SPOKANE, Wash. — KREM received an anonymous tip claiming a Spokane dog tested positive for a disease that is rare in the Spokane area. It claims the owners recently adopted the dog from Spokanimal.
We verified this is true with SouthCare Animal Medical Center in Spokane and Executive Director of Spokanimal Dori Peck.
An email sent to local Spokane veterinarian clinics warns of a dog testing positive for Brucella Canis. It's a contagious bacterial disease typically found in large animals, but can affect dogs as well.
The email says the owners became concerned after a trip to the dog park. They noticed the dog had limited range of motion in the neck. So they took the dog to a vet where it tested positive for the disease.
SouthCare Animal Medical Center confirms it treated a dog recently who tested positive for Brucella Canis, otherwise known as Brucellosis.
They said the dog originally came from either Texas or Oklahoma. But a Spokane family recently adopted the dog from Spokanimal.
We can also verify SouthCare sent out the email to local vet clinics. They did this because it is a disease that can also affect humans. The intent of the email was a simple reminder to use good hygiene.
According to SouthCare, this disease is extremely rare for our area. It's typically found in high humidity, low temperature climates.
The clinic said it is most commonly transmitted sexually among dogs. But cats are resistant to it.
SouthCare said the disease can incubate five days to several months, and the symptoms can be subtle. They can range from flu-like symptoms to generally not feeling well.
According to SouthCare, the disease is difficult to treat. That's why they said the infected Spokane dog will be put down.
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Spokanimal's Executive Director Dori Peck said the shelter only learned about the infected dog on Tuesday. She said all animals brought to the shelter from out of state are only accepted with health certificates, adding they all go through a basic health exam.
"I don't know exactly what we'll do to change, but we want to make everyone healthy and keep our community safe," Peck said. "So we'll do whatever we need to."
We can verify a Spokane dog, adopted from Spokanimal, did test positive for the bacterial disease.
But SouthCare wants to be clear; there is no need for alarm. It's just a good reminder to use good hygiene.