Brucellosis
Brucellosis is a bacterial infection that is spread from one dog to another through close physical contact or ingestion of infected material. The main signs of infection are reproductive failure and the most prominent sign is abortion after 45 - 55 days of gestation. The dogs may seem depressed, have a bad coat, enlarged lymph nodes and swollen joints. With some dogs there are no signs of illness at all. Infected male dogs may have inflammation of the scrotum, testicles or prostate. Dogs who abort or who have a difficult time conceiving should be tested for brucellosis. No effective vaccine has been found for this disease.
Most experts estimate 1% to 6% of the canine population are infected, with the main source of the disease being stray dogs. There is no vaccine for this disease in dogs, and treatment, which usually consists of prolonged administration of Tetracycline and Streptomycin, may not be effective. The only prevention is to have all dogs tested for the disease before breeding. The test for the disease is a simple and relatively inexpensive blood test.