Facial Staph Infection on a Pug Puppy

Facial staph is a skin infection that can affect humans and animals alike. There is only one strain of the bacteria that affects dogs. The pug breed is more prone to getting the infection, due to their facial characteristics and immune systems. Pug dogs have layers of folded skin around their mouth and jaw. Pug puppies, are at a greater risk, as their immune system is still developing.

  1. Causes

    • The specific staphylococci bacterium that affects the pug puppy in particular is the staphylococci intermedius strain. This bacterium is commonly found in the pugs' nasal area, its rectum and mouth. The bacteria harmlessly live around these areas. The bacteria only becomes infectious and a health hazard when the skin is broken, causing the bacteria to enter the body and infect the facial area. Pug puppies with allergies are more likely to get infected with the bacteria than those without allergies, because the allergies weaken the puppy's developing immune system.

    Symptoms

    • The main symptom of facial staph infection is crusted and hardened skin around the jawline of the puppy. Itchy pustules that are red and sometimes yellow will appear around the facial folds of the pug puppy. The color of the dog's skin is also altered. Puppies have more sensitive skin -- when compared to adult dogs -- and the skin will redden, when the staph infection occurs. Also, hair growth is stunted and the puppy will experience a receding hairline around his face, as a result of the crusted skin lesions caused by the bacteria.

    Diagnosis

    • To properly diagnose the puppy, fluid samples are taken and tested for the bacteria. The veterinarian will also take pictures of the sores and lesions on the facial area. The sores and lesions that appear on the skin are similar to eczema and skin rashes. The folds of the skin on the pug puppy's face make it harder to distinguish between the two skin conditions. The dog is also tested for eczema to make sure that proper diagnose is obtained before treatment is prescribed. If a dog has eczema, they are still treated for staph infection, as eczema causes skin lesions which can allow the staph bacteria to enter the body.

    Treatment

    • The main treatment available for treating facial staph infections is an antibacterial shampoo. The bacteria live under the facial skin, and the shampoo will disinfect the inner layers of the skin and get rid of the infection. The main concern with treating pug puppies, is the skin folds around their face. All areas of the skin must be thoroughly washed with shampoo to ensure that the bacteria does not settle in an unwashed area and grow again. Depending on the health of the dog, some veterinarians will prescribe pills to be taken with meals. Various sensitivity tests are carried out before, to ensure what type of treatment the dog can and cannot tolerate.