Brucella canis is a bacterial infectious disease that can be transmitted between dogs through mucous membranes. Part of what makes it a public health issue is it can be transmitted to humans and cause disease in them as well.
Many clients have been inquiring about our recommendations about testing for Brucella canis. We are following MT state guidelines that recommend testing dogs with risk factors. Risk factors include:
Dogs originating from areas with large numbers of stray or sexually active dogs
New intakes at shelters or rescues
Any dog moving through shelters should be tested prior to adoption
Periparturient dogs that were not tested prior to breeding
Sexually intact dogs prior breeding as part of a pre-breeding exam
Dogs with symptoms consistent with Brucella canis (abortions, infertility in males, lethargy, depression, lymph node enlargement)
If you are interested in testing your dog we can easily do that for you with a simple blood test. It is reasonably priced as well. It goes to the state lab for analysis.
Please call us if you have more questions.
Learn more about our state recommendations at the following link.
https://liv.mt.gov/Animal-Health/Reportable-Animal-Diseases/Brucella-canis
