Staphylococcus in dogs

Staphylococcus in dogs is a bacterium that always exists in a dog's body, but it is in a latent state. If the animal’s immune system is fully functioning, then it does not allow an infectious disease to develop. However, in the summer period, the risk of developing staphylococcus increases dramatically. This is due to the greater activity of the pet - his walks become longer, the dogs are more in contact with each other. Moreover, the disease can occur even in pets that are contained in ideal conditions, regularly vaccinated and eat well. What kind of disease is this and is there a way to protect a pet from it?

Causes of Staphylococcus Dogs

A dog may become infected with a staph infection when it interacts with a sick animal, more often it occurs against the background of a weakened immune system. There are two forms of the disease:

• Primary infection - Staphylococcus pathogenic bacteria become sources of the disease.
• Secondary infection - Staphylococcus develops on the background of another disease. In this case, the risks of complications increase, and there is a threat of the spread of infection in the tissue of the internal organs. Staphylococcus often develops when an animal is infected with ticks , fleas .

Naturally, the characteristics of the animal’s body largely influence whether a dog will become infected with an infection or not. Weak, often ill, elderly pets are always at risk. Among disposing factors for the development of infection are the following:

• diabetes or high carbohydrate content in the body;
• vitamin deficiency, a particular danger is the lack of vitamins of groups A, B and E;
• infection of the kidney, liver tissues;
• infection with fleas, ticks, especially demodex mites ;
• allergy to a pet;
• weakening of immunity or instability to this type of pathogens.

Staphylococcus is able to provoke the development of other diseases in the animal.

How to recognize a staph in a dog

Symptoms of the disease may be different, among the main manifestations can be noted:

• formation of tuberous suppurations;
• the appearance of inflamed round spots with a crust on the rim, resembling a ringworm lesion; in this case there is no wool in the center of the spots.

If you identify the disease at an early stage, the prognosis of therapy is favorable. That is why it is important for dog owners to know the symptoms of the infection.

In the further development of the infection is accompanied by abundant hair loss, the dog has large bald areas of skin. Severe itching complicates the animal's life, the pet does not sleep well, often wakes up, itches intensely and bites its teeth into the affected skin. When pathogenic bacteria spread deep into the skin, the dog appears extremely painful boils, which often reach impressive sizes.

Given that staphylococcus is transmitted from dogs to people and most often children and older people are at risk, it is important to immediately seek medical help.

Often, a staph infection provokes other dermatological diseases:

• Infection of the ears - accompanied by an unpleasant smell from the ears, purulent secretions; the pet shows anxiety, and in the neglected form of the ailment, Bell's paralysis (facial nerve) appears, which is of a temporary nature.
• Pyoderma (purulent skin lesion) is more often a secondary infection when a dog combs flea bites and pathogenic infections get wounds.
• The manifestation of an allergic reaction - develops with hypersensitivity to the microorganism that causes staphylococcus; accompanied by irritation of the skin and purulent papules.
• Infection of mucous membranes, which leads to the development of diseases such as endometritis or pyometra .
• Ear inflammation (otitis) - often provokes infection of the inner ear tissues and their erosion, with the course of the disease erosion turns into ulcers; often a cold and inflammation of the conjunctiva joins this disease .

The specific symptoms of Staphylococcus aureus are different in dogs, they are similar to signs of food poisoning . This type of infection often affects young animals, as their bodies are still growing, and many systems, including the immune system, are not fully formed. The disease is accompanied by vomiting, constant profuse diarrhea, which can cause severe dehydration. In this case, there is a risk of death.

It is important to monitor the condition of the pet, to limit its communication with stray dogs. When the first symptoms of staphylococcus should be visited with a pet veterinary clinic.

Treatment of Staphylococcus in Dogs

When contacting the clinic pet undergoes comprehensive diagnosis. The animal takes biomaterials for laboratory sowing and biopsy. Often, veterinarians are testing for allergic reactions and autoimmune diseases. It helps to find out the causes of the disease or the factors that provoked its development.

With staphylococcus, a pet is prescribed a course of antihistamines that can eliminate itching and other allergic manifestations, since scratching the skin leads to the appearance of wounds and re-infection. If you do not carry out such therapy, then all treatment may be significantly delayed.

The following topical preparations will also help to relieve itching: Tribpack, Chlorphyllipt. For washing the wounds, use Dimexide or Novocainic compresses.

To eliminate external inflammations, the veterinarian prescribes the use of detergents - ointments, gels with antibacterial effect. Often the choice falls on drugs belonging to the enzymatic group - Lysozyme, Chemotrypsin. Appointed funds that can dry foci of the disease - Tannin, Protargol, etc.

Staph infection involves taking antibiotics. The course can last 21 days, and in cases of neglect of the disease or complications, the reception of this group of funds can be extended up to 1.5 months.

In modern veterinary medicine there are several ways to deal with staphylococcus, the therapy is chosen individually and may include the following:

• Antibiotic treatment. High effectiveness in staphylococcus differs from the quinolone group of drugs - Baytril, Enrofloks, Quinocol, Enrosept, Tsifloks, Tsiprinol, etc. In order to increase the effect of antibiotics , several drugs of different subgroups are prescribed simultaneously - at least three names.
• Reception of immunostimulants. Immunotherapy gives positive results, after the course the body begins to more actively resist the infectious agent. Antifagin administration is sometimes used, but it is not effective for all types of stalococcal bacteria. The drug APS, a staphylococcal polyvalent anatoxin, specially created for dogs, is highly effective. If the treatment includes passive immunotherapy, then apply hyperimmune serum from bacteria Staphylococcus. This is an effective therapeutic method of the initial stage of the disease or when it appears only on the surface of the skin. In other cases, active immunotherapy is prescribed. When prescribing antibiotics and drugs to stimulate immunity to the dog, the veterinarian considers that such drugs can be addictive. So that this does not happen, after a while the drugs are changed to others, or the threshold of sensitivity of the organism is found out.
• Introduction of staphylococcal bacteriophage. Bacteriophage is a virus that, when it enters the body of a sick animal, contributes to the death of the causative agents of staphylococcal infection. This method is quite effective.

It is worth remembering that the infection in each body behaves differently, so self-treatment of a pet is strictly prohibited. What is in the competence of the dog owner is the use of preventive measures that can prevent the pet from getting sick.

About Staphylococcus on video

Preventive action

The elementary rules contribute, if not to the complete protection of the animal from the disease, then to a significant reduction in the risk of infection:

• It is worth taking care of the immunity of the dog, providing its diet with nutritious and healthy food, if necessary, giving the animal vitamins - strong immunity is the best protection against all sorts of infections;
• if possible, limit the contact of the dog with sick animals, contact with stray cats and dogs should be completely excluded;
• it is necessary to vaccinate a dog in time;
• it is recommended to regularly inspect the skin of the animal; if the pet has folded skin, it is necessary to push the folds out and find out if there are any injuries or inflammations.

Since a stressful situation can provoke an infection, all sorts of troubles should be avoided. This is especially important for miniature dogs with a weak nervous system.

Any, even minor, skin lesions should be immediately treated with special preparations with antiseptic action.