Brucella in the UK may mean your imported dog is treated differently when you take it to the vets

[skinnydipper]

Brucella in the UK may mean your imported dog is treated differently when you take it to the vets, here’s why - Vet Help Direct

Brucellosis is a hot topic in the UK veterinary world currently. This bacterial disease can have serious consequences for both pets and people, and vets are on the front-line for diagnosis, prevention, management and control. Many veterinary surgeries and hospitals are putting certain controls...

vethelpdirect.com

 

[druid]

I already require Brucella testing for all imports - easy to make the decision when you're the boss though!

I do feel somewhat sorry forpeople who imported without realising that any of these diseases were an issue but then if you did your research you would know...

 

[MurphysMinder]

I'm pleased more vets are taking this stance, hopefully it might make people do a bit more research. I did hear of someone who had their dog booked in for a dental, when the vets realised the dog had been abroad on holiday with them in the past they required a brucellosis test before proceeding, is this something we can expect all practices to request Druid?

 

[druid]

I'm pleased more vets are taking this stance, hopefully it might make people do a bit more research. I did hear of someone who had their dog booked in for a dental, when the vets realised the dog had been abroad on holiday with them in the past they required a brucellosis test before proceeding, is this something we can expect all practices to request Druid?

I wouldn't go that far (I also do no surgery except some reproductive stuff). A large proportion of my clients are show dogs who travel all over Europe and even to USA and Aus showing. I feel like thier biosecurity is better/different than a local street dog as most of these rescues purport to be (and certainly better than some of the puppy farms churning out puppies for these rescue for profit places out there).

 

[MurphysMinder]

I wouldn't go that far (I also do no surgery except some reproductive stuff). A large proportion of my clients are show dogs who travel all over Europe and even to USA and Aus showing. I feel like thier biosecurity is better/different than a local street dog as most of these rescues purport to be (and certainly better than some of the puppy farms churning out puppies for these rescue for profit places out there).

Yes I thought it was a bit extreme. I know quite a lot of people who show abroad and as you say they are far more careful about biosecurity so did wonder if they would have problems should they need vet treatment.

 

[Redders]

The trouble with dental treatment is that it is classed as a high risk procedure for transmission if the animal is carrying it because of the aerosol generated - bone, blood, tooth etc are finely spread through the air and breathed in by staff. It’s not really fair to expect staff to have that unknown level of risk, given the severity of illness it can potentially cause

 

[SilverLinings]

I already require Brucella testing for all imports - easy to make the decision when you're the boss though!

I do feel somewhat sorry forpeople who imported without realising that any of these diseases were an issue but then if you did your research you would know...

I do worry that if customers find out that they will be charged for testing and/or for extra PPE etc then some will simply lie and tell the vet the dog wasn't imported. I certainly don't think the vet or other customers should bear the costs, but I wonder how many 'adopters' will actually understand how dangerous the disease is, and how much of a risk it is to other dogs and humans.

Surely it would make more sense if imported dogs had to be tested BEFORE being re-homed.

 

[druid]

I do worry that if customers find out that they will be charged for testing and/or for extra PPE etc then some will simply lie and tell the vet the dog wasn't imported. I certainly don't think the vet or other customers should bear the costs, but I wonder how many 'adopters' will actually understand how dangerous the disease is, and how much of a risk it is to other dogs and humans.

Surely it would make more sense if imported dogs had to be tested BEFORE being re-homed.

Easy enough to tell from the microchip number where the dog originates from

 

[splashgirl45]

Responsible rescues are testing I believe but the others who are churning out loads of dogs and many puppies are not. If you look at barnaby&bluebell on Facebook it tells the story very well

 

[splashgirl45]

Easy enough to tell from the microchip number where the dog originates from

.
Again look at barnaby & bluebell , it seems that the microchip is not necessarily indicative of the origin, these rescues seem to have found a way round. It’s so depressing and so sad for the dogs who don’t deserve to be shunted round the world into alien situations, no wonder so many of them are so petrified ..

 

[druid]

There's less of them over here, don't seem to be trendy.

I did see a Thai street dog x Sharpei recently but she was brought home by the person who had lived out there. I'm more likely to see Russian or Eastern European imports as show/therio clients to be honest but my clinic scope is quite niche

 

[blackcob]

I did hear of someone who had their dog booked in for a dental, when the vets realised the dog had been abroad on holiday with them in the past they required a brucellosis test before proceeding, is this something we can expect all practices to request Druid?

I’m just reading up on the new protocols and this will be standard for our place, high risk procedures (surgery, dentals etc.) can be refused for untested patients and patients considered at risk and in need of testing are those both imported from or *who have travelled to* south east Europe.

 

[MurphysMinder]

I’m just reading up on the new protocols and this will be standard for our place, high risk procedures (surgery, dentals etc.) can be refused for untested patients and patients considered at risk and in need of testing are those both imported from or *who have travelled to* south east Europe.

It does seem like this is going to be the norm. I'm at the vets this afternoon, if I remember I will ask them what their protocol is/will be.

 

[Orangehorse]

Someone rescued a dog from Romania and it came with a disease that caused PTS for all her dogs.

Very sad.

 

[SilverLinings]

Easy enough to tell from the microchip number where the dog originates from

I had thought this would be the case but a colleague at work fosters dogs from Eastern Europe (I think Romania, but I can't remember offhand); a 'charity' brings them over to the UK and she fosters them whilst the 'charity' find them a permanent adopter. On at least two occasions she has had to take the dogs to be chipped as they had arrived without one (was told to do so by the charity), so presumably if you went by the chips it would look like they were UK dogs?

 

[MurphysMinder]

I had thought this would be the case but a colleague at work fosters dogs from Eastern Europe (I think Romania, but I can't remember offhand); a 'charity' brings them over to the UK and she fosters them whilst the 'charity' find them a permanent adopter. On at least two occasions she has had to take the dogs to be chipped as they had arrived without one (was told to do so by the charity), so presumably if you went by the chips it would look like they were UK dogs?

Am I over reacting in being horrified by this ?

 

[CorvusCorax]

This needs to be reported, I can't legally enter or leave countries without my dogs being taken out of the vehicle and scanned for a chip against their passports, how are these so-called charities getting away with this? It's illegal and it's a money-making scam, preying on people who think they are doing a nice thing.

 

[Gloi]

Am I over reacting in being horrified by this ?

I am not in the least bit surprised though. A woman I know had her "neutered" Romanian bitch come into season not long after she got it.

 

[SilverLinings]

This needs to be reported, I can't legally enter or leave countries without my dogs being taken out of the vehicle and scanned for a chip against their passports, how are these so-called charities getting away with this? It's illegal and it's a money-making scam, preying on people who think they are doing a nice thing.

I am off work this week but when I'm back I will try to find out the name of the 'rescue' that imports them. I previously asked her whether they were tested for BC and she didn't know, and wasn't told whether the dogs had been tested for anything, they just get dropped off with her. She is very experienced dog owner and seems good with her dogs, but just takes whatever the 'rescue' tells her on trust. Alarmingly she is an NHS clinician so well aware of the importance of disease control.

Maybe it's a scam and the unchipped ones were actually UK dogs being marketed as exotic foreign 'rescues'

 

[splashgirl45]

Someone rescued a dog from Romania and it came with a disease that caused PTS for all her dogs.

Very sad.

She was fostering for the rescue and one of the bitches had her puppies while she was there.. not only did the women have her dogs PTS but she caught it and was in hospital for a while. It’s so bad, I can’t understand why we are letting them get away with it.. All of our dogs are at risk of these diseases and some of them are dangerous for people as well .. yet another failure of our authorities which could lead to human illness and therefore once again, the NHS is going to have more patients ..

 

[SilverLinings]

She was fostering for the rescue and one of the bitches had her puppies while she was there.. not only did the women have her dogs PTS but she caught it and was in hospital for a while. It’s so bad, I can’t understand why we are letting them get away with it.. All of our dogs are at risk of these diseases and some of them are dangerous for people as well .. yet another failure of our authorities which could lead to human illness and therefore once again, the NHS is going to have more patients ..

Due to the general lack of awareness amongst both the general public and dog owners I do worry that there will eventually be a case of BC in an owner with a bad ending when an untested foreign dog is adopted by an immunocompromised person, or someone with a very young child (or pregnant). I realise the risk is relatively low, but the number of 'rescue' dogs being imported seems to be increasing.

 

[splashgirl45]

Due to the general lack of awareness amongst both the general public and dog owners I do worry that there will eventually be a case of BC in an owner with a bad ending when an untested foreign dog is adopted by an immunocompromised person, or someone with a very young child (or pregnant). I realise the risk is relatively low, but the number of 'rescue' dogs being imported seems to be increasing.

I agree, it’s worrying enough that our dogs might get something and much more worrying if I do, I’m 77 next month so feel quite vulnerable, these issues should be taken much more seriously by everyone

 

[MurphysMinder]

I’m just reading up on the new protocols and this will be standard for our place, high risk procedures (surgery, dentals etc.) can be refused for untested patients and patients considered at risk and in need of testing are those both imported from or *who have travelled to* south east Europe.

I asked my vets yesterday, and they have adopted the same protocol. Vet said they have had people with rescues who have no idea about the need for testing.