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Some veterinarians are documenting more and more cases of drug-resistant staph infections in dogs and cats, but say there is no reason for alarm among pet owners if they follow measures of simple hygiene.

There are more then 500 different things that can cause your dog to be itchy. If your dog is scratching all the time it is important to find out what is causing the itch.

Popular Dog Anti Itch and Skin Care Products
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My sister-in-law, a vet in Florida is treating an increasing number of animals with skin eruptions infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus - MRSA. The cases seem to have increased in recent months.

She hasn't had a case in a cat yet but I am sure it's just a matter of time.

Treatment can prove so difficult in some instances that pets have to be hospitalized, occasionally for weeks, and infused with intravenous antibiotics, which carry side effects.

This is what is called reverse zoonosis, the organism is moving from people to animals. Once animals colonize it the medical community doesn't know how long they maintain it.

Because MRSA is so widespread it has been cultured in a variety of animals, including pigs and horses.

If an owner transmits the bacteria to a pet through close contact, the microbes may colonize in the animal's nose, paving the way for MRSA to be passed again to people. A colonized animal may be a carrier yet remain in good health - and the same goes for humans

Now that MRSA is no longer an organism found only in hospitals, experts say it is likely that it will be seen more frequently in domestic animals.

Pets increasingly are being used as companions in nursing homes and hospices where the animals can become colonized with MRSA.

SOME PRECAUTIONS
Don't kiss your pet
Don't let your pet lick you in the face
Keep your pet clean and healthy

Labels: MRSA in Pets, Pet Hygiene