Brucella Canis Screening Tests

Over the last couple of years there has been an increasing awareness of the risks posed by Brucella Canis infection in dogs. While the incidence is very low in the UK and much of western Europe, the disease is endemic in eastern Europe, the eastern Mediterranean countries and the much of the rest of the world. In dogs the disease has a carrier state where the dog shows no signs but remains infected for many years.  Historically, most imported dogs have not been tested by an approved laboratory before importation.

Brucella Canis can pass to humans and can cause serious and persistent health problems. The risk of catching the disease when living with an infected dog is low, but the risk rises with exposure to blood or birth fluids from the dog. Consequently veterinary staff are at the highest risk of infection when conducting procedures on infected dogs.

We have an obligation under law to protect our staff from risks where possible. Consequently we would ask that any dogs imported from, or regularly travelling to, any country further east than Germany, Austria and Italy, or from outside of Europe, have a Brucella Canis screening blood test performed by the APHA laboratory, even if they have been in the UK for a number of years. This will avoid delays to treatment should your dog require a procedure. There are precautions we can take should urgent treatment be required, but these will incur extra costs. The current cost of the screening test is £120.40* and can be booked by calling reception. We can also take a blood sample for testing at your dogs annual booster and health check.

*April 2026

Further UK Gov information here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/brucella-canis-information-for-the-public-and-dog-owners