🥛 Brucellosis from Raw Milk Consumption: Vet Guide 2025 🐾

By Dr Duncan Houston BVSc

Brucellosis is a serious and preventable zoonotic disease—meaning it can spread from animals to humans. In this 2025 guide, I’ll walk you through how it’s transmitted, why raw milk is a high-risk source, and why both people and pets should steer clear of unpasteurized dairy. 💡

🦠 What Is Brucellosis?

Brucellosis is caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella, which infects multiple animal species including cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, and dogs. The disease was historically common in livestock before widespread vaccination and testing programs helped control its spread—especially in regions like Texas, where cases were once frequent. But even today, brucellosis has not been eradicated.

🐄 How It’s Transmitted

• Milk and colostrum – Brucella bacteria are shed in raw (unpasteurized) milk from infected animals.
• Fetal fluids and birth materials – Particularly during calving or whelping.
• Contaminated meat – Raw meat or organ consumption can also transmit infection.
• Inhalation or mucosal contact – Especially during close animal contact or milking.

👩‍⚕️ Human Health Impacts

Brucellosis in people is often called undulant fever. Symptoms include:

• 😰 Fever and chills
• 💧 Sweating episodes
• 🍽️ Appetite loss
• 💥 Muscle aches and fatigue
• 🧠 Headaches

More serious complications can include endocarditis (infection of heart valves), liver and spleen swelling, and miscarriage in pregnant women. The condition may come and go for months—or even years—if not treated properly with antibiotics.

🐕 Risks to Pets

Brucellosis isn’t just a concern for humans—it poses serious health threats to dogs and other pets too. Common manifestations in animals include:

• 🐶 Spinal infections (vertebral disc disease in dogs)
• 🐴 Fistulous withers in horses
• ⚠️ Reproductive issues (abortions, infertility, orchitis)

Transmission to pets typically occurs via:

• Feeding raw milk or meat 🥩
• Contact with infected animals or birthing fluids

🥛 Why Raw Milk Is Dangerous

Raw milk has not been pasteurized, meaning it still contains live organisms—some of which can cause serious illness. Pasteurization is a simple heating process that destroys dangerous microbes like Brucella, Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria.

🧬 Other Diseases Linked to Raw Milk:

• Campylobacteriosis
• Salmonellosis
• Listeriosis
• Q fever
• Tuberculosis

📌 Pets that consume raw milk are not only at risk themselves but can also shed dangerous organisms into the household environment—putting children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals at risk.

⚕️ Symptoms in Animals

Brucellosis can be subtle at first. Infected pets may show signs like:

• 🐾 Lameness, joint or back pain
• 🔴 Bloody discharge or infected testicles in males
• 🤰 Abortions or stillbirths in breeding animals
• 🐕 Lethargy, weight loss, poor appetite

Diagnosis requires specific blood tests and sometimes culture of fluid samples.

💊 Treatment & Management

In humans, brucellosis usually responds to antibiotics such as doxycycline combined with rifampin. However, treatment may be lengthy, and relapses are common.

In dogs and other animals, management is challenging. Long-term antibiotics may suppress symptoms but rarely eliminate the infection completely. Brucellosis in breeding animals is especially concerning, and infected pets are usually removed from breeding programs. Spaying and neutering are recommended to reduce spread.

❌ No Vaccine for People or Pets

While livestock can be vaccinated in some areas, there is currently no approved vaccine for dogs or humans in the U.S. Prevention depends entirely on avoiding exposure.

🧼 Prevention Tips

• 🚫 Never consume raw milk or unpasteurized dairy.
• 🐕 Do not feed raw milk or meat to pets.
• 🧪 Screen breeding dogs for brucellosis.
• 🥽 Use protective equipment when assisting animal births.
• 🧤 Immunocompromised individuals should avoid contact with infected pets or birthing materials.

📈 Public Health Trends

Most brucellosis cases today are rare thanks to modern pasteurization and livestock monitoring. However, interest in raw dairy has grown, and with it comes increased risk. Just one case of contaminated milk from a licensed raw dairy can lead to illness.

📱 Ask A Vet: When You Need Guidance

Thinking about raw diets? Unsure about zoonotic disease risks in your household? Use the Ask A Vet app to get fast, professional advice for:

• 🧪 Deciding which foods are safe for pets
• 🔍 Understanding infection risks from dairy/meat
• 💉 Brucellosis screening before breeding
• 💬 Managing chronic or long-term infections

✅ 2025 Brucellosis Prevention Checklist

• ✔️ No raw milk for pets or people
• ✔️ Feed only pasteurized or properly cooked foods
• ✔️ Screen breeding animals before use
• ✔️ Use PPE when handling fluids or sick animals
• ✔️ Contact your vet if signs of illness appear

🧠 Final Thoughts from Dr Duncan Houston

Brucellosis is preventable—but it can cause devastating, long-lasting symptoms in both humans and pets. While raw food trends have gained traction, the risks simply aren’t worth it. Choose safety. Choose pasteurization. And if you ever have concerns—reach out to Ask A Vet.

👉 Download the Ask A Vet App Today!

For expert advice on pet safety, zoonotic disease prevention, and feeding plans, AskAVet.com is always at your fingertips. 🐾💚

—Dr Duncan Houston BVSc