Brucellosis
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Brucellosis is a contagious disease/font>/font>/font> of dogs caused by Brucella canis, a small bacterial organism.
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The disease causes late abortions and infertility in bitches, and infertility, testicular and scrotal inflammation /font>/font>in males./font>
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Brucellosis may also cause puppies/font> to be stillborn or very weak at birth. Certain non reproductive signs may also develop.
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Brucellosis occurs mainly in dogs and has not been reported in cats.
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There is no evidence that some dog breeds are more susceptible that others, but there is a high prevalence in beagles/font>.
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Brucellosis is more common in sexually mature dogs, but can affect dogs of any age.
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Both males and females are affected, but it is more common in females.
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Dogs from breeding kennels, pack hounds and stray dogs are most commonly affected, because of their increased risk of exposure.
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Brucellosis is transmitted by contact with infected fluids (vaginal, preputial), especially during breeding or birth. Brucellosis may be transmitted from dogs to people.
Diagnosis
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Brucellosis can be difficult to diagnosis. Confirmation of the disease may require several tests be performed, including the following:
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A complete blood count (CBC), biochemical profile and urinalysis are recommended in all animals suspected of having brucellosis, but they may be normal or show only vague changes.
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Serological blood tests that measure antibodies to the bacteria are the most frequent tests used to diagnose brucellosis.
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There are screening tests for Brucellosis that may be performed in your veterinarian's office or local laboratory.
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If the screening tests are positive, then further specialized testing is required to confirm the diagnosis.
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Radio graphs (x-rays) of the spine may show changes in the vertebrae (spine) consistent with brucellosis.
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The organism may occasionally be cultured and isolated from blood cultures, vaginal fluid cultures, semen cultures or urine cultures.
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Negative cultures do not rule out the disease, however.
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Examination for semen quality may be helpful. Male dogs with brucellosis often have abnormal semen.
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Lymph node biopsy may confirm diagnosis, but it often requires special staining techniques to identify the organism.
Treatment
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Because brucellosis can be transmitted from dogs to people, there is concern about whether all infected dogs should be treated.
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In some cases it may be preferable to euthanize the animal.
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Treatment is not recommended for breeding animals, as it is unlikely that they will ever be fully cured and will continue to pass on the disease or will remain sterile.
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When treatment is attempted, the goal of treatment is to eradicate B. canis from the patient, but this can be difficult to accomplish.
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Any intact dogs are spayed or castrated. Medical treatment is often begun as an outpatient, although some of the antibiotics used for the disease must be given as injections.
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A combination of two antibiotics are often administered. Choices include tetracycline/font>, minocycline and doxycycline given with one of the aminoglycoside antibiotics, such as gentamicin.
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The antibiotics are usually administered for about four weeks and may need to be repeated at various time intervals for several months.
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Last modified: Thursday, 7 June 2012, 10:23 AM