Use of enrofloxacin in the treatment of canine brucellosis in a dog kennel.

M. MAGDALENA WANKE; M. VICTORIA DELPINO; PABLO C. BALDI

Brasil

Congreso; 5th International Symposium on Canine and Feline Reproduction; 2004

Abstract No totally effective antibiotic for the eradication of Canine Brucellosis has been found to date. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of enrofloxacin in a kennel infected with Brucella canis. Twelve dogs (10 females:1 in estrus, 3 pregnant and 6 in anestrus, and 2 males) infected with B. canis received 5 mg/kg of enrofloxacin orally every 12 hours for 30 days during one month. Females also received the same treatment during the estral and luteal phases of the subsequent cycles (0 to 2). They were repeatedly mated by infected males. A serological follow-up was carried out for 38 months. The clinical, serological  and bacteriological findings were recorded. In a trial carried out 14 months after the beginning of this study, all the dogs were negative on the The Rapid Slide Agglutination Test (RSAT). No abortions were observed. All mated female dogs conceived and gave birth to healthy puppies. After parturitions postpartum vaginal discharges (lochia) were cultured for B. canis, and resulted negative. As in other treatments, enrofloxacin does not offer 100% efficacy in treating the disease. However, it maintained the fertility of the dogs and avoided the reappearance of abortions, transmission of the disease to the puppies and dissemination of microorganisms during parturition. The results suggest that enrofloxacin could be used as an alternative drug for the treatment of canine brucellosis. KEY WORDS: Brucella canis, treatment, enrofloxacin, antibodies.