All about Brucella canis infection in dogs

Canine brucellosis is a disease in dogs caused by an infection with the bacteria, Brucella canis. It’s found across eastern Europe and parts of the USA and Asia. Although not an established disease in the UK, since 2020 it’s been diagnosed in dogs with links to travelling or visiting abroad.

What is Brucella canis?

It’s usually a disease of the reproductive system, particularly causing problems with miscarrying litters. However, other parts of the body may also be affected causing fever, eye or kidney problems, or infection of the spine.

How does Brucella canis spread?

The Brucella canis bacteria spreads through infected fluids from the dogs’ reproductive tract, saliva, blood and urine.

After becoming infected, a dog can appear healthy but still carry and spread bacteria for a long period of time. Even with treatment, the infection may not be completely eliminated.

Brucella canis is zoonotic, meaning it can be transmitted from dogs to humans. Two people were diagnosed in 2022: one person in the Netherlands and the other in the UK. Both infections occurred after they handled dogs who were giving birth or had miscarried.

Who’s at risk?

Dogs who’ve been imported into the UK, or travelled out and returned, may be infected with Brucella canis.

What can be done?

If your dog’s been abroad and you’re looking to rehome them with Woodgreen, please ask your vet to test your pet for Brucella canis, before moving forward with your rehoming application. This helps reduce the risk to humans and other dogs. Take a look at our guidance for testing and results below.

If you’re unable to arrange a test, and you decide to continue with the rehoming application process, our Veterinary team will carry it out onsite at Woodgreen instead. Dogs who are positive for Brucella canis won’t be suitable for rehoming through Woodgreen, due to the public health risk they pose.

Getting your dog tested

There are several tests available for Brucella canis that use a sample of your dog’s blood.  Accuracy varies, so we recommend one of the following:

• Lateral flow test – This is quick and can be carried out at your vet clinic. A negative result in dogs with no signs of Brucellosis can usually be trusted, but a result is less reliable if your dog shows signs of the disease. The Bionote brand of lateral flow test is less likely to give a false positive than the brand. Any positive test should be followed up with a lab check to confirm the result.
• Blood test sent to Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) for testing – This is carried out by APHA in its own lab, using two tests that will detect both recent and long-term infections. As these are performed by an external laboratory, results take a little longer but are more reliable.

If you’ve already had your dog checked using other available tests, please mention this when getting in touch with us, so that we can arrange for one of our Veterinary team to look at your pet’s medical history.

Confirmed positive result – what does this mean for my dog?

Treatment is not recommended. A prolonged course of antibiotics often won’t clear the bacteria, meaning your dog remains infected. They will be infectious for life, even if they appear well, and potentially capable of passing the disease on through the contact of bodily fluids or in the air.

Neutering will reduce the risk of transmission but won’t eliminate it, and is risky for the vets and nurses involved. If your dog has a positive result as part of your application process with Woodgreen, please seek advice from your vet on how to manage the condition.

You can find more advice from DEFRA