Canine Brucellosis

Canine brucellosis (Brucella canis) is an intracellular bacterium that is passed through doggie sex, saliva, nose and eye secretions, blood, milk, and feces. It can also be found in very high concentrations in aborted material from an infected do and vaginal discharge, semen, seminal fluids, and urine. It is primarily a concern of breeding kennels, but some pet homes find that they have a dog positive for canine brucellosis.

When most people think about canine brucellosis, they think of it causing abortions in pregnant dogs. It does that and most abortions are between forty-five and fifty-five days. Canine brucellosis can also cause testicular swelling, inflamed eyes, and spinal arthritis and several other serious problems in the dog who has it. Worst of all, the infected dog may display no signs or symptoms at all.

Canine brucellosis is also zoonotic. That means you can get it from your dog if he has it. The symptoms in humans are often non-specific and may include fever, fatigues, headache, weakness, malaise, chills, sweats, weight loss, an enlarged liver, spleen or lymph nodes. Dog breeders are encouraged to wear single use sterile gloves when helping with whelping, when handling newborn puppies, placenta material, and aborted puppies.

Back to the dogs, canine brucellosis is not curable and is a reportable disease in many states. The dog should be removed from any breeding program as the father can infect the mother during breeding. The mother can transmit the disease to her puppies during whelping. All dogs that are positive for canine brucellosis should not be re-homed, but kept isolated from other dogs with a negative test for canine brucellosis.

Since there is no cure for canine brucellosis, it is combated with sound population medicine and biosecurity. First, test all of the dogs on the kennel premises and remove infected dogs. Sterilize all areas where the infected dog may have had contact. Once that is done, you can bring in new dogs if necessary. These dogs should come from a brucellosis free facility. Each new dog should be quarantined and tested for brucellosis. If the dog tests positive, remove him from the facility immediately. Test the other new dogs at once and remove any that may have become positive. Eight weeks after the negative test, perform another brucellosis test. If that one is also negative, you can safely introduce the new dog into your kennel.

Do not let visitors into your kennel until they have stepped in a foot bath to disinfect their feet. They should not have visited any other kennel or dog show that day. If possible, do not let them touch any dog or equipment during the visit.

The safest way to breed your dog is to use artificial insemination with a dog from a proven negative kennel. This eliminates the risk of taking the dog out to another kennel and having them catch brucellosis. If this is not practical, two negative brucellosis tests eight weeks apart should be performed on the target dog and be negative before your dog goes to that kennel.