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Bacterial infection in dogs
Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections of dogs
Resistant Staph infection in Bull Mastiff
Bacteria developing immunity to antibiotics
Mixed bacterial infection and Cushing's
Rusty color around eyes and mouth of Dalmatian
Nocardia organisms
Escherichia coli (E. coli)
E.coli and death of a pet
Leptospirosis (zoonotic)
Pasteurella multocida
Beta Hemolytic Strep
also see Cushing's
also see Infectious Disease
also see Reproduction
also see Urinary problems
Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections of dogs
Veterinarians have been lucky over the last decade or so in not having to deal with methicillin resistant staphylocccus aureus (MRSA) infections very often. It is likely that this situation will change over the next few years as MRSA infections are being reported more commonly in pets. In most cases these infections are thought to be contracted by the pet due to association with an infected human but it also appears that pets can be a reservoir for the infection in households and much more rarely a source of infection for previously uninfected humans.
There are two forms of MRSA that are recognized in people, community acquired MRSA and hospital acquired MRSA. In general, hospital acquired MRSA is much worse and can lead to organ failure and death fairly rapidly, despite treatment, in some patients. So far, the pet cases that have been reported appear to be the community acquired form of MRSA.
Cats infected with MRSA may have difficult to treat abscesses or lymph node swelling not explained by other diagnoses. Dogs have more of a tendency to have inapparent infections affecting the nasal passages but can have severe abscesses or other signs of an infectious process.
At the present time the main thing to remember about MRSA and pets is that they are usually infected by a family member who has the disease but that it may be difficult to clear it from the household without treating pets who are infected. So if you or someone you have close contact with is diagnosed with MRSA and it is hard to eliminate, you may want to be sure that a pet is not harboring the Staph bacteria and keeping the infection going in the household. It is also important to keep in mind that most Staph infections in dogs and cats are caused by Staphococcus intermedius, so just the word "staph" should not set off alarm bells immediately.
Dr Mike Richards, DVM
9/02/2006
Resistant Staph infection in Bull Mastiff
Question: Dr. Richards--
Any advice on how to treat a stubborn staph infection on a dog's head? A friend's young bullmastiff has had problems for wks that 3 rounds of ax haven't been able to clear up. She is looking into diet changes.
Thanks.
ShannaAnswer: Shanna-
It is helpful to try to obtain a culture of the bacteria causing the problem. If this is successful then it is possible to test that culture against various antibiotics to see which ones work best to kill the particular bacteria involved. There are scattered reports of methicillin resistant staph infections in dogs (these are the really resistant infections sometimes seen in humans) and if this is the case it can be quite difficult to treat the infection and it may be best if the dog is treated by a board certified dermatologist.
Sometimes really resistant infections turn out not to be bacterial in origin. It is important to rule out Demodectic mange (if it hasn't been), ringworm (not likely but worth eliminating in really resistant cases). Skin biopsy can be helpful in ruling out other problems like fungal infections other than ringworm, pitysporum infections, mycobacterium infections, skin cancers, immune mediated diseases and other uncommon causes of skin disease.
We just got done treating a patient for a really persistent skin infection which took two years of continuous antibiotic use to resolve. This dog had secondary Psuedomonas infection on top of a staph infection and it was just a really difficult infection to resolve. We did biopsies twice thinking that something else had to be going on but apparently not as she did finally get over this infection last month. Sometimes you just have to be really persistent to get these kinds of problems under control.
Mike Richards, DVM
8/5/2005
Bacteria developing immunity to antibiotics
Question: Would you classify the possibility of a dog becoming
immune to an antibiotic as being low, moderate or high,
if the same drug (Cephalexin) is administered on a
fairly routine basis -- for chronic dermatitis? Most
underlying (possible) disorders have been ruled out for
the cause of the superficial rashes, but my question is relative
to immunity factors, not causes for the skin problem. FYI:
Dose (for a giant breed dog): 2000 mg. daily, BID. Are there
tests available to determine if dog have developed antibodies
for certain drugs?
Answer: This is probably a minor point, but the dog doesn't become immune to the antibiotic, the bacteria that reside on the dog become resistant to the antibiotic. The probability of this is low for cephalexin, for
most of the organisms that it is used for. The only way to test for resistance that I know of is to grow
the bacteria on a culture plate and then do sensitivity testing, in which antibiotics are applied to the
culture plate to see which antibiotics inhibit bacterial growth or kill the bacteria.There may be dogs that actually develop antibodies against some antibiotics but I am not aware of
this problem occurring.
Mike Richards, DVM
1/3/2001
Mixed bacterial infection and Cushing's
Question: Thanks, Dr. Richards.
My lab had an ultrasound of her bladder on Monday -- everything looked
normal so they do not think she has stones or a tumor. Also her kidney
blood chemistries came back normal as well -- I'm guessing this means she
doesn't have a kidney infection, especially since the bleeding has stopped
and she's not running a fever. She is retaining urine; I have been manually
expressing it several times a day and giving her bethanechol as well. The
specialists (neurologist and orthopedist) do think there is a neurologic
cause for this, but not disc disease or spinal tumors, since the X-rays came
back normal.However, she does seem to be getting weaker, and she is still losing hair
(appetite is great, though!). Since she has been on thyroid hormone for
over 3 months now, I'm guessing that the lack of improvement suggests she is
not hypothyroid -- but I guess we need to retest to be sure. Her urinalyses
and blood work consistently rule out diabetes, so I think at this point
Cushing's is a good bet.So it's time to test for Cushing's. Quick question, I hope -- will Anipryl
interfere with any of the tests for Cushing's (ACTH, LDDS or HDDS)? She has
been on it for about 5 weeks now, 30 mg./day.Also, another question -- the day we collected urine samples for the last
culture -- the one that turned up the staph infection, we also sent a sample
to a pathologist to look for evidence of epithelial cells that would suggest
TCC (there were none). The pathologist's report stated that he saw numerous
"rod-shaped bacteria". Doesn't this suggest that there is something other
than staph present -- I did some research so I know staphylococcus (the
official diagnosis on the culture)is round or ovoid-shaped. Are E.coli or
Pseudomonas rod-shaped? Or are we dealing with something new?BTW -- I read somewhere that typical adult dogs (not older ones) sleep 13
hours a day. Mine however, sleep much more (close to 18 hours/day).Thanks. Carol
Answer: Carol-
Staphylococcus bacteria are coccoid (sort of spherical) and both E. coli
and Pseudomonas are both rod shaped. So it is very likely that this is a
mixed bacterial infection, which is not unusual.Selegiline (Anipryl Rx) usually does not change the blood test results in
dogs with Cushing's disease for a long time, if ever, even when it really
seems to be working -- which is one of the reasons that some
endocrinologists and veterinarians don't think that it works. So I don't
think it will interfere with the testing.Mike Richards, DVM
9/19/2000
Rusty color under eyes and around mouth in Dalmatian
Question: Dr. Mike,
My 8 1/2 year old Dalmatian "Mugs" recently started to "rust". His eyes
are weepy and rusty under the eye area as well as around his mouth. Of
course every where he licks becomes rusty from his saliva. He hasn't
experienced any environmental changes which might have triggered an
allergic reaction. Earlier this summer he was treated with antibiotic
drops for an eye infection. His eyes were very mattery at the time of
treatment but not "rusty".
He has never experienced this type of rusty condition. I'd like to know
if parasites or mites of some type could be the cause. He is otherwise
in healthy condition. He does take daily doses of soloxine for his
thyroid condition. Please reply with any info you may have.Thank you, Kathleen
Answer: Kathleen-
The bronze or rust color in the tears and around the mouth are due to
bacteria breaking down porphyrins, which are part of the heme molecule that
carries the iron in the blood stream. This can happen in tears or in
saliva. For this reason, tetracyclines will often help to control the
staining. This is probably not the best use of an antibiotic, though.When there is discoloration around the mouth, it is important to look for
dental problems, for infections in the folds around the mouth and for
disorders that cause generalized itchiness and lead to secondary bacterial
infections. Allergies are very common in dalmatians. Most commonly these
are inhaled allergies (atopy) but dalmatians also get food allergies and
they seem to be more prone to this than many breeds.For discoloration around the eyes, it is best to look for changes in the
anatomy of the eyelids that sometimes occur with age and allow tear flow
over the eyelids, disorders that irritate the eyes, such as glaucoma,
allergies and uveitis and to also check for tear deficiency which can
actually cause periods of increased tearing early in the disorder. Since
allergies appear on both of these lists, they have to be strongly
considered. I do not know how common allergies are in Alaska, though.Sometimes, resistance to bacterial infection drops with hypothyroidism. If
it has been awhile since thyroxine levels have been checked, to be sure
they are in the normal range with the supplement, it might be a good idea
to check on those levels.Hope this helps some.
Mike Richards, DVM
10/18/2000
Question: Mike
-What do you know of Nocardia? It seems reasonably prevalent in the Midwest
Bird dog world, although that's no more than a vague impression. The 1998
Brittany National Champion, who is also a dual, just contracted it. I had
planned to breed to him on Bonnie's next cycle in January.
BobAnswer: Bob-
There are three species of Nocardia organisms that can cause disease in
dogs but as far as I know, the organisms can all cause any of the forms of
the disease and respond to similar treatment. Nocardiosis is acquired by
contamination of a wound with the organism, by inhaling it from the soil or
by eating dirt contaminated with the organism. It is most common in the
South and Southwest, although it can occur in other areas. Due to the
relationship with inhaling or ingesting contaminated soil it may be more
common in hunting dogs.When nocardiosis occurs as a contaminated wound, the usual history is a
wound that has been unresponsive to antibiotics and has resulted in a
draining tract or a non-healing ulcer of the skin. Nocardiosis can also
occur as a severe infection of the chest cavity (pyothorax). This usually
results in the product of pus that can be aspirated from the chest and
examined. It is supposed to look like cream of tomato soup. There are also
some dogs in which the infection is spread throughout the body
(disseminated nocardiosis), which causes respiratory signs, fevers, weigh
loss, neurological disease and exudates from the nose or eyes. This makes it
look a lot like distemper virus infection or a generalized fungal infection
such as coccidioidomycosis.It is possible to culture the bacteria or to identify it in smears from the
wound or of the pus in the chest. Sometimes it is necessary to use special
stains (acid-fast) in order to see Nocardia organisms in tissue samples.This can be a really hard infection to control. When pyothorax is present,
it may be necessary to surgically implant a drainage tube into the chest,
requiring hospitalization and monitoring. If there are internal abscesses
they may have to be opened and drained through surgical exploration.
Antibiotics are usually given for a month beyond the time any clinical
signs of the disease are present. Sulfa and sulfa/trimethoprim antibiotics
are the most commonly successful but using antibiotics based on culture and
sensitivity results is probably best.I do not think that nocardiosis is considered to be contagious from dog to
dog.This is a serious illness and not all dogs recover from it, even with
appropriate and intensive care. I have not read of effects on reproductive
capability but it seem logical that there may be some if a dog has the
disseminated form or high fevers from the other forms of nocardiosis.Mike Richards, DVM
9/23/2000
Question: Dr. Mike
I have a 9 year old Lhaso Apsa named Duffy. My vet has told me that he has
E-coli as well as bladder stones (crystals). Duffy was previously on Primor
antibiotics for 7 days but his urine shows that the inflamation is still
present. He is now on orbifloxacin for the next 7 days. After that, the vet
plans to put him on 14 more days of another type of antibiotic. He said
Duffy needs to stay on antibiotics until the crystals either shrink naturally
(he is on u/d Hill's Diet) or the stones in the bladder will have to be
removed surgically. He also wants to run a test for cushing since the blood
work has come back with a problem on one of the test cells (for liver).After reading your web site I am still confused as to what causes E.coli and
is this contagious to other animals in our house? We have three dogs. Can
they catch E.coli from Duffy (either thru drinking out of the same water or
some other way)?How long should a person wait to see if the stones will shrink or go away on
their own before the decision is make to remove surgically? I am anxious to
do everything to help the E.coli go away.Also, do you know of a web site for canine nutrition or any books that
address feeding dogs with heart and kidney problems? My Missy (who is in
heart failure and also has kidney problems) is a very fussy eater who prefers
people food. She is a 7 lb toy poodle....and I am getting very frustrated
trying to find food that she will eat and at the same time will be good for
her.Thanks for all your help. Your web site is the best!
Sharon
Answer: Sharon-
To answer your questions in reverse order, there is a web site at which you
may obtain individualized nutritional advice (for a fee) for pets with
special dietary needs. The site is run by a Dr. Remillard, who is a
veterinary nutritional specialist. The site is www.petdiets.comBladder infections most commonly involve bacteria that are already normal
residents on (or in) the dog or cat. The most common infectious agent is
Escherichia coli (E. coli) which is present in almost half of urinary
tract infections in dogs and cats. This bacteria is a normal inhabitant of
the gastrointestinal tract but it does not belong in the urinary tract. It
is very good at invading the urinary tract if given any opportunity at all,
though. So any fecal contamination of the vulva or prepuce can lead to an
infection. Due to anatomy, this is more common in females than in males
(infection occurs more often).It is very hard to clear up a bacterial infection when there are persistent
crystals or stones in the bladder, since these serve as a place for
bacteria to hide, as well as irritating the bladder and urethra, making it
easier for the bacteria to invade tissues.There are no hard and fast guidelines for how long dietary control of
stones should be attempted prior to giving up. The answer partly depends on
whether the type of stone is known with reasonable certainty. I usually
give up after about 3 weeks in dogs in which we have never recovered or
removed a stone and had it analyzed. If we have had stone analysis from a
previous problem and the stones were struvite, the only ones that can be
dissolved well through dietary means, then I would be willing to try
longer, perhaps six to eight weeks. Another factor is the amount of pain
the patient is experiencing. I think that surgical removal of stones is
the appropriate treatment when the patient is in a great deal of discomfort
and it is not alleviated very rapidly through dietary treatment. Often,
when dietary control is working, the patient will be much more comfortable
within 3 to 5 days. If we do not see an increase in comfort rapidly, we
usually advise an earlier surgery.Hope this helps.
Mike Richards, DVM
7/28/2000
E. coli and death of a petQuestion: Dr. Mike - I appreciate your quick response to my E-mail and I do feel
somewhat better about the events of that entire week and the end result. I
am considering looking into a pet grieving support group as I am having such
a hard time coming to terms with the loss of Buster. I could accept his
passing easier if I hadn't had to make the decision to put him to sleep.
There will always be that nagging feeling that I did it too soon and maybe
his treatment was mismanaged. At the end, his back hind quarters had begun
to quiver as well as his gum area. Is this indicative of anything?I do have a couple of questions regarding E-coli. Does E-coli not respond to
anti-biotics or just not to the anti-biotics that Buster received? Also, am
I clear that you believe that there could have been an underlying problem in
the intestines which precipitated the out of control growth of E-coli? Since
Buster never ran a fever, is E-coli not considered an infection? We live on
40 acres and have cows. Buster spent 95% of his time in the house and never
allowed out of the fenced yard unless accompanied by myself or my husband. He
loved to sneak some bites of cow dung. Do you think this is how he got it?
How long does it take for E-coli to grow and become severe? Buster was out
in the field about 2 weeks before he got sick. It was a nice day and we were
on the 4-wheeler and the dogs were following along. They got hot and swam in
the creek for a bit and drank the water. Could this have been the culprit?Also, I didn't mention that the Clinic kept mentioning torsion and ileus.
What is your opinion of these two conditions? Where can I find the article
in the AVMA concerning E-coli? Again, I thank you for your time and
your patience in trying to help me better understand what happened to Buster.
Kelley
Answer: Kelley-
It is very common for pet owners to have lingering questions after the
death of a pet, and especially after having to make the difficult decision
to allow euthanasia. It would be a really good idea to find people who you
can talk with who are going through the same emotional process. Pet loss
support groups are a good way to find this kind of help. I have had the
same feelings about pets when I have made the decision to euthanize, even
though I deal with this issue very frequently. It is much harder to put
emotions aside when it comes to your own friends and family.E. coli is a normal inhabitant of the digestive tract of pets, or at least
it is found frequently when it does not appear to be the cause of any
problem. However, certain strains of E. coli do consistently cause problems
and other strains can cause problems when the conditions are right. Cattle
sometimes carry the strains of E. coli that are more dangerous and they do
sometimes shed these organisms in their feces. So they would be a possible
source of an E. coli infection. However, E. coli infections are pretty
common in dogs and most of them don't have a source of cow chips, so there
are obviously other transmission methods, as well.When E. coli is pathogenic (a disease causing strain) there is a strong
tendency for it to be resistant to most antibiotics. Usually the
fluoroquinolones (Baytril Rx, Dicural Rx, others) are a good choice, as are
trimethoprim-sulfas and amoxicillin-clavulinic acid combinations. An
antibiotic sensitivity test may indicate that other antibiotics should
work, too.It is important to remember that antibiotics need help in order to kill
bacteria. It is very difficult for antibiotics to kill infectious agents
without the proper conditions being present in the body for the antibiotic
to get to the area of the infection and without the help of the patient's
immune system.Bacterial infections sometimes occur in situations in which the body is not
functioning well enough to aid in its own defense. In the intestine, a
torsion (twisting) of the intestine can compromise the blood supply to an
area of the intestine. When this happens, the bacteria that are present
have the upper hand. Without blood flow, antibodies can't get to the site
easily. White blood cells have to travel farther after leaving the blood
system to make it to an inflamed or infected area. This can also happen
with blood clots affecting small vessels in the intestine and when there is
inflammation severe enough to cause local swelling, which decreases blood
flow. In some situations the nutrition of the tissues is affected enough
that they can't repair themselves adequately and the situation worsens
because there is tissue death in addition to the original problem. Ileus is
stoppage of the normal intestinal contractions and it is an indication that
the intestines are not faring well. It can occur in almost any severe
intestinal problem. When conditions cause eating to stop or decrease,
there may be a lack of important nutrients for cell repair, as well. These
things all add up to make it harder for an antibiotic to work.To me, this situation is a little bit like fighting a battle with bullet
proof glass between the armies. The temptation when the usual bullet won't
penetrate the glass is to get a bigger bullet -- or in this case a
"stronger" antibiotic. But perhaps a better approach would be to remove the
glass ---- to figure out what is inhibiting healing and make it possible
for the body to heal, rather than to rely on a super antibiotic. The
problem with this approach in a situation like you experienced is that it
is really expensive to try to provide intravenous nutritional support and
to find and identify all the possible underlying causes that might lead to
a secondary E. coli infection. If this type of care always worked, despite
expense, I think that more veterinary hospitals would offer it. But even
with really aggressive nutritional support and with early exploratory
surgery, biopsy, culture and sensitivity and other lab testing, a fair
number of patients die in human medicine, so it is reasonable to assume
vets would have similar success rates. This problem, in combination with
the great expense of stocking and using intravenous feeding materials and
the equipment to allow it, keeps total parenteral nutrition (intravenous
feeding to meet all the body's needs) impractical for most veterinary
hospitals.I found the a summary of the article I referenced on the PubMed web site
(there is a link from our link page). If you use the search term "E.
coli" canine I think you will find it. The parentheses around the E. coli
are necessary.E. coli can be passed from one animal to another through the water (that is
how the outbreak that killed some people at a county fair last year
occurred). I am not at all sure that is what happened in Buster's case but
it is a possibility.If I didn't answer your questions fully, or clearly, please feel free to
write again.Mike Richards, DVM
4/18/2000
Question: I don't understand what Leptospirosis is so this article is not clear for me. Can you
tell me what it is?Fort Dodge Animal Health has updated its Duramune line of vaccines to
include the serovars (types) of leptospirosis that have been incriminated
in most of the recent outbreaks. If you live in an area in which
leptospirosis is a concern (the latest outbreaks were on Long Island and in
California), it would be worthwhile to ask your vet if vaccination with
these new vaccines would be prudent. These vaccines are manufactured using
"sub-unit" technology that should help reduce reactions to the vaccines,
which has previously been a problem with leptospirosis vaccinations. The
two serovars added to the vaccine are grippotyphosa and pomona.
Answer: Your question is a good one. In one of the older issues of the VetInfo Digest, available in the
subscriber area (October 1998), this article explains leptospirosis:Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis is a hot topic at dog shows and other competitions now. There has been an epidemic of
leptospirosis in Long Island, NY now for a couple of years. It seems like there is an upward trend in
the number of diagnosed cases across the country, although that isn’t certain since no one really keeps
statistics on the number of cases of diseases in dogs and cats. This has occurred concurrently with
recognition among veterinarians that leptospirosis is the portion of the combined canine vaccines that
is most likely to cause reactions. So many vets are not vaccinating for this disease. That sounds pretty
bad but the new cases of leptospirosis being reported are from Leptospirosis species that the vaccines do not protect against. At present there is no vaccine for the two strains causing most of the current problems, L.
grippotyhosa and L. pomona. A third type (serovar) of Leptospira, L. bratislava is reported to be on
the rise as well.Leptospirosis is a water-borne bacteria. It is spread most commonly by contamination of water
sources by infected urine of wildlife and domestic animals. It can live in the environment long enough
to spread effectively. Leptospirosis is most commonly associated with kidney disease but some of the strains of the organism can cause liver damage, induce bleeding disorders, cause neurologic signs or uveitis (eye inflammation).Leptospirosis is difficult to diagnose with certainty because the organism doesn’t grow well in cultures.
Serum titers are useful in making a diagnosis but it often takes paired samples to demonstrate a rise in
titer. In the meantime, it is important to treat for the organism to try to limit the damage that it does.
Leptospirosis organisms are susceptible to penicillins, which should be used for at least two weeks if
infection is suspected. It is also important to treat for any damage that is occurring to organs and to
control any developing bleeding disorders. Kidney damage and bleeding disorders often require very
aggressive treatment in order to achieve a successful outcome so this is a situation in which long-term
hospitalization may be appropriate and necessary.Leptospirosis is especially scary because the bacteria can infect humans. It is important to observe
good rules of hygiene, such as hand washing after handling the pet and even wearing latex or vinyl
gloves when cleaning up urine or other body fluids. Pets suspected of having this illness should be
quarantined from contact with other pets or any household members incapable of maintaining good
hygienic practices.People who own pets that congregate in spots such as parks, dog shows, sporting competitions and
other events should be careful about exposing their pets to places where water may be contaminated
with urine or where there may be enough urine contamination to pose a risk. This can be very difficult
to manage. It would be nice if there were an effective vaccine for the current crop of leptospirosis
infections but there is not. If the older strains of this disease begin to reappear as vaccinations are no
longer given it may be necessary to reconsider the risk/benefit ratio of those vaccines as well.It is very likely that one of the vaccine manufacturers is working on a new leptospirosis vaccination but
I have no way of knowing whether that is the case. It would be worthwhile to check with your vet
occasionally to see if there is a vaccination available if your pet fits the "high risk" profile of a dog or
cat that is exposed to potentially contaminated water sources or is frequently in contact with large
numbers of pets from all over the country.All in all, leptospirosis is still pretty rare. It is still a good idea to consider it whenever kidney disease
occurs in a young to middle aged pet or when uveitis (ocular inflammation) occurs for no known
reason.The new vaccines do protect against the two strains causing most of the recently recognized cases of
leptospirosis.Leptospirosis should also be considered when signs of liver disease are present. Due to the
water-borne nature of this bacteria, it is especially important to remember it as a cause of problems
after flooding or extraordinarily heavy rains.Hope this clears things up a little.
Mike Richards, DVM
3/2/2000
Q: Could you please let me know what causes this type of vaginal bacterial
infection? Can it be contracted during breeding? If so, what are the symptoms, if any?
What is the treatment of choice?
Thank you
A: Dear "D"
Pasteurella multocida, a bacteria, is a normal inhabitant of the
reproductive tract of both male and female dogs, based on studies done by
Drs. Bjurstrom and Linde-Forsberg of the Swedish University. On the other
hand, some veterinarians do believe that pasteurellosis can cause problems
with fertility. If this seems to be the case, the Swedish doctors also
studied the effect of antibiotic therapy on bacterial flora and were able
to demonstrate that a single dose of antibiotics to which the bacteria are
susceptible will usually result in nearly complete clearance of the
"infection". In another study of chronic vaginitis reported by Dr. Johnson
in the Vet Clinics of North America it is important to rule out urinary
tract infections and anatomical problems of the vagina or reproductive
tract because these problems often enable the chronic infection noted. To
sum up, a culture of the reproductive tract that shows Pasteurella sp.
bacteria in an otherwise normal dog should probably be ignored. If signs of
reproductive tract infection, such as vaginal discharge, are present, it is
important to look for urinary tract infections and anatomical abnormalities
in the reproductive tract before attempting treatment for the pasteurellosis.Hope this helps.
Mike Richards, DVM
Question:Please could you help with some information ? My friends dog has got Beta Haemolytic Strep Canis... Can you tell me what this is ? How serious is it ? What can be done to cure it ? How would it effect mating with this dog? Thank-you
Answer: Strep canis is probably short for Streptococcus canis which would be a gram positive bacteria. Beta hemolytic streptoccal infections are resistant to penicillin in most cases but are responsive to other antibiotics such as cephalosporins or chloramphenicol in many instances. Bacterial sensitivity testing can be done to determine an appropriate antibiotic. From memory, I think that some dogs with streptococcal infections have been shown to have larger litters if they are treated with an appropriate antibiotic at the time of mating. There is some confusion over whether or not strep species bacteria are just a normal part of the vaginal flora or whether they are pathogenic. If this was found on a routine culture, with no clinical signs of disease, it is particularly tough to decide whether it is important. There have been reports that this bacteria can cause abortions, infertility and that it can infect the male if a female is infected. There is not much question that it is found when there are no visible problems and no history of reproductive problems in some bitches. That makes it really hard to tell you how serious the problem is -- or even if there is a problem when this bacteria is cultured. One way of being cautious and still breeding the female is artificial insemination. Sorry I can't be more definitive.
Mike Richards, DVM
Last edited 02/26/07
