MRSA
Submitted by Maggie Porkchop... on December 9, 2013 - 5:34pmOur 9 year old bully has been diagnosed with a MRSA infection of her foot. To say I am tremendously worried is an understatment. I'm sure others on this board have had a similar problem with one of their bullies. Please advise me if there was anything special you did for your pup and the ultimate outcome. Porkie is on Clavamox 375mg twice a day for a month to start.
Thank you!
__________________
Maggie Porkchop and Bubba
I have no answers for you and hope somebody does!
I would be worried too.....just not knowing what might happen. Keeping you in our prayers!
Thank you!
I believe in the power of prayer! Thank you!
Maggie Porkchop and Bubba
No info either, other than...
You need to keep your hands washed every time you touch that area, and make sure bedding, etc. is washed frquently until tehre in no more open sore area. I would tak eevery precaution to make sure it isn't spread to anythingelse! Not sure it can be...but boy would I be cautious.
Amy and Sophia
No info either
I am being extremely cautious! I am assuming that MRSA is as highly contagious in animals as it is in humans. i don't need our male getting it also! Thank you for your response!
Maggie Porkchop and Bubba
No experience with dogs but...
my one granddaughter had it a year ago, started out as a small pimple on her chin that got worse. Doctor said it was MRSA and she had to take antibiotics and we all had to have our noses swabbed and tested to make sure we weren't carriers. It did take her a long time to get over it.
No experience..
The vet said we are starting with a month of Clavamox but not to be surprised if there is the need for continued antibiotics. As far as having your nose swabbed to ascertain if you are a carrier that is actually my thought here. I have been an RN for ages and have been exposed to MRSA (known and intially undiagnosed patients) for a long time. I've never had any symptoms but now I wonder where Porkchop could have picked it up. Could it have been me? She's had a problem with sores between her toes on one foot for quite a time now. They've been treated with Betadine soaks and antibiotics 3 times before this diagnosis. I hadn't utilized any precautions because she's my bully and I didn't have a concern about passing any type of infection on to her. Now I wonder????
Thank you for your response. Glad your granddaughter is better!
Maggie Porkchop and Bubba
Supplement
I'm sorry to hear that you and your pup are going through this! I don't have any specific info/experience in relation to MRSA but I would reccomend that you give your pup probiotics to keep the gut healthy (since the anibiotics are going to kill all the bad AND good flora). I use Mercola Pets Probiotics everyday in my dogs food...and you may want to consider using coconut oil in the food as well as it has a broad spectrum of health benefits. The Mercola Pets section on Mercola Health has a bunch of searchable articles from Dr. Becker. My best wishes to you and your sweet pup on a quick and healthy recovery.
Supplement
Thank you for the suggestion and sound advice. I should have thought about the potential change to her stools myself but right now I'm just trying to adjust to the thought of a dog with MRSA. Porkie thanks you also!
Maggie Porkchop and Bubba
Supplement
I'm sorry to hear that you and your pup are going through this! I don't have any specific info/experience in relation to MRSA but I would reccomend that you give your pup probiotics to keep the gut healthy (since the anibiotics are going to kill all the bad AND good flora). I use Mercola Pets Probiotics everyday in my dogs food...and you may want to consider using coconut oil in the food as well as it has a broad spectrum of health benefits. The Mercola Pets section on Mercola Health has a bunch of searchable articles from Dr. Becker. My best wishes to you and your sweet pup on a quick and healthy recovery.
O.K here I go, experience here
I will try to condense my info. Contact the "Bella Moss Foundation." for info and support.
My bully had an ear infection a few years back. My vet swabbed and the lab came back as "MRSI" methicillin resistant staph intermedius. It is a cousin to "MRSA" methicillin resistant staph aureas, and just as bad. A week later my cat got it. My vet decided not to bring out the big guns which would be vancomycin, and put them both on an antibiotic and I cannot remember which one it was. (I will let you know later.) The antibiotic course was long, over a month. He paid attention to the sensitivities on the lab report for choosing the antibiotic. The ears were messy, both draining, etc and the cat felt very ill, stopped eating, and I had to syringe feed her. This was successful.
Finally after many, many weeks both pets had clean swabs. However, they both now host this dreaded infection and if their immune system was down for any reason, it could rear it`s ugly head again. Mr. Higgins had such chronic ears that his ear canals closed. He is being maintained on cyclosporin (an immunosuppressant) Neither pet has had a recurrence of MRSI.
Take note:
1) all suspicious ear infections should be swabbed and sent to lab.
2) the vet may be inclined to start vancomycin but this would be a mistake. Take note of lab report for choosing antibiotic.
3)long term course of antibiotic is necessary.
You will learn a lot from the Bella Moss Foundation.
Best of luck.
MRSA
Thank you for your response. Porkie had a culture and sensitvity done on the wounds on her foot. The results were MRSA susceptible to Clavamox. Our vet advised also that the treatment for her infection could be a month long but a possiblility of a much longer time frame being a likely outcome. My only concern is her health and comfort.
I'm a RN. I am quite well versed in the diagnosis and treatment in humans. When it comes to our bullies I'm the first one at the vet. Sort of like non-medical new parents. Our first bully died at 3 1/2 years because I did not know of the probable outcome for a bully given acepromazaine. That happened more than 9 years ago and I will never forgive myself for my stupidy causing his death. With our 2 we have now, Porkie is going to be 10 years old and Bubba will be 9 years old I never take any chances at all!! Thankfully our vet is a sweetheart and doesn't treat me like the goofy bully parent I am!
Maggie Porkchop and Bubba
RN here too
I guess I could have eliminated most of the info I gave you if I had known. It sounds to me you have a great vet and he is doing everything right. My vet told me my cat and dog were treated with Baytril ear drops and nothing systemic. It was back in 2009 and I am so happy we have not seen any more signs of the infection.
My bully Mr. Higgins is 9 and my first bully lived to be 4 yrs 4 months old.
I am hoping you have the same success I had in beating this stubborn infection.
Enjoy your bullies. It must be so fun having 2.
Deborah (Mr. Higgins too)
MRSA
Hi Deborah...I am ever so appreciative of all of the information I receive on these boards. Our vet is wonderful and puts up with me and my concerns! As far as I am concerned I can NEVER learn to much about our bullies, their anatomy, health problems and treatments, etc. etc.
Thank you!!
Maggie
Maggie Porkchop and Bubba
Ha!
I'm a nurse too!! And I am such a nervous nelly when it comes to my sweet bulldog babies (1 english and 1 french). Glad to know I'm not alone!! :)
There are studies underway
There are studies underway that suggest that healthcare workers may be acting to transmit MRSA infections to both pets and otherwise healthy humans. I've actually heard of a number of MRSA infected pets whose owners are healthcare workers.
I think I agree
We nurses at the hospital have often commented about how we most likely are hosting it ourselves. I would also suggest that families of MRSA infected people and pets are also carrying it. Also, as in my case other pets in the same household are at risk. My cat and dog were infected (both ears in each pet) a week apart. Health care workers must use gown/mask.gloves so a lot of our risk is related to infection control practises. There are more infections that are antibiotic resistant now, not just MRSA. Some doctors still reach for the prescription pad for a little cold/sore throat, even flu symptoms. They are the culprits in all of this.
Bella Moss Foundation
Just want to repeat that this organization offers tons of info and personal support to those who have infected pets, all based on a wonderful dog named Bella who passed away as a result of MRSA.