skinnydipper
Well-Known Member
Copied from Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/catthevet
This week the British Veterinary Association - BVA issued a statement on a bacterial infection called Brucella canis, which is being increasingly diagnosed in dogs rescued from other countries, especially Romania.
This bacteria can infect humans and for those who are young or already ill, it can cause serious disease. Thankfully, there have been no reported cases of people infected by dogs in the UK so far but it is really important we are aware of the infection and are more vigilant, especially as numbers of dogs from abroad are continuing to rise, with a 50% increase in dogs from Romania alone between 2019 and 2020.
Unfortunately, Brucellosis doesn't cause many symptoms in infected dogs and once the bacteria is in their system, it is impossible to clear, even with treatment. It is passed in bodily fluids, especially reproductive fluids, but is also present in blood, urine and saliva.
If you are considering rescuing a dog from abroad (which can be very rewarding!), ask the charity if your potential new pet has been screened for Brucella Canis by a reputable laboratory and you should ensure they have been confirmed as clear.
If you already have a foreign rescue dog and they haven't been checked yet, you can ask your vet about running the tests.
Unfortunately, given the potential seriousness of the condition in humans and the difficulty of clearing the infection in dogs, meaning they will always be a potential risk to their family and other people and dogs, the veterinary advice is often to euthanise them.
Which is an incredibly difficult thing to think about but the risks can be too great, especially if there are children or old or sick people in the family and this is why screening before rehoming is so incredibly important.
Otherwise the advice for positive dogs is to neuter them (it is often sexually transmitted and passed most often in reproductive fluids) and to restrict their access at all times to other dogs and people.
It is also sensible that veterinary professionals wear PPE when caring for foreign rescue dogs if they haven't been screened for Brucella canis.
To give homes to dogs from other countries is a wonderful thing to do and as a nation of animal lovers, we should be very proud of this tradition. However, it is also vital that we ensure the pets we welcome are healthy, both physically and mentally, and that they aren't a potential risk to either people or other animals.
This can be done easily and quickly with rigorous testing and in the case of positive results, they should remain where they are and be cared for there.
The BVA report; https://www.bva.co.uk/.../brucella-canis-what-vets-need.../
A 'Risk and Review' statement from the government about Brucella Canis; https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/.../20210210...
Information about Brucella Canis infections; https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/canine-brucellosis
If you followed the links above you will have noted that:
"Dogs are exposed to the disease via contact with infected bodily fluids. Although the most common route of infection is oral (i.e., from licking contaminated urine or discharges from the reproductive tract or licking or chewing placental material or aborted fetuses), dogs can also pick up an infection through sexual transmission, inhalation (sniffing contaminated urine or other discharges), or through other mucous membranes such as the eyes."
and you will have seen the chart in the government statement which gives the numbers of dogs imported each year.
This is also worth listening to
https://fb.watch/5y1HHPobuL/
Join Veterinary Parasitologist Ian Wright MRCVS and I as we discuss what we should be testing dogs brought into the country as rescues and what we should do about any positive results we get.
Ian is knowledgable, incredibly passionate and shared a huge amount of information!
If you are a veterinary professional, a rescue organisation importing dogs or a pet owner considering adopting a foreign dog, you will find this fascinating!
We cover;
Brucellosis - This bacterial disease is a growing concern for vets and rescuers alike. It can transfer to people and potentially cause extremely serious disease. We really need to be testing dogs for this before they are imported and positive ones should remain being cared for in their original country.
Leishmania - This is mainly a concern for dogs from Mediterranean countries but is being increasingly diagnosed across Europe. Infected dogs can live happy lives but even if they are symptom free when they are adopted, most will relapse during their lives and many will pass away from kidney failure triggered by the Leishmania. It is vital leish positive dogs are blood and urine tested regularly and that their new families are on board with it being an on-going condition
Ehrlichia - this is a tick borne parasite and it is very important to know if a dog is positive because this means their new owners and vet are aware in case they have a flare-up of symptoms.
Heartworm - this is also common in imported rescue dogs because living on the streets means they haven't been protected against this parasite. If they are positive for the adult worm antigen, they will need a prolonged and careful treatment regime while the worms are cleared. However, this treatment can be carried out in their new homes, provided their new family is onboard with the requirements.
Ticks - it is VITAL that resuce dogs are not only treated for ticks but also checked very carefully on arrival and treated again within a month of arriving. Some foreign ticks can carry nasty diseases and are very challenging to completely clear.
Worms - there are various types of worms that foreign dogs can carry that we don't have in the UK. The most important of which is the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis because it can cause really horrible disease in people. Some of the others do respond to the standard tapeworm treatment but some do not. It is very important that any rescue charity completes a comprehensive worming program both before and after the dog arrives in the UK.
This week the British Veterinary Association - BVA issued a statement on a bacterial infection called Brucella canis, which is being increasingly diagnosed in dogs rescued from other countries, especially Romania.
This bacteria can infect humans and for those who are young or already ill, it can cause serious disease. Thankfully, there have been no reported cases of people infected by dogs in the UK so far but it is really important we are aware of the infection and are more vigilant, especially as numbers of dogs from abroad are continuing to rise, with a 50% increase in dogs from Romania alone between 2019 and 2020.
Unfortunately, Brucellosis doesn't cause many symptoms in infected dogs and once the bacteria is in their system, it is impossible to clear, even with treatment. It is passed in bodily fluids, especially reproductive fluids, but is also present in blood, urine and saliva.
If you are considering rescuing a dog from abroad (which can be very rewarding!), ask the charity if your potential new pet has been screened for Brucella Canis by a reputable laboratory and you should ensure they have been confirmed as clear.
If you already have a foreign rescue dog and they haven't been checked yet, you can ask your vet about running the tests.
Unfortunately, given the potential seriousness of the condition in humans and the difficulty of clearing the infection in dogs, meaning they will always be a potential risk to their family and other people and dogs, the veterinary advice is often to euthanise them.
Which is an incredibly difficult thing to think about but the risks can be too great, especially if there are children or old or sick people in the family and this is why screening before rehoming is so incredibly important.
Otherwise the advice for positive dogs is to neuter them (it is often sexually transmitted and passed most often in reproductive fluids) and to restrict their access at all times to other dogs and people.
It is also sensible that veterinary professionals wear PPE when caring for foreign rescue dogs if they haven't been screened for Brucella canis.
To give homes to dogs from other countries is a wonderful thing to do and as a nation of animal lovers, we should be very proud of this tradition. However, it is also vital that we ensure the pets we welcome are healthy, both physically and mentally, and that they aren't a potential risk to either people or other animals.
This can be done easily and quickly with rigorous testing and in the case of positive results, they should remain where they are and be cared for there.
The BVA report; https://www.bva.co.uk/.../brucella-canis-what-vets-need.../
A 'Risk and Review' statement from the government about Brucella Canis; https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/.../20210210...
Information about Brucella Canis infections; https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/canine-brucellosis
If you followed the links above you will have noted that:
"Dogs are exposed to the disease via contact with infected bodily fluids. Although the most common route of infection is oral (i.e., from licking contaminated urine or discharges from the reproductive tract or licking or chewing placental material or aborted fetuses), dogs can also pick up an infection through sexual transmission, inhalation (sniffing contaminated urine or other discharges), or through other mucous membranes such as the eyes."
and you will have seen the chart in the government statement which gives the numbers of dogs imported each year.
This is also worth listening to
https://fb.watch/5y1HHPobuL/
Join Veterinary Parasitologist Ian Wright MRCVS and I as we discuss what we should be testing dogs brought into the country as rescues and what we should do about any positive results we get.
Ian is knowledgable, incredibly passionate and shared a huge amount of information!
If you are a veterinary professional, a rescue organisation importing dogs or a pet owner considering adopting a foreign dog, you will find this fascinating!
We cover;
Brucellosis - This bacterial disease is a growing concern for vets and rescuers alike. It can transfer to people and potentially cause extremely serious disease. We really need to be testing dogs for this before they are imported and positive ones should remain being cared for in their original country.
Leishmania - This is mainly a concern for dogs from Mediterranean countries but is being increasingly diagnosed across Europe. Infected dogs can live happy lives but even if they are symptom free when they are adopted, most will relapse during their lives and many will pass away from kidney failure triggered by the Leishmania. It is vital leish positive dogs are blood and urine tested regularly and that their new families are on board with it being an on-going condition
Ehrlichia - this is a tick borne parasite and it is very important to know if a dog is positive because this means their new owners and vet are aware in case they have a flare-up of symptoms.
Heartworm - this is also common in imported rescue dogs because living on the streets means they haven't been protected against this parasite. If they are positive for the adult worm antigen, they will need a prolonged and careful treatment regime while the worms are cleared. However, this treatment can be carried out in their new homes, provided their new family is onboard with the requirements.
Ticks - it is VITAL that resuce dogs are not only treated for ticks but also checked very carefully on arrival and treated again within a month of arriving. Some foreign ticks can carry nasty diseases and are very challenging to completely clear.
Worms - there are various types of worms that foreign dogs can carry that we don't have in the UK. The most important of which is the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis because it can cause really horrible disease in people. Some of the others do respond to the standard tapeworm treatment but some do not. It is very important that any rescue charity completes a comprehensive worming program both before and after the dog arrives in the UK.
