# Staph infection.... more questions



## harrysmom (Sep 28, 2007)

Hi!

Harry developed a staph infection sometime this summer. He has been on
antibiotics for 3 weeks now. I took him back to the vet yesterday for a recheck
and he still has 2 lesions. The vet said that if the antibiotic was working the staph 
would be completely gone by now. The vet also said that he doubted that Harry could be
completely cured of the staph infection because of his suppressed immune system... and he
said that he wouldn't worry too much about 2 small lesions.

He recommended that I keep Harry off of the antibiotic for a week and then 
culture the lesions to see which antibiotic might work.
I told him that I was advised to use Clearasil (benzoyl peroxide) on Harry and asked his opinion.
He said to go ahead and give it a try.... and then if I don't see improvement we can culture. 

Here's my concern..... Harry has such a suppressed immune system that infections
usually become systemic with him very quickly. Should I worry about this infection
worsening now that he's off of the antibiotic? The vet knows his history and didn't seem
concerned.... but I worry for a living.... and I would appreciate your input.

Thanks,
Debbie


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## CeeCee's Mom (Sep 14, 2006)

My concern is that it would become worse just off the meds. Some human doctors culture the place and somehow they check to see what antibiotic works best for whatever you have. Can he send it to some University Vet Clinic and they can do it??? Just wondering...........


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

Having a dog who is very susceptible to bacterial infections, I share your worry every time he looks at me the wrong way. You know Harry well and you would take him in immediately if he had more lesions or acted off. Unfortunately, they have to be off antibiotics for at least 5 days to get an accurate culture. You can always call Harry's vet at Cornell for guidance.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

QUOTE (CeeCee's Mom @ Sep 29 2009, 05:01 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=835203


> My concern is that it would become worse just off the meds. Some human doctors culture the place and somehow they check to see what antibiotic works best for whatever you have. Can he send it to some University Vet Clinic and they can do it??? Just wondering...........[/B]


You have to discontinue antibiotics for 5-7 days before culturing.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Debbie, try the Clearasil. Harry sounds just like Lady and it worked for her.

I don't like to keep immune compromised dogs on antibiotics any longer than necessary. I am so afraid of antibiotic resistance. I like to know we still have antibiotics in our arsenal when we need it.


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## sassy's mommy (Aug 29, 2005)

QUOTE (JMM @ Sep 29 2009, 06:14 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=835207


> Having a dog who is very susceptible to bacterial infections, I share your worry every time he looks at me the wrong way. You know Harry well and you would take him in immediately if he had more lesions or acted off. Unfortunately, they have to be off antibiotics for at least 5 days to get an accurate culture. You can always call Harry's vet at Cornell for guidance.[/B]



Jackie can the injection 'convenia' be used to treat a staph infection in dogs?


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## harrysmom (Sep 28, 2007)

QUOTE (LadysMom @ Sep 29 2009, 06:25 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=835210


> Debbie, try the Clearasil. Harry sounds just like Lady and it worked for her.
> 
> I don't like to keep immune compromised dogs on antibiotics any longer than necessary. I am so afraid of antibiotic resistance. I like to know we still have antibiotics in our arsenal when we need it.[/B]


I am going to try the Clearasil starting tonight.... thanks!


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

QUOTE (Sassy's mommy @ Sep 29 2009, 06:30 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=835216


> QUOTE (JMM @ Sep 29 2009, 06:14 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=835207





> Having a dog who is very susceptible to bacterial infections, I share your worry every time he looks at me the wrong way. You know Harry well and you would take him in immediately if he had more lesions or acted off. Unfortunately, they have to be off antibiotics for at least 5 days to get an accurate culture. You can always call Harry's vet at Cornell for guidance.[/B]



Jackie can the injection 'convenia' be used to treat a staph infection in dogs?
[/B][/QUOTE]

In some cases...I'm not a huge fan of it, though I like the idea behind it.


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## dwerten (Oct 6, 2007)

well we are in the same boat here  and it stinks 

ok I just had the culture done on dd with the dermatologist and she said the simplicef should have worked but we are going to try clindamyacin which is usually used in dentals due to dd getting hives and she wants her on it for 3 weeks as antibiotics have to be given for 21-25 days to really kill staph and they need to really be bathed every 3 days while they have it - she is telling me since dd reacts to vet shampoos to just use a hypoallergenic i have been using. If your dog has no issues with shampoos use chlorhexedine duoxo shampoo but you can try below if you want to give it a shot. Tea is suppose to kill infection in the skin so i am using blue herbal shampoo from petco as it has green tea in it and there is a conditioner and it killed alot of it this last shampoo 

Inorder to get a real good culture though you will have to not shampoo or do anything for a minimum of 7 days - i went 11 days and she was a crusty mess and derm was like she looks really bad but she got a great culture though lol. I am now bathing dd every 3 days to keep bacteria on skin down. The antibiotics will work from the inside out as dogs detox through skin and why the antibiotics work from inside out even though staph is on the outside of skin per segoval vet who is mgf for duoxo - she said you can treat staph externally only without antibiotics if you bath every 3 days topically as it is on the outer layer of the skin and does not go deep into the skin 

The prob with antibiotics is if the antibiotic does not thoroughly kill the infection once you stop it comes back 10xs worse so you have to get the right antibiotic to kill it and why the culture helps to determine this BUT simplicef is suppose to be the one that kills it off and why most derms use that first but if that does not work then they go to the culture. The culture just cost me $118 at the dermatologist and that was just the culture as she did not charge me an office visit which was nice since we did not kill it the first time -- I really like her she is sharp. 

Clindamyacin can be given once daily but the bummer is it comes in 75 mg so in toy breeds you have to do liquid - I HATE LIQUID  One of my clients is a compounder though and so i am going to call to see if he can compound some clinda for dd as i hate wearing antibiotics and she is a terror i mean terrier 

I am still nervous of hives but dh just lost his job and will be home with her thank goodness to keep an eye on her in case she breaks out i can walk him through it. 

Having a poor immune system which is allergies leaves these dogs susceptible to recurring staph infections about twice a year derm says. I did really well for 2 years with dd when she was on raw coconut oil and when she was being bathed weekly and using probiotics. I stopped the coconut oil only and she spun out of control so you may want to do 1/4 tsp coconut oil daily unless your dog has had pancreatitis in that case i would not recommend it as fatty acids can trigger pancreatitis in dogs prone 

QUOTE (Harrysmom @ Sep 29 2009, 05:34 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=835195


> Hi!
> 
> Harry developed a staph infection sometime this summer. He has been on
> antibiotics for 3 weeks now. I took him back to the vet yesterday for a recheck
> ...


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## dwerten (Oct 6, 2007)

see if vet can do for 4 more days as derm wanted dd on for 25 days if you have not stopped the antibiotics if you still see lesions but if most lesions have gone away then maybe you just need that extra 4 days like derm wanted dd on before she broke out in hives on day 17 so this is why hers came back so bad as she did not make it the 21 days let alone the 25


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## dwerten (Oct 6, 2007)

what is that staph lysate injections ? Dee Dee was on those in 2005 for 6 mos with a holistic vet and I asked jean dodds about doing that and she said NO WAY - I did them weekly with the holistic vet when dd first had allergies at 6 mos of age to avoid steroids and do it all natural we drove an hour each way to get these things had no clue what to do back then but thought maybe it would be good to do but jean said NO -- i will ask derm about it as well but you have to do them weekly i believe for a while -- we got tired of driving every sat for them and dd was not really itching any less with what he was doing as we did lyprinol, un gato, acidopholus plus pectin, cod liver oil which now i know was horrible since she has mvd , natures variety raw diet, and keflex which now i know was not good as i believe it was 250mg which is alot for 5lb dog which she was back then but we saw no improvement but also no staph during that time. 

When it comes to allergies i think we have done it all sadly 

QUOTE (JMM @ Sep 29 2009, 10:26 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=835252


> QUOTE (Sassy's mommy @ Sep 29 2009, 06:30 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=835216





> QUOTE (JMM @ Sep 29 2009, 06:14 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=835207





> Having a dog who is very susceptible to bacterial infections, I share your worry every time he looks at me the wrong way. You know Harry well and you would take him in immediately if he had more lesions or acted off. Unfortunately, they have to be off antibiotics for at least 5 days to get an accurate culture. You can always call Harry's vet at Cornell for guidance.[/B]



Jackie can the injection 'convenia' be used to treat a staph infection in dogs?
[/B][/QUOTE]

In some cases...I'm not a huge fan of it, though I like the idea behind it.
[/B][/QUOTE]


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## dwerten (Oct 6, 2007)

jmm what about staph lysate injections do you use those in your clinic 

http://www.delmont.com/news.htm


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## lawgirl (Jul 22, 2009)

I'm very sorry for your complications and hope that Harry makes a speedy recovery on the new antibiotic.

I don't know very much about staph infections, and was wondering if you could share what causes them--the risk factors--and how we can prevent them to the highest extent possible? E.g., is there a special household cleaner I should be using to disinfect my floors? Are there certain outdoor areas I should avoid taking my dog? I'd love to learn what you know about this problem, as I've heard of increasing staph infections in human hospitals too. Thank you.


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## dwerten (Oct 6, 2007)

staph in dogs is different than in humans although our vet said they are starting to see more dogs with drug resistent staph infections but i personally believe that is due to over prescribing of antibiotics in the vet profession. I would not really worry about it unless your dog has allergies as the way dogs get the staph is they itch themselves thus opening up the skin for bacteria to get int and whamo you have staph. This is why it is so important to weekly bath allergy dogs to keep bacteria down on skin and to supplement with probiotics to keep a healthy amount of good bacteria in the system as well as coconut oil which is a natural antifungal and antibacterial which heals the dog from the inside out. Again if your dog does not have allergies or a poor immune system most likely you will not be having to deal with it like we are  My dd has allergies and hypothyroid and both are immune disorders - 

oh and it is not contagious as i do not have it nor do any of my other dogs 

The one thing you can consider in keeping a healthy immune system is to make sure not to OVER vaccinate your dog as this can greatly impact their immune system if over done. This is why i titer my dogs for this reason 


QUOTE (lawgirl @ Sep 30 2009, 01:10 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=835302


> I'm very sorry for your complications and hope that Harry makes a speedy recovery on the new antibiotic.
> 
> I don't know very much about staph infections, and was wondering if you could share what causes them--the risk factors--and how we can prevent them to the highest extent possible? E.g., is there a special household cleaner I should be using to disinfect my floors? Are there certain outdoor areas I should avoid taking my dog? I'd love to learn what you know about this problem, as I've heard of increasing staph infections in human hospitals too. Thank you.[/B]


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## harrysmom (Sep 28, 2007)

QUOTE (lawgirl @ Sep 30 2009, 01:10 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=835302


> I'm very sorry for your complications and hope that Harry makes a speedy recovery on the new antibiotic.
> 
> I don't know very much about staph infections, and was wondering if you could share what causes them--the risk factors--and how we can prevent them to the highest extent possible? E.g., is there a special household cleaner I should be using to disinfect my floors? Are there certain outdoor areas I should avoid taking my dog? I'd love to learn what you know about this problem, as I've heard of increasing staph infections in human hospitals too. Thank you.[/B]


Harry has this staph infection because he has been on dexamethasone, a drug which ruins his immune system, for
2 years now. His immune system can't fight anything off... and so I keep Harry away from other dogs, etc.... he pretty
much stays in our house, our yard, or in the car (he loves car rides). I believe that Harry picked up this staph at
the vet when he had surgery this summer. Every time I bring Harry to the vet I know that I'm exposing him
to a lot of germs.... but there's nothing I can do about it. 

I have 3 other dogs that do not have any signs of staph and so far have no health problems (Thank God!). 
Most healthy dogs are able to fight off staph germs. If your dog is healthy and you keep your house and 
your dog clean, I don't think that you have to worry about staph.... in my opinion.

Debbie


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

I've had a couple of Dobermans put on staph lysate injections by a dermatologist...we just ordered the injections and gave them for the owner. One had remarkable improvement...the other just so-so. 

Clindamycin (Antirobe brand name) comes in 25 mg capsules. Adding a pinch of sugar to the liquid and keeping it in the fridge makes it taste better. Also, the brand name drops seem to taste better than the generic for some reason.


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## dwerten (Oct 6, 2007)

ok thanks i was hoping for pills  but guess i will settle for liquid ugh --what is the best way to do liquid as when dd had tramadol it was like it was going up her nose when i shot in mouth behind canine -- should i hold muzzle up so she does not get it up her nose  i hate liquid


QUOTE (JMM @ Sep 30 2009, 09:39 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=835363


> I've had a couple of Dobermans put on staph lysate injections by a dermatologist...we just ordered the injections and gave them for the owner. One had remarkable improvement...the other just so-so.
> 
> Clindamycin (Antirobe brand name) comes in 25 mg capsules. Adding a pinch of sugar to the liquid and keeping it in the fridge makes it taste better. Also, the brand name drops seem to taste better than the generic for some reason.[/B]


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## dwerten (Oct 6, 2007)

is it true that clinda is in a different family than simplicef? and is clavamox in same family as simplicef or clinda as dr jaimie was thinking clavamox might work and was hoping this was going to be prescribed as dd has not reacted to clavamox before  like she did on simplicef


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## harrysmom (Sep 28, 2007)

QUOTE (dwerten @ Oct 1 2009, 02:39 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=835667


> is it true that clinda is in a different family than simplicef? and is clavamox in same family as simplicef or clinda as dr jaimie was thinking clavamox might work and was hoping this was going to be prescribed as dd has not reacted to clavamox before  like she did on simplicef[/B]


Clavamox was what Harry was on...


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

Tramadol made into a liquid tastes HORRIBLE. I would never have it compounded into a liquid. 

Some dogs do better if you mix a little karo syrup in to the dose in your syringe to make it taste better. I just slowly squirt in the side of the mouth or squirt on bread and feed them the bread.


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## dwerten (Oct 6, 2007)

hmmm and that did not work -did your vet ever try simplicef as that is suppose to be the best one for staph even though dd reacted but dd is super sensitive to everything sadly 

QUOTE (Harrysmom @ Oct 1 2009, 05:55 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=835689


> QUOTE (dwerten @ Oct 1 2009, 02:39 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=835667





> is it true that clinda is in a different family than simplicef? and is clavamox in same family as simplicef or clinda as dr jaimie was thinking clavamox might work and was hoping this was going to be prescribed as dd has not reacted to clavamox before  like she did on simplicef[/B]


Clavamox was what Harry was on...
[/B][/QUOTE]


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