Ask the vet: Advice on treating brucellosis in dogs

Shane Morrison, lead orthopaedic veterinary surgeon at Christchurch Vets, gives advice on what you should do if your dog is showing signs of brucellosis.

Question: I acquired the most loving Carpathian Shepherd dog from a rescue centre in Romania last year. She had been used for breeding and by all accounts when the rescue centre took her in, she was in such poor condition that it was a miracle that she survived.

I have since learned that another dog from the same rescue centre has tested positive for brucellosis. I wasn’t too concerned until my own dog became lame on one of her back legs and began to show back pain.

To cut a long story short, she was referred to a centre that diagnosed discospondylitis and antibiotic therapy has now cleared this. I was told that this could be due to a brucellosis infection, but she thankfully tested negative for this. Do I need to be concerned?

Shane Morrison, lead orthopaedic veterinary surgeon at Christchurch Vets (Image: Simply C Photography)

Answer: Brucellosis in dogs is caused by the bacteria brucella canis. The UK had been free of this disease until very recently. It is now regarded as an emerging disease with several cases reported across the country every month.

The reason for its emergence is clearly the free movement of dogs from endemic areas, such as Eastern Europe, particularly via the importation of rescue dogs but also the widespread use of the pet travel scheme.

There is currently no specific effective testing protocol in place to prevent infected dogs from entering the UK.

Brucellosis is most often seen in dogs used for breeding, as the bacteria has a predilection for the placenta. However, it will also gravitate occasionally to the eyes and intervertebral discs, causing a variety of eye diseases and spinal problems accordingly.

Given your dog’s history, this does indeed sound suspicious. Infection of an intervertebral disc causes discospondylitis.

The signs of this will vary depending upon which disc in the back is infected. If this is a disc in the lower back, then lower back pain and a hind limb lameness are frequently seen as the main presenting signs.

Discospondylitis is confirmed via MRI scanning and although we diagnose cases every year, we haven’t to date recorded one due to brucella canis.

Unfortunately, testing for brucella canis can be problematic. Even with the most up-to-date PCR tests, false negative results will occur in dogs that harbour the disease. I would therefore remain sceptical about a negative result, particularly with what you have told me.

Fortunately, the sorts of antibiotics generally used to treat discospondylitis will also be effective against brucella canis.

On the down side, these infections are occasionally not completely eradicated, and the disease can come back. I would therefore remain vigilant, and consider regular testing at your vet, particularly when there are signs of illness.

Precautions will also need to be taken to reduce the chance of infecting other dogs and also people.

For more information, visit christchurch.vet or call 01473 230999.