Brucellosis
By Jocelynn Jacobs, DVM
There is one test that should be mandatory for every breeder prior to breeding their stud dog to another kennel’s female or their female to an outside stud. It’s a canine brucellosis test. The test is quick and easy and can be done at your veterinary clinic as an in-house test (completed at your veterinarian’s office) or sent out to a laboratory. Because the disease can be so devastating to a kennel’s breeding program and is such a simple blood test, no breeding should ever be done before both canine partners are tested and shown to be free of the condition.
Canine brucellosis is a contagious bacterial disease. It is spread through uterine discharges, semen, or contact with aborted fetuses. Brucellosis is a worldwide disease with approximately 1% to 5 % of all dogs infected.
Most dogs that have brucellosis are asymptomatic, that is, they do not appear sick or show any clinical signs of the disease. Those that show clinical signs may have a fever, enlarged lymph nodes, lethargy, or chronic weight loss.
Reproductively, however, many abnormalities can be seen. Infected female dogs can have poor fertility, conception failures, or early fetal resorption. They also may have smaller litter sizes or an increased fading puppy syndrome. Late term abortions, often between days 45 – 55 of gestation, are also commonly seen in infected females.
Male dogs infected with brucellosis may not show any clinical signs, but if they do, they may have abnormal semen counts (low to no sperm present) or testicular atrophy (decreased size of the testicles either unilaterally or bilaterally). Initial signs of infection may also include inflammation of the testicles or epididymis.
Unfortunately, there is no consistently effective treatment at this time for a brucellosis infection. Dogs infected with brucellosis are chronically affected and can become a source of infection for other dogs in the kennel and breeding program. Ideally, these dogs should be neutered and if possible, removed from the kennel.
Tests are available for canine brucellosis through your veterinary clinic. Rapid slide agglutination tests, tube agglutination (TAT) and 2-mercaptoethanol tube agglutination tests or agar gel immunodiffusion tests are all options for diagnosing this disease in both the male and female dogs prior to a mating. These tests are relatively inexpensive, and whether completed in-house or sent to a lab, results are available fairly quickly.
There is one test that should be mandatory for every breeder prior to breeding their stud dog to another kennel’s female or their female to an outside stud. It’s a canine brucellosis test. The test is quick and easy and can be done at your veterinary clinic as an in-house test (completed at your veterinarian’s office) or sent out to a laboratory. Because the disease can be so devastating to a kennel’s breeding program and is such a simple blood test, no breeding should ever be done before both canine partners are tested and shown to be free of the condition.
Canine brucellosis is a contagious bacterial disease. It is spread through uterine discharges, semen, or contact with aborted fetuses. Brucellosis is a worldwide disease with approximately 1% to 5 % of all dogs infected.
Most dogs that have brucellosis are asymptomatic, that is, they do not appear sick or show any clinical signs of the disease. Those that show clinical signs may have a fever, enlarged lymph nodes, lethargy, or chronic weight loss.
Reproductively, however, many abnormalities can be seen. Infected female dogs can have poor fertility, conception failures, or early fetal resorption. They also may have smaller litter sizes or an increased fading puppy syndrome. Late term abortions, often between days 45 – 55 of gestation, are also commonly seen in infected females.
Male dogs infected with brucellosis may not show any clinical signs, but if they do, they may have abnormal semen counts (low to no sperm present) or testicular atrophy (decreased size of the testicles either unilaterally or bilaterally). Initial signs of infection may also include inflammation of the testicles or epididymis.
Unfortunately, there is no consistently effective treatment at this time for a brucellosis infection. Dogs infected with brucellosis are chronically affected and can become a source of infection for other dogs in the kennel and breeding program. Ideally, these dogs should be neutered and if possible, removed from the kennel.
Tests are available for canine brucellosis through your veterinary clinic. Rapid slide agglutination tests, tube agglutination (TAT) and 2-mercaptoethanol tube agglutination tests or agar gel immunodiffusion tests are all options for diagnosing this disease in both the male and female dogs prior to a mating. These tests are relatively inexpensive, and whether completed in-house or sent to a lab, results are available fairly quickly.
