32) ROMANIAN / OVERSEAS RESCUE DOGS: Brucella Canis Update By Sadies Dog Rescue, With A Wider Application To All Romanian & Overseas Originating Rescue Dogs...
- alexpatchworkpaws
- Jul 28
- 5 min read
From time to time, we like to revisit topics which are currently receiving lots of media attention. Today we'd like to revisit the issue of B.C. (Brucella Canis) in the context of Romanian & Overseas Rescue Dogs.
This article nicely summarises what Brucella Canis is, discussion on testing, & what to do if your vet asks to test your Romanian or Overseas rescue dog for B.C.?
This article has been reproduced here with kind thanks to Shellyanne Bonser (a Director) at 'Sadies Dog Rescue'.
Although the article is designed for those, specifically, with a Sadies rescue dog, the information provided has a broader application to all Romanian & Overseas originating rescue dogs.
This article is well worth a read, whether you already own a Romanian or Overseas originating rescue dog or whether you are considering the foster or adoption of one...
📣 Sadie’s Brucella Canis (B.C.) Update - 2025 📣
Can you believe it has been almost 2 years to the day that we made our first post about Brucella Canis and the potential repercussions the disease would have for Sadies and foreign rescue in general.
Sadly, although repeated guidance from DEFRA and the APHA stresses the low risk the disease poses, some vets are still presenting a disproportionate picture of it to their clients. Having been heavily involved in B.C. support in the past couple of years I have seen owners brought to breaking point over the subject, and, devastatingly dogs lose their lives. 😞
As such, I thought it would be a good idea to repost our guidance to you and the support we can offer if your vet brings the subject up.
📍 Is your vet asking to test your Sadies dog for Brucella Canis? 📍
In recent months, we have become aware of policies being adopted by some veterinary practices in regard to rescue dogs imported to the UK. These policies mean that some practices are asking owners of imported rescue dogs to undergo a test for Brucella Canis before giving any treatment or care, regardless of whether they have already been tested and regardless of their health.
This is, of course, incredibly worrying for all of us and particularly for you owners. Your vet may well never bring the issue up, but if they do we want to make sure that you FULLY informed about B.C., rather than just having to rely on the information from your vet.
We wanted to write this post to reassure you that, while vets are, of course, at liberty to make their own policies, the information some give to owners can be misleading and disproportionately alarming. Sometimes we have found that it doesn’t even align with the most up to date government research.
There are some fantastic, easy to understand resources here on Facebook which can signpost you to the most up to date and accurate information including …
🔗 Brucella Canis RVN... 🔗
🔗 Brucella Canis Information / Support Group... 🔗
I will outline below how Sadies’ understanding and response to Brucella Canis has evolved in line with the concern that vets have raised. However, the main thing to take away from this post is ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ - if your vet hasn’t raised concern about B.C. then they are probably up to date with the most up to date guidance. If they do broach the subject with you, then listen carefully for what is said and ask for their policy in writing before making any decisions.
At all times, your Sadies team is here to support you with an informed response to your vet and will help you make the right decision based on your situation.
🦠 Brucella Canis 🦠
Brucella Canis is a bacterium which can cause a disease called Brucellosis in dogs. It is present in countries worldwide wide although its prevalence in the U.K. is not known. Between dogs, it is primarily transmitted through reproductive means. In high risk scenarios, a dog infected with Brucella Canis can also pass the bacteria to humans (e.g.: in neutering surgery or in assisting with birthing). These risks can be mitigated by neutering dogs and through the use of PPE.
Only 3 cases of B.C. in humans in the UK have ever been recorded, and only 1 has been lab confirmed. No human deaths have ever been recorded worldwide and in the rare cases of human infection it can usually be treated with antibiotics (with any disease the immunosuppressed may be worse affected in the unlikely event they contract it). Unlike other strains of Brucellosis, Brucella Canis has not been found to adversely affect fertility or pregnancy.
🧪 Testing 🧪
There is no legal requirement for a dog, regardless of origin, to be tested for Brucella Canis. Indeed the government’s Chief Veterinary Officer suggests that it is only required if a dog has clinical signs of the disease and a history which puts them at risk.
Some vets however, do insist on testing any foreign dog. You DO NOT have to agree to the test, but some vets will then refuse to treat your dog or limit their treatments. There are many vets that do not insist and you can change your practice. If you do want to go ahead with testing, please ensure that they will continue to give full care to your dog in the unlikely event of a positive result.
It’s important to remember that, because of the limitations of the tests, if a dog tests positive it does not necessarily mean they are currently infected with the bacteria. It may be a false positive (they are common) or it may just mean that they have been in the past. However, because the B.C. bacteria is known to linger and ‘hide’ in cells, they cannot rule out that the bacteria are lying dormant somewhere in the body with the potential for a future ‘flare-up’. As such, to err on the side of caution, a dog is deemed positive if these antibodies are present at significant levels.
There is no requirement on rescue organisations to test for any diseases but, along with other common infections of concern, we have been testing for Brucella Canis prior to UK import since it became of note in recent years.
However, as the B.C. concern has been a relatively recent evolution, Sadies dogs currently in the U.K. will all have various histories with regard to their testing - some may never have been tested (if they were imported before the current vet response), some may have had an LFT and, more recently, some will have had the iELISA and SAT tests done, here in the U.K. If you need to know your dog’s test status then please reach out and we will try to help.
🛟 Please, please do reach out to the team if this subject concerns you in any way, but also please be reassured that B.C. is not a common disease and in most cases is mild, if even symptomatic at all. It is also one that, despite of the scaremongering that we are often subjected to as imported dog owners, needs a proportionate and informed response.
Thanks again to Shellyanne, at Sadies Dog Rescue, for allowing us to publish this invaluable & informative article on this subject.
Please reach out to your rescue organisation, should you need any help or support. You might also like to visit the B.C. page & group included above. Both are friendly, kind & supportive places, where you'll find very scientifically informed support on this subject.
🐶 Thank you for taking the time to read this article. 🐶
Please also see our other linked posts on this subject.
