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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