brucellosis in dogs is a bacterial disease that mainly attacks the reproductive system of our furry friend and can cause other pathologies such as sterility or abortion. In addition, this disease can be transmitted to humans, so we are talking about a case of zoonosis and we have to be very careful. As it is a difficult disease to eradicate, in the next article on our site we are going to talk about the treatment of canine brucellosis and its symptoms, in addition to see how it is transmitted and what hygienic precautions we should take.
What is canine brucellosis?
canine brucellosis is a disease caused by a bacterium called Brucella canis that causes damage to the reproductive system, such as miscarriage spontaneous or sterility, although it is also possible to find infected dogs, both males and females, that are asymptomatic. In addition, does not affect the heat of affected females.
It should be noted that it has a worldwide distribution but, above all, it is found in farms, where hygiene is not as strict and transmission is easier and faster. The Brucella canis bacterium can be located at:
- Reproductive system in adult dogs.
- Vaginal secretions in females: either during heat, childbirth, an abortion or postpartum secretions.
- Semen in males.
In this way, we can already get an idea that canine brucellosis is transmitted through fluids, but we will see this aspect later. Now that we know what brucellosis in dogs is, next we are going to focus on seeing what the symptoms are.
Canine brucellosis symptoms
As we mentioned in the introduction, brucellosis in dogs can be transmitted to other animals as well as to humans, so the symptoms will be different in one species or another. Anyway, let's focus on the symptoms of brucellosis in male and female dogs:
- Spontaneous abortion: Pregnant puppies that become infected usually miscarry about two weeks before their due date. If this happens to our dog, brucellosis should be one of the pathologies to consider. We leave you the following article on our site so you can learn more about the Symptoms of abortion in a bitch.
- Weightloss.
- Birth of weak puppies: in the event that our bitch does not suffer any abortion, it is possible that her pups are stillborn or, rather, that they are born so weak that in a matter of days or weeks they die.
- Loss of attention.
- Neck or back pain: due to infection by the bacteria, our dog's movement is weakened and he suffers pain.
- Decreased appetite.
- Lymph nodes: located in the groin or under the jaw, enlarged. In males, the testicles can also be inflamed at the beginning of the disease, but as the disease progresses, they atrophy due to the destruction of sperm cells, with a consequent reduction in size. Fever does not usually appear. Do not hesitate to take a look at the following post about Lymphadenitis in dogs: symptoms, causes and treatment, below.
- Lethargy or fatigue.
The following clinical signs may also occur in infected males:
- Epididimitis.
- Scrotal edema: in this case it may be due to self-inflicted injuries.
- Orchitis.
Causes of brucellosis in dogs
As we have mentioned throughout this article, the cause of brucellosis in dogs lies solely and mainly in the bacterium Brucella canis, a microorganism that acts as facultative intracellular pathogenIn addition, other species of this same bacterium, Brucella, can also cause:
- Bovine brucellosis.
- Swine brucellosis.
- Caprine brucellosis.
Diagnosis of brucellosis in dogs
As we have already said, there are times when canine brucellosis occurs asymptomatically in dogs, so in the event of an abortion and fetal death or when males present with epididymitis and testicular atrophy we mustgo to the vet to make sure.
Diagnosis can be made by:
- Culture from blood or abortive tissue: This test can also tell us if the dog has been infected at any time in its life. life.
- Serological tests: they are performed through a plate or tube agglutination test or indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA), among others.
- Test and PCR: are performed to detect antibodies and genetic material of bacteria.
Treatment of canine brucellosis
Once the infection is confirmed, brucellosis treatment consists of the administration of antibiotics by intramuscularly and orallyfor about three weeks, although this will not kill the bacteria in all infected dogs.
Spontaneously, after a year of having acquired the infection, dogs with brucellosis can recover, although it is more common for this to happen after 2 or 3 years, approximately. It should be noted that canine brucellosis can be chronic for some dogs, although this does not imply death
For this reason, its eradication is considered difficult. Thus, it is worth taking into account prevention, as we will see in the next section. Neutering of all affected animals is recommended because the disease can also be transmitted during mating.
Don't hesitate to take a look at the following article on our site about Antibiotics for dogs: types, doses and uses for more information.
Prevention of canine brucellosis
Canine brucellosis can be found inside a dog without presenting symptoms, as we have read, so the preventive measure par excellence is hygiene of the areawhere they live and regular check-ups at the vet Let's see it with concrete examples:
- In acute infections: the bacteria will be in the blood, urine, secretions and abortive remains.
- In infections that become chronic or remain inactive in the dog's body: bacteria can be found and transmitted through semen or vaginal secretions, hence the importance of sterilization in dogs.
A male with brucellosis can keep the bacteria in his body throughout his life The urine of dogswith brucellosis too It is a common source of infection. This information must be taken into account especially in those dogs that live in communities such as kennels or kennels, where the infection can spread rapidly. In no case is it recommended to breed without knowing if the animals are positive or not for this bacterium.
Canine brucellosis infection in humans
Canine brucellosis is a zoonotic disease and, although Brucella canis is initially of little concern to humans, as transmission is possible, it is recommended use gloves and observe all safety and hygiene measures when handling secretions and abortion remains.
Humans get brucellosis when we come into oral and nasal contact with infected vaginal secretions or other liquid substances emitted by dogs. The symptoms of a person suffering from brucellosis are:
- Fever.
- A cold.
- Muscle pains.
- Fatigue.
- Swelling of the liver or spleen, but only occasionally.
- Swelling of the lymph nodes.
