Brucellosis - Page 1

I just had my female tested for Brucellosis and Won't get results yet for another week or so. The vet said if positive spay or put down are the options. I was wondering if it will be safe to participate In obedience and schutzhund events if she has Brucellosis and is spayed, or will she pose a threat To other dogs? According to my vet she would only be Contagious when in heat or when whelping and if Spayed that wouldn't happen. Anyone know anything else?

DO YOU THINK SHE HAS IT? WHERE DID SHE GET IT. THIS IS AS I UNDERSTAND A VERY,VERY SERIOUS MATTER. I THINK IT IS EASY TO PASS IT ON.

There are many reasons to not panic at the moment. First of all, you don't say why you had your dog tested. There are other pathogens that can mimic some signs of disease also seen in brucellosis. Secondly, it is very important to have the dog tested by several methods to make sure you don't have a false positive. There are some in house vet tests that are often falsely positive. If the dog has brucellosis, yes, she should be spayed, but there may be no reason to put her down unless there are other factors. Euthanasia is a method used to control the disease. There are antibiotic treatments, but none are always effective and some relapses occur. The dog should be tested several times after treatment, but never assume she is cured. The dog should not be around other dogs. If you have participated in some dog sport or group, once you know for certain she is positive, it would be prudent for others to have their dogs tested. There are plenty of good references available, including these:

http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/brucellosis_canis.pdf

http://www.azdhs.gov/phs/oids/vector/brucella/pdf/brucellaQADogOwners.pdf

http://nabc.ksu.edu/assets/factsheet_docs/brucellosis/Wanke_Canine%20brucellosis.pdf

I would be reading everything I could get my hands on before you get test results back and then be discussing this with several competent vets. Hexe who posts here is another person to ask for an opinion. It is a very serious situation if the dog has contracted this, but there are a percentage of dogs who apparently carry it without people even knowing about it. it is also a zoonotic disease, meaning that humans can catch but this appears to be very rare. Just wash your hands a lot and be sure you are disinfecting properly. The vet can advise on whether the dog should be isolated, depending on your specific situation. The disease is also a reportable disease in some states. Your vet should be the one whose guidance you follow.

I hope the test comes back negative and there is another reason for your concern. 

Hodie - excellent post.  I will only add that from what I have been told, this is a disease that females can spread to other females from the ground contamination - males can only get it from breeding an affected female.  Still, it is highly contagious and very serious indeed - hope your dog is not affected but if she is, you will take the appropriate steps (and learn about what those steps would be, from different sources and opinions to form an educated opinion) to prevent her from spreading this disease to other dogs.

molly

Brucellosis - German shepherd dog


This is a thread that I started on the 15th of this month. Just thought it might be helpful also and might give a little insight to opinions that may not be restated in this thread....

My friend just had her male tested which would have takened only 3 days to get results.  However she paid an additional $40.00 and got results overnight....

Males can also get by licking any kind of discharge from a female that is positive, that is in heat.....It is also passed on in sperm....So therefore by doing AI's, will not prevent it from be transfered...


edited to add and clarifiy, "that is positive"

Males that are bred regularly should also be tested regularly.  Not between each female as long as each and every female is tested, but regularly nonetheless.  Males are protected  from contamination by AI breedings - they can only contract this problem from breeding an affected female.  I have never heard they can contract it by licking.  I'll have to ask my repro vet about that.  I'm sure he told me that was not the case.  But in the end, testing of both males and females - females especially - is of utmost importance to control the disease completely.

molly

 A male that has brucellosis can pass it on to a female through sperm, so an AI from that male will not prevent it from being passed on to the female being AI'd...I just learned that this week from my friend when she questioned her vet about it.....

Also a female in heat urinates, and a male licks the ground there, it can also be passed on that way......

brucellaQADogOwners.pdf (application/pdf Object)

It can definitely be pas by licking, bybtouchingbinfected animal pee...if you suspect your female has it, don't take her anywhere until results proved otherwise Good luck,Mery Christmas !!

She was tested because she aborted her litter at 35 days. She was bred once before and lost the pups on birth. I did not own her at the time and was told she was tested when she was imported from canada. I have owned her for not quite a year. I also own the male that i bred her to. I had no reason to think she may need testing as i got her from a person i trusted and never considered this as a possibility. Now i am kicking myself because I may have just infected my male(it was his first time) and the other dogs housed nearby.
I too am praying results are negative.