Foreign Pets
Home from home
We are more than happy to register and treat pets who have come from abroad and have many on our books already, including Grace’s Romanian rescue Piper. If you are looking to take on a pet from abroad it is vital to be aware that there are many diseases in other countries which are not present in the UK. Responsible importers will have pets tested for them before travel but we are seeing more and more animals brought over in poor health without these tests performed which can lead to heartbreak down the line.
Diseases which are prudent to test for in foreign dogs are Leishmania, Brucella, heartworm and Erlichia. It is also sensible to treat the dog with a good quality tick and tapeworm treatment after arrival to prevent foreign parasites being brought in.
If you are looking to rescue a foreign dog, be mindful that many dogs will have been living as strays and not all adjust well to life as a pet. Try to get as much information from the charity as possible and be aware you may be taking on a pet which could have behavioural issues that need extra work to allow them to lead a happy life.
Brucella
Of the diseases we would recommend testing for, Brucella is of the most concern as infected dogs may not show any clinical signs but the disease can transmit to humans and be fatal in some cases. Once infected a dog cannot be cured of the disease and can carry and transmit it even if they are not displaying symptoms. Ideally dogs should be tested after being in the country for 3 months even if they came in with a clear result as it sometimes takes a while for a positive result after exposure.
We are able to send a blood test to APHA for Brucella testing which is the most accurate method available. False positives are still possible so we would usually retest after a month if we received a positive result.
It is understandable to be worried about what a positive result might mean for your pet given the seriousness of the disease and the risk to humans. Whilst the APHA advice is to euthanise following a positive result, as a practice we would never withhold treatment or insist on euthanasia but would look at factors to help you decide the best course of action for your pet.
To provide treatment in the practice we would require PPE to keep our team safe and we would be limited to outpatient treatment as we would be unable to sufficiently isolate a hospitalised patient from others to keep them safe. Referral centres may not agree to treat infected patients. Neutering, if not already performed, should be arranged as reproductive fluids are a high risk for transmission.
The government advice on infected dogs can be found here: Brucella canis: information for the public and dog owners - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Control measures that would be needed to keep an infected pet include; avoiding contact with other dogs, minimal contact with humans, PPE when disposing of faeces/urine, thorough hygiene after handling, laundering of bedding on hot temperatures and cleaning of the environment with disinfectant regularly.
If you have an imported pet who you think may not have had the appropriate testing please get in touch so we can discuss the best course of action.
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