BRUCELLA UPDATE 19.11.2025

Brucella Policy

REQUIREMENTS: Any animal which has been imported from an medium to high risk endemic country or been taken to a medium to high risk endemic country for mating needs a negative iELISA and SAT test at least three months after entry to the UK. Both these tests must be negative before the dog is established as Brucella negative. Once negative then no additional precautions are necessary. The tests are charged at cost (£50) to clients to minimise any financial implications for owners. Your dog may have had testing in the country of origin, but they will still require these tests after three months in the UK. This is because the previous tests may have been different and less accurate and the incubation period means the test may not show up as positive for a few months.

Any animal not yet officially Brucella negative will only be seen for emergency consultations. You will be asked to wait outside, and our staff will wear PPE (personal protective equipment) to examine your dog. Should admission to the hospital be necessary then the animal must be kept in isolation and PPE be worn for all handling. As the owner you will incur a small extra cost to cover the PPE and isolation if required. A phone consultation is also available for a non-emergency situation when the animal cannot be seen at the practice. This will be booked at a specific time with the vet. The cost for this is £25 and payment will be taken at the time of booking.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
We understand that some owners may find this requirement frustrating but we hope you will understand that we need to do all we can to keep our staff safe. Exposure to Brucella can lead to miscarriage and fertility problems and it is imperative we protect our staff from these risks as much as we can.