Staph is commonly present on the skin of dogs, cats, other animals and even humans. In most cases, the staph bacteria are relatively harmless because they cannot enter the skin thanks to the immune system. When the immune system becomes compromised, the staph bacteria can begin to rapidly multiply, causing a staph infection.
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Ear Infections
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Staph and yeast infections are both common infections of the ear. Common symptoms of a staph or yeast infection of the ear include a strange smell from the affected ear, scratching of the ears or the head, discharge and shaking the head. In extreme cases, the dog may suffer from facial paralysis. This occurs because the nerve that is near the ear becomes inflamed, causing temporary paralysis. Treatment for ear infections usually involves antibiotics and antifungal medications that can be dispensed either orally or topically (reference 3).
Staphylococcal Pyoderma
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Staphylococcal pyoderma is one of the most common staph infections affecting both adult dogs and puppies. This infection is usually referred to as a typical "staph infection" and occurs when staph bacteria become overgrown on the skin of the affected dog. Symptoms of a staph infection include crusted lesions, which usually occur around the stomach and abdomen, drainage of the skin lesions and mild to severe itching, accompanied by red, inflamed skin. (reference 2).
Usually staph infections occur as a secondary infection. For example, in a dog allergic to fleas, the fleas would cause itching. In return, the scratching creates wounds, places where the staph bacteria can enter and multiply, thus causing the infection. Both the primary condition (the fleas) as well as the secondary staph infection can be treated through the use of shampoos, antibiotics and topical creams (reference 2).
Staph Skin Lesions
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There are two types of lesions that are associated with a staph infection. The first type of lesion is a red area that is similar in appearance to a pimple with a pus-filled center. The second type of lesion is often confused with a ringworm infection, so examination by a veterinarian is a must, no matter what type of skin lesions are present. This second kind is an inflamed, red circular lesion that features a crusted edge. The skin at the center of this lesion often undergoes a loss of fur (resource 1).
Bacterial Hypersensivity
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Bacterial hypersensitivity is extremely rare in dogs. The immune system has an adverse reaction to the staph bacteria that are present on the dog's skin. This hypersensitivity causes a powerful reaction to the skin. Common symptoms of bacterial hypersensitivity include irritated skin with various sized pus-filled lesions. These lesions are often itchy, and the dog's natural reaction just intensifies the damage to the skin. Growth and examination of a bacterial culture taken from the dog's skin is typically the way this condition is diagnosed. Antibiotics are used to kill off the staph infections and some dogs will need long-term stimulants to kill off future staph bacteria and promote immunity to the bacteria (reference 1, resource 1).
Reoccurring Staph Infections
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If your dog has reoccurring staph infections, it is important to have your veterinarian seek out an underlying cause. Reoccurring staph infections can be a sign of other conditions such as hypothyroidism. While staph is easily treated, it can also easily spread throughout your dog's body and make him very ill.
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