A family have been left heartbroken after their golden retriever Marley fell victim to deadly Alabama Rot disease.
Marley began unusually licking his paw at home and just seven days later, his owners were forced to say their final goodbyes.
Rebecca Backhouse, from Ledbury, is sharing his first symptoms as a warning to others, after his death left a "huge void" in her children's lives.
Rebecca said: "It's one of those things you never think will happen to your dog."
Marley takes the total number of Alabama Rot cases in the UK to seven this year.
His passing comes as vets urge dog owners to remain vigilant at all times and report any concerns to your local vet.
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Rebecca first noticed something was wrong when Marley began licking his back left paw.
She was aware of Alabama Rot and searched images of lesions to compare online - but says Marley's didn't look anywhere near as bad, leading her to question if he'd simply cut himself on a rock.
Rebecca explained: "We confined him to garden rest as we obviously didn’t want it to get infected when out a walk. He was a bit sad initially but then he seemed fine and enjoyed a tummy tickle, which he always did.
"Then the following day his groin had swollen up to several times its original size and looked terrible, almost as if it was gangrenous."
The Backhouse family took eight-year-old Marley straight to their local vets - who were fantastic - and referred him immediately to Anderson Moores.
Rebecca said: "I drove Marley to Winchester on the Thursday evening and they were brilliant. Catarina Amorim, the vet who looked after Marley, was absolutely wonderful and kept us updated constantly.
"He stayed with Anderson Moores for a week and through much of that time he seemed stable.
"However, the duty vet then called us on the seventh day to say he was struggling to breathe, had fluid in his lungs and had taken a real turn for the worse.
"So, the kindest thing was to say goodbye. It’s such a brutal disease and moves so quickly.
"Marley would have been nine in August. We had him from just nine weeks old and he was a huge part of the family.
"We had our children after we got him, so they’ve only ever known life with Marley. He’s left us all with a huge void."
Speaking about Marley, vet Catarina Amorim said: "Our sympathies are with the Backhouse family. Marley developed lesions on his prepuce, which is quite unusual, as well as ulcerated lesions in his groin and on his hind paw.
"He also developed generalised oedema (swelling), which resulted in the swelling his owners had originally seen, and pulmonary oedema (fluid in the lungs)."
Alabama Rot originally appeared in the late 1980s, and was first detected in the UK in 2012.
It affects the kidneys and has a 90 percent mortality rate, killing a total of 286 dogs to date in the UK.
Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists in Winchester has been leading research into the devastating disease and is collating information on all cases and reports.
David Walker, who is the UK's foremost authority on Alabama Rot, said: "We’re very sad to report two further cases of CRGV.
"Unfortunately, we find ourselves in the time of year when cases are most commonly identified. It is understandably worrying for dog owners; however, I must stress this disease is still very rare.
"We’re advising dog owners across the country to remain calm but vigilant and to seek advice from their local vets if their dog develops unexplained skin lesions."
While Alabama Rot is often fatal, Mr Walker says the best chance of recovery lies with early and intensive veterinary care, which may be best provided at a specialist facility.
Anderson Moors have developed a new website which includes a nationwide live map of Alabama Rot cases. You can visit it here.
Do you have a dog story to tell? Contact nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
