The staphylococci bacterium is naturally found on a dog's skin, including the nasal cavity. Typically the bacteria don̵7;t cause problems, but dogs sensitive to the bacteria may experience recurring infections. Staphylococci infections can travel to any part of a dog̵7;s body.
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What Is a Staph Infection?
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Staph infections occur when an immune system is unable to control the staphylococci bacteria. When an infection occurs, the bacteria can infect a cut or wound, or can travel and affect skin or other body parts, such as the sinus or nasal cavity.
Symptoms
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Staph infections in the nose cause nasal discharge, or allergy-like symptoms, such as sneezing, wheezing or coughing.
Diagnosis
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Diagnosing nasal staph infections is typically done by an intra-nasal swab to get a sample from the infected area. Skin infections are diagnosed with a skin scrape, to test for the amount of bacteria in a sample.
Treatment
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Regardless of location, staph infections are treated with antibiotics. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections require newer and stronger antibiotics to successfully treat an infection.
Prevention
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The best way to avoid staph or MRSA infections is through good hygiene. For dogs that are nasal staph or MRSA carriers, owners should be especially vigilant to disinfect areas the dog resides, and should be aware of any nasal or mucus discharge to reduce the spread of infection.
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