more information go of concern. very serious, the number of dogs
Tel: 01793 727158 to www.sndogs.uk “On the Monday, she had affected is relatively low in the
[email protected] developed lesions on her legs. I am UK (56 confirmed cases between
certain they weren’t there before November 2012 and May 2015)’.
that day, and immediately we took “We would advise owners not to
Thameswood both dogs to the Drove Veterinary walk their pets in dense woodland
during the milder weather we
Hospital. Molly developed the
Veterinary Clinics lesions on the Tuesday before both are having, which could be a
were referred to Anderson Moore’s contributing factor. We are always
“Making Life Better specialist centre in Winchester.” vigilant regarding new conditions
for you and your family pet” The pets were placed on 24-hour for pets and are happy to advise
watch with hourly blood tests and owners on courses of action should
Is Your Pet A Very fluids, which were all considered they be concerned.
“Until the end of January we are
Important Pensioner? within normal parameters within offering free checks with our senior
the first few days.
vet and dermatologist Nick Hartley.
However, Pippa’s blood results
Then welcome to our new health club started to exceed normal boundaries We are currently offering this as
for the older generation of Pets and concern over her kidney standard to our own clients but
function grew, resulting in a referral would be happy to extend it to Link
Providing the to the Queen Mother Hospital for readers if they are concerned.”
preventative health Small Animals, London and a rare Jessica has started a JustGiving
care your pet plasma exchange procedure was page to help raise awareness and
deserves at a great used to try and halt the progress of funds for research into the disease,
discount.
the disease. that closes on the 29 Febraury,
Visit our Unfortunately, Pippa’s condition having already raised over £8,000
website for more continued to deteriorate and she of the £10,000 target as we went
information. was put to sleep within a days of to press.
arriving in London, a decision that She said: “Simply raising
was understandably hard for Jessica. awareness of this condition is my
Jessica said: “All this time, aim. The funds will all be donated to
Molly was still in Winchester but critical research and hopefully this
thankfully her blood results never will mean no-one else has to lose
elevated to the same level. We their pets to this horrible condition.”
had to take the decision for Pippa Jessica’s JustGiving page is:
because you can’t let an animal www.crowdfunding.justgiving.com/
62-64 Purton Road Swindon SN2 2LZ (end of Akers Way) suffer as she was. It was heart- jessica-worthington
breaking. Molly is now back home. For more information on Alabama
Tel: 01793 526780 She is quieter and does clearly miss Rot you can visit the Anderson
www.thameswoodvets.co.uk her sister, but I’m glad we didn’t lose Moore’s website:
www.andersonmoores.com
them both.”
10 swindonlink.com n February 2016