Spring 2016 Saber Tails 63
Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen Club of America
Be Very, Very Quiet . . .
I’m Hunting Brucellosis
Brucellosis is a contagious infection of the reproductive
system caused by the bacterium Brucella canis. In his
quest to hunt and eliminate brucellosis, Dr. Matthew
Krecic pictures himself as a modern day Elmer Fudd, the
hapless big game hunter who stalked Bugs Bunny and
told us to “Be vewy vewy quiet, I’m hunting wabbits”. Dr.
Krecic is a diagnostics specialist for Zoetis, Inc., which
markets a canine brucellosis test.
Brucellosis is a silent bacterial infection that is often
not recognized until there are problems with breeding.
The bacteria from an infected dog are transferred to
other dogs or humans via bodily fluids, such as vaginal
discharges, milk, semen, and urine. In dogs, the bac-
teria primarily attack the reproductive organs but can
also affect lymph nodes, the spinal column, eyes, liver,
and spleen. Infection leads to an inflamed prostate,
testicle atrophy, impotence, abortions, and stillbirths.
The bacteria can survive for months on contaminated
surfaces, clothing, and bedding, but luckily are killed by
commonly available disinfectants. Unfortunately, there
is no effective treatment, so an infected dog is infected
for life. Since the infection can wipe out a kennel and
can spread to humans, infected animals are often eu-
thanized.
The AKC recommends that breeders test stud dogs an-
nually and bitches prior to each breeding. All new dogs
entering a kennel should be tested. There is no central
agency that monitors infectious diseases in dogs, so the
prevalence of Brucellosis in the US is not known. In the
rural southeastern US, it is estimated that 6-8% of dogs
are infected thanks to the high numbers of stray and
feral dogs. It is frightening that so many shelter dogs
from the southern states are being shipped to other
areas of the country, which has the potential to spread
this and other insidious infectious diseases.
The development of methods to accurately diagnose
Brucellosis is funded by the PBGV Health and Rescue
Foundation (http://www.akcchf.org/research/research-
portfolio/1699.html).
A podcast of Dr. Krecic discussing Brucellosis is avail-
able on the AKC CHF website: http://www.akcchf.org/
educational-resources/podcasts/brucellosis.html.
Atopic Dermatitis and
Antimicrobial Resistance
Canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) is a common allergic skin
disease that affects 10-20% of the canine population.
Many PBGV owners are familiar with the inflamed ears
and obsessively licked paws that characterize CAD. Some
skin allergies are caused by specific foods. Altering the
dog’s diet can eliminate these allergic reactions. My first
PBGV’s ear infections were triggered by something in the
dog biscuits that I lovingly baked for him. The solution
was simple – stop baking. CAD caused by a dog’s reaction
to pollen, dust, or molds is often treated with antibiotics
and corticosteroids. Nevertheless, the incessant itching
can often lead to scab formation, hair loss, and
second-
ary bacterial infections.
Dr. Charles Bradley, from the University of Pennsylvania,
is studying the ecosystem of bacteria living on the dogs’
skin and how this microbiome changes during treatment
for CAD. He is particularly concerned with the antibiotic
resistant bacteria that colonize the skin of treated dogs.
His studies have shown that the skin of healthy dogs has
a stable microbiome whereas the skin of dogs with CAD
has reduced bacterial diversity. He postulates that treat-
ment of dogs with antibiotics kills off both the bad and
good bacteria allowing any antibiotic resistant bacteria
to flourish. So the overall bacteria burden on the skin is
smaller but the bacteria that are present are more dan-
gerous. This spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria is a
clinical threat to you and me. A dog with a mild itch can
progress to one with a drug-resistant infection. The bac-
teria can be transferred to the dog’s family and to other
species. The University of Pennsylvania is attacking this
problem head on. They have opened a new Center for
Host Microbial Interactions that focuses on understand-
ing how the microbiomes of humans and animals inter-
mingle.
You can read about treatment of CAD at the University
of Pennsylvania here: http://www.akcchf.org/research/
research-portfolio/2116.html
Update on the Latest Canine Epilepsy Research Devel-
opments: Genetics, Drugs and EEGs
Epilepsy is a disorder of the brain that is characterized by
recurring, unpredictable seizures. When no specific cause
for the seizures can be found, the disease is known as
idiopathic epilepsy. Idiopathic epilepsy accounts for
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