Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Brucella Canis

No, it is not a new dog breed, such as the Canis Panther (just another bandog)... it is a contagious disease found recently at a dog breeding operation in Washington State.

Apparently, some woman had 110 dogs in filthy conditions on her property, and health officials discovered the disease in some of the animals. Now, the question is whether the disease has been spread by her operation to other places.

This is a good reason why you should always inspect a breeder's facility before buying a dog from them.

In dogs, the disease is transmitted during breeding causing females to abort and males to develop long term chronic infections. Treatment in dogs is not very effective and the recommended management to prevent the spread to other dogs is euthanasia of infected dogs. Brucellosis is transmitted by contact or by contaminated food, water, and excrement.

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