Brucella canis risk review prompts renewed calls for compulsory testing

[skinnydipper]

"leading parasitologist Ian Wright has urged Defra to introduce mandatory testing for imported dogs now, warning the true number of animals carrying the bacteria that causes the infectious disease canine brucellosis is likely to be far higher than official figures suggest.

Mr Wright said: “I think there is a danger of acting after the horse has bolted.”"


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[SilverLinings]

Now that following Brexit* we are no longer part of the Schengen Area and dogs can't travel as freely into/out of the UK it seems daft that we haven't already made BC testing compulsory. I can see that it may have been more difficult a few years ago when it was fairly easy to move dogs between the UK and other EU countries, but now that travel has already been complicated by the requirement of various checks etc it makes sense to add on checks (or vaccinations) for any serious illnesses not yet endemic to the UK (but common in the country the dog is travelling from/through).

*I'm not making a comment on the harms/benefits of Brexit, just that it has had an impact on the travel of animals into/out of the UK.

 

[splashgirl45]

Let’s hope it happens for the good of all of us

 

[smiggy]

Most of the referral centres and now our local out of hours, are only treating dogs with a negative test or are using full barrier nursing and ppe and charging extra if not tested at point of presentation.we are thinking of doing similar in first opiion practice as will others be I suspect.

 

[Landcruiser]

Most of the referral centres and now our local out of hours, are only treating dogs with a negative test or are using full barrier nursing and ppe and charging extra if not tested at point of presentation.we are thinking of doing similar in first opiion practice as will others be I suspect.

We have just introduced a policy of not taking on any new dogs from abroad unless they have a negative test or agree that we should test them in the first instance (and charge accordingly, ie they will be treated as biohazard and full PPE and precautions taken). First opinion small animal in mixed rural/town catchment.

 

[Dexter]

We have just introduced a policy of not taking on any new dogs from abroad unless they have a negative test or agree that we should test them in the first instance (and charge accordingly, ie they will be treated as biohazard and full PPE and precautions taken). First opinion small animal in mixed rural/town catchment.

Hitting people in the pocket is probably one of the best ways to get them to pay attention while the review is carried out.

 

[skinnydipper]

Brucella and Babesiosis and Rabies, Oh My!

During lockdown, the number of dogs imported (and illegally smuggled) into the UK soared. Veterinary professionals are trying to warn people to stop and think before considering importing or 'rescuing' dogs from abroad. But why? Numbers are on the up The UK saw a 50% increase in dogs being...

www.vetvoices.co.uk

 

[SilverLinings]

Brucella and Babesiosis and Rabies, Oh My!

During lockdown, the number of dogs imported (and illegally smuggled) into the UK soared. Veterinary professionals are trying to warn people to stop and think before considering importing or 'rescuing' dogs from abroad. But why? Numbers are on the up The UK saw a 50% increase in dogs being...

www.vetvoices.co.uk

That is an interesting summary of the current numbers and risks of imported dogs. It talks about BC but also other health and behaviour risks, and it is shocking when you consider the risk (although relatively low) to our rabies-free status as a country- the article reports that already a dog suspected to be an illegal import and found in a shelter in France has tested positive for rabies.

This bit from the start of the article is fairly alarming, that's a huge number of dogs:

In 2020 alone nearly 30 thousand dogs were imported from Romania, over 50% increase from 2019 and NOT taking into account the astonishing number of illegal imports! The number of dogs imported from the EU increased during the lockdowns by 52% - it is important to note that these are only the official figures and don’t take into account illegally travelled animals.

More than 66,000 dogs were imported into the UK in 2020 according to Animal and Plant Health Agency figures. However, evidence shows a worrying rise in low-welfare imports and smuggling activity, with border authorities seeing around a 260% increase in the number of young puppies being intercepted for not meeting the UK’s pet import rules.

With regards to the puppies smuggled into the UK it would help if prospective owners knew what they should be checking when looking for a dog, things like seeing the bitch, being able to (roughly) judge the age of a puppy, asking to see paperwork if the puppy is said to be pedigree, asking about vaccinations etc. I've heard of plenty of people over the years who haven't seen the bitch (or dog) when they bought a puppy, and they didn't question it at all (usually told something like 'she is out for a walk' by the seller).

This bit is interesting too, and reflects a lot of what has been said on this thread and others on AAD:

This was further supported by the fact that a poll run by Veterinary Voices UK showed that 98.8% of veterinary professionals polled would not recommend importing a dog from abroad.

Veterinary professionals are worried about the risk of diseases that could impact our other UK pet population and livestock, zoonotic disease (can spread from animal to human) that could have detrimental impact on our family or other people coming into contact with the animals, and the severe emotional and behavioral distress many of these animals are going through to be transported to the UK, reports from behaviorists are that they are inundated with requests from owners of foreign imports who are struggling with behavioural issues. In a poll on Veterinary Voices UK, 96% of veterinary professionals asked have seen an increase in behaviour issues in imported dogs.