As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. In this case, unfortunately, there is no cure yet for Brucellosis. At present, there are no vaccines available in the market to protect your pets from this deadly disease. It is important to equip oneself with proper knowledge about Brucellosis. This is not only harmful to your pets but also contagious even to humans.

What is brucellosis in dogs?

This disease is caused by bacteria called Brucella canis. Brucella comes in different species which affect different kinds of animals. According to the Wisconsin Health Department, Brucella canis is a zoonotic disease. This means that an infected animal can pass this disease to their fur parents. VCA Animal Hospitals reported that this disease impacts the reproductive organs of dogs. This caused infertility and stillbirths to name a few.

What does brucellosis in dogs look like?

It can be difficult to evaluate if your pet has this disease unless proper testing is made. The signs and symptoms may look the same for other illnesses. But you can still stay cautious about clinical signs associated with this disease. Signs for female includes newborn dying after a few hours or a day after being born, stillborn puppies, and abortion. For male dogs, the signs may include enlargement of their testicles. In some cases, it could be shrunken testicles. Watch out for signs of fatigue, irregular-sized lymph nodes, unbalanced movement, or extreme weight loss.

What causes Brucellosis?

According to World Health Organization, Brucellosis is a bacterial disease with rare person-to-person transmission. It is caused by different types of Brucella species. Apart from dogs, it can also infect other animals such as cows, goats, and sheep.

How to prevent Brucellosis?

If you are getting a new pet, make sure that it has undergone the right testing before bringing it home. Prevention is better than reacting once the pet is already infected. If you have already tested your pet and have shown negative results, make sure to schedule another test a few months after.

In the case of an already infected pet, make sure to isolate it right away. Early and prompt action means preventing the wide spread of the disease into your home. This is critical especially if you have small children at home. Although little is known about human infection, it is recommended to keep your family away from infected dogs.

In the case of reducing the shredding of the organism, it is recommended that the pet should be neutered. Antibiotics are then introduced and your pet needs to be retested again. Contaminated materials should be disposed of properly and the area where your dog stays should be cleaned regularly. Make sure that you are also wearing gloves and masks and proper clothing when in contaminated areas.

If you have a kennel, make sure that it is disinfected regularly and that workers are knowledgeable of the safety precautions. Precaution should be heightened especially during birth or abortion.

What kind of tests for dogs can be taken?

Testing the dogs is the best way and sure way to diagnose the disease. There are plenty of ways to determine if your pet is positive for this disease. The serological test can be done to check if your pet is positive. This kind of testing looks into the blood’s antibodies. This kind of testing can produce a false negative outcome, depending on the timing of the testing made.

Another test is the rapid slide agglutination test (RAST) where the dog’s blood is tested. The result is between three to four weeks. If you have a breeding dog, you can consider having this test.

You may opt for a ‘culture’ test instead. This is considered the top standard testing for B. canis diagnosis. Culture means that a sample of your pet’s fluid in the form of blood, urine, semen, or others is sent to a laboratory. The fluids are incubated to see if it produces bacterial growth. This will then be later examined by a microbiologist to determine whether your dog has the disease.

Since there are several tests to determine the infection, it is best to seek the advice of your veterinarian.

How is brucellosis transmitted?

Brucella Canis can be passed to other pets or humans through the urine of the infected dog. It can also be passed on through vaginal discharge for women. Semen for men. The aborted materials, as stated by NJDH, contain the highest form of infectious organisms. Nursing mother dogs can also transmit the disease to their young ones through milk and saliva. As dogs like to lick on materials, if these are contaminated there’s a high chance of getting infected.

Human transmission is possible through tissue and fluid contact. An infected dog can transmit this to humans through their skin or mucous membrane. If you are assisting a birth, make sure that you are properly geared up to avoid any transmission.

Although human transmission is possible, there is very little data and information related to pet-human transmission. Little is known about it because of underreporting.

How contagious is brucellosis?

Brucellosis from dogs to humans is rare and the risk level is still uncertain now. However, the transmission from one infected dog to another is high. This is why infected ones must be quarantined right away. This will slow if not prevent transmission in your kennel.

When should a brucellosis test be done?

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, testing should be done after every four weeks for all of your new dogs. Your dogs must show at least two negative test results before they are allowed to join your other dogs.

Treatment for brucellosis?

Treatment of brucellosis remains to be a work in progress. The use of antibiotics has been practiced to help control the disease. There are treatments done such as giving antibiotics to infected dogs, but the result was unsuccessful. Unfortunately, infected dogs are subjected to euthanasia. With the risk it presents and the low success rate of the treatment available, most pet owners would opt to put their pets to mercy killing.

How common is brucellosis in humans?

Experts believe that there are more infections in humans than are currently being reported. But due to minimal information and fewer data available, the risk level to humans is determined. Regardless, it is still important to practice proper hygiene. Always clean your hands after being in contact with a dog.

If you wish to know more about how to protect your pets, check out our blog.