What is Brucella Canis?
Brucella canis (often called B. canis) is a type of bacteria that can cause infection in dogs. It is endemic to some parts of the world, especially Eastern Europe, but is not thought to be widespread in the UK. However, dogs who have travelled or been imported from abroad can sometimes carry it.
All dogs imported from, or with a travel history to a high-risk region, require testing before they can be treated at Focus Referrals.
Why does my dog need testing?
More dogs are now travelling to the UK from other countries than previously and unfortunately, we are occasionally seeing cases of B Canis in the UK. Dogs can carry the infection without any visible signs of the illness so testing allows us to keep your pet, you and our staff safe.
Can humans catch Brucella Canis?
Humans can catch Brucella Canis from an infected dog. It is mainly spread through close contact with bodily fluids e.g. handling blood or urine, during whelping. The risk is low but increases if a person is immunocompromised, very young or pregnant.
What type of test will my dog have?
A small amount of blood can be taken from your dog and there are two types of tests;
- Routine cases – where we can predict that your dog will need a procedure and this is not urgent, we require an ‘APHA’ test result (this is an external lab which provides the most accurate form of testing). The result of this test can take up to 2 weeks and we recommend that you arrange to have this done with your primary referring practice.
- If this result is not available at the time of your appointment, we will offer an inhouse ‘snap’ test in order to proceed with some investigations / treatments (snap testing is less accurate). The decision on whether we can continue will depend on the location your dog has visited, the procedure required and other risk factors.
Our clinician’s decision will be final. - ALL emergency cases – in the absence of a negative APHA test, a lateral flow test will be advised and urgent provision made to submit a sample for APHA testing.
- If your dog has already had an APHA test – we need to see the results from the test performed more than 3 months from the latest possible exposure.
For dogs with a risk of exposure, we strongly recommend an APHA test result is obtained before visiting Focus due to the potential for delays, limited treatment options and increased costs if this information is not available.
Clinicians will assess risk of exposure to Brucella canis during the consultation process and can advise the need for Brucella testing in some additional cases as part of their investigation for your pet.
What if the test result is negative?
- APHA negative test – your dog’s treatment journey with us can continue!
- Snap test negative – the clinician will decide if it is safe to proceed with the planned treatment/investigations and a follow up APHA test with your primary practice is recommended to confirm your pet’s negative status. This will avoid treatment delays, increased costs etc. in the future.
Thankfully Brucella Canis is rare and the results often are negative.
What if the test result is positive?
- APHA positive test – as below.
- Snap test positive – we suggest a second sample is sent to the lab to confirm the accuracy of the result
If you’d like to find out more about how Focus can treat your dog’s (or cat’s) glaucoma, please ask your vet to contact us.
