Possible New Disease?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25820926

Sounds nasty, and the symptoms are worth looking out for!  

Hope they get to the bottom of it soon!

I saw this yesterday. I imagine that by "lesions" they are talking about unexplained, open sores (not cuts, more like ulcers?)

Yes, I think so.

But I would say that if anything unusual turns up like that, then a phone call to the vet might be in order, just to be safe!

I would guess that normally, if we suddenly found an open sore on our dog, we'd think they must have abrased themselves somehow and initially treat it with Sudocreme or Germolene and only go to the vet if it didn't heal.

I note that most cases have occurred in the New Forest, which has a particularly nasty biting fly peculiar to the area which may or may not be carrying this disease. Who knows; I hope "they" are investigating this new (to our shores) disease.

It sounds like there's a lot of research going on, but these things take time.