Imported Rescue Dog Policy and Advice
We welcome all dogs here at The Vets At Dronfield and we think opening your home to a a rescue dog is wonderful. If you are thinking about re-homing a dog who was born in a different country, we are always here and happy to advise you and support you on that journey.
It is important to realise that foreign dogs often haven’t had the same veterinary care as ones fortunate enough to be born in the UK, especially if they have been strays and so it is vital they undergo extensive health testing both before and after they move here. This means we know what their health status is and if and how they need us to help them.
If you have rescued your dog through a reputable and responsible importer they will probably have had a full range of tests before they travelled. So when you first come to visit us, please bring these so we can check them for you.
Here is our advice and policies for rescue dogs born abroad;
Brucella Canis
This is a bacterial infection dogs can carry that has the potential to infection humans, although thankfully this is rare. However, it is something we need to take seriously, particularly if you have young, elderly or immunocompromised people within your family and for our staff.
It is most commonly diagnosed in dogs who have travelled from Eastern Europe and we do strongly advise testing for it. Testing is currently not mandatory and while we will not decline care if you decide to not test your dog or they are positive for the condition, our staff will take extra precautions when they are seen, just to ensure they, and you, are protected.
Tests should have been run by the rescue that imported your dog and hopefully those results came back negative. However, it is important to repeat them after they have been in the country for 3 months. Many dogs carry the bacteria without any symptoms, so even if they are very well in themselves, testing should still be carried out.
This is one of the reasons why we would always advise taking on an imported dog who has been in a foster home here first, rather than travelling and arriving straight to you. Fostering allows them to settle into their new lives, be assessed by the rescue for their personality so they know what kind of home would be best, and it gives time for all the right health testing to be completed.
There are two blood tests that need to be taken. These are usually analysed tests by the government lab at the APHA in the UK.
If both rounds of tests come back negative, as they do for the majority of dogs, then that is wonderful news and we no longer need to be concerned about Brucella.
If these tests come back positive then we have a few options. The first step is to repeat both the blood tests after a month. Brucella is not always an easy disease to definitively diagnose and, particularly if the original result was borderline, we would always advise testing again, as the impact of a positive result is so significant.
If the test is conclusive, then this will be reported automatically to the staff at the APHA and you will be contacted by their experts to discuss the implications of this and decide what is best for you and your family.
You may have seen or read that euthanasia is advised if a dog has a definitively positive result. This is because once a dog is infected, they cannot be cured and it can pass to humans and other dogs. However, it must be stressed that this risk is low. It is not zero though and we do have to be aware that some people, like children, the elderly and those who are immunocompromised (for example undergoing cancer treatment) are more vulnerable. You are likely to be offered testing for you and your family, but you do not have to take this up, although we would advise that you do, if only for the peace of mind.
But it is very important to understand that euthanasia is not mandatory and you do have other options available to you.
Brucella canis is most commonly spread by reproductive fluids and sexual activity, so a positive dog, whether male or female should be neutered. This is an operation we are prepared to carry out, provided our staff are comfortable with that.
It can also be passed in other bodily fluids like urine, so you do have to be careful about your dog urinating in public and also meeting other dogs. Again, you are under absolutely no obligations to restrict your dog or their lifestyle and the risks of disease passage are low but it is likely that this will be something the APHA will advise you of.
We will not decline to provide veterinary care to a Brucella positive dog but we will ask that appointments are made in advance and you understand that some of our staff members may not be comfortable handling your pet, so we will have to ensure we have colleagues available to look after them. This may mean we are more restricted on appointment times than normal but we will work hard to accommodate you. We will also kindly request that you remain in your car while you wait for your appointment.
Care for our patients when we are closed is provided by the excellent team at Springfield Hospital in Rotherham. Their policy for imported rescue dogs is that they will see untested pets but they will not perform any surgical procedures without prior testing. This can be done in-house with a quick result patient-side test, but the APHA tests are more accurate and much more preferable. So having this completed in advance in the event you do need emergency care will be extremely advantageous.
If you opt to not test your dog for Brucella, that is entirely your choice, although we are always here to help with any worries about the process that you might have. This decision will be noted on your clinical records.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us and for more information about Brucella Canis is dogs and how we should test and care for them, we recommend reading;
http://apha.defra.gov.uk/documents/surveillance/diseases/Canine-Brucellosis-Summary.pdf
Leishmania
This is a parasite that is passed to dogs via sandfly bites and it is most commonly found in those who started their lives in the Mediterranean countries.
In our experience most dogs imported from these regions are tested before they travel.
If a test is positive, then your dog may have been started on medications before they come to you. Thankfully, the standard treatments for a Leishmania positive are not costly and we can prescribe them for you. Most dogs need to take them for 12 months or more.
The majority of dogs with a positive result are well in themselves with few symptoms but occasionally they are ill with the infection. In these cases they are generally given a second medication, which can be more costly. However, most with this level of the disease will stay in the rescues care until they are well enough to go to their new home.
All positive dogs require regular blood tests to monitor their organ function, particularly their kidneys, and the levels of Leishmania in their blood. These need to be continued for at least a year until we are confident the condition is in remission.
If you have, or are considering adopting a Leishmania positive dog, it can be a very rewarding but it is important you are fully informed by the importing organisation of the treatments required and we will be able to inform you of the likely costs if you would like.
If your dog has been tested and is negative, this is wonderful news but it is important to be aware that some dogs will still have the infection, just at undetectable levels, so do have the potential to develop it at some point and it is a condition we need to think about if they ever become poorly.
For more information about Leishmania infections in dogs, we recommend reading;
Heartworm
Again, in our experience most dogs are tested for Heartworm before they travel and in the vast majority of cases they are negative.
A positive result indicates they are infected with Heartworm, which can be a very serious condition and need careful and prolonged treatment and it is not advisable to travel a dog with an active infection.
If your dog hasn’t been tested before coming to you, that is something we would recommend and we can arrange it for you.
For more information about heartworm infections, we advise reading; https://www.heartwormsociety.org/
Ehrlichia and Babesia
These are both infections that are spread by tick bites and, as before, we find that most dogs responsibly imported have been tested for them.
If a dog tests positive, both these conditions are generally treatable.
Occasionally, as previously, a negative result can be due to undetectable levels of the parasites rather than a genuine negative and it can develop, but this is not common.
For more information about these conditions, we recommend reading;
https://www.vetspecialists.co.uk/fact-sheets-post/ehrlichiosis-fact-sheet/
https://www.vetspecialists.co.uk/fact-sheets-post/babesiosis-fact-sheet/
For general information about the conditions we need to be aware of in imported dogs, have a look at; http://apha.defra.gov.uk/documents/surveillance/diseases/imported-dog-disease-for-dog-and-cats.pdf
But please remember, our who team is here to support you and your dogs and to answer any questions you might have, whether you are already the proud owner of an imported rescue, or you are thinking about taking that route.
