Staph infections

[Kristina]

Kara had one small staph infection on her tummy over the summer.  The vet gave me some spray and she was fine after a few days of the spray.

When my husband and I went to get married (we live in Beaufort and got married in my home state of Massachusetts), we had to kennel Kara.  I was nervous because I was leaving her and already felt super guilty.  I seriously cried when I dropped her off!  She literally held onto the door frame so the dog walker could not get her inside the building.

When we got home (about 10 days later), I picked her up about an hour after we got back to the house (after a very rainy, traffic jammed 24 hour drive).  I went home with her and fell asleep for most of the day.

That night, my husband and I noticed she was licking at her leg A LOT.  A lot of the hair was gone and there was a raised, white spot.  We thought it was a bug bite, put a little bit of neosporin on it, and went to sleep (again, LOL) for the night.

When I checked her leg out the next morning, the spot on her leg was a deep red.  I noticed that underneath the fur, where she had been licking was red.  And that her other legs had the same thing.  I called the vet.  It was a Sunday, so to even CALL him, the secretary said it would cost $150!  I went to the small pet store we have here and picked up an elizbethan collar (that was WAY too small, we had to tape cardboard all around it, lmao)

I made an appointment for her that monday.  It turns out she had a MAJOR staph infection on all four of her legs.  I mean major.   

Here are some pictures of it, they are gross.  So here's your warning if you have a weak stomach.  I'll post the links.

This was Sunday, before the vet.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/trivialhecate/100_1484.jpg

After the vet.  They shaved three of her legs.
Where the spot was
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/trivialhecate/100_1491.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/trivialhecate/100_1493.jpg

They sedated her to treat her because she would growl at my husband and I.  I'd brought her in with a muzzle because she was cranky and downright miserable.  Her eyes look so puffy
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/trivialhecate/100_1492.jpg

Front left
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/trivialhecate/100_1494.jpg

Both back legs
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/trivialhecate/100_1495.jpg

Back right
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/trivialhecate/100_1496.jpg


I'd taken all the pictures because I didn't know if was going to sue the kennel.  I LOVE her vet, he is nice, not afraid of her size and can get her to calm down a bit while she's getting her shots.  But I'm pretty sure it's a whole different set of people who are in charge of the kennels.  And even then, what would I have gotten?  $200 for her time in the kennel?  I just found it hard to believe that they said they brushed her everyday and didn't notice the spots.  She also had a cut on her snout, which I have no idea how she got.  The dog walker said she had her own room (I mean a ROOM because she was the biggest dog, she stayed in one of the vet's office's and slept on the couch).  So she couldn't have gotten cut on a cage or anything.

They didn't charge me anything for the visit, medication and sedation (which I'm assuming would have been a BIG bill).

The medication they put her on made her lose control of her bladder.  She already has intestinal problems.  When my friend got her from the animal shelter in California, they did a really crappy job spaying her.  She picked out her stitches (this GROSS, so don't read if you have a light stomach), her intestines fell out and she ate some of them.  But back to the bladder, every time I would let her out, she would come back into the house and pee.  That happened for the whole time she was on the medication (10 days).  And I couldn't leave her outside because I didn't want her laying down in the dirt and getting another infection.  Plus, I wanted to pamper her, LOL.  She'd been through a lot.


So needless to say, now I am overly paranoid about her getting another staph infection.  Her vet said that she could get them because of an ingrown hair, bug bite, anything.  And I didn't ask these questions at the time because I had so many things on my mind.


So is she going to be more prone to get staph infections because she's had them before?

Is there anything I could add to her diet to prevent them?  She does have a sensitive stomach.  The food we've had the most luck with is Purina One Senistive Systems.  Since she's been on it, she's had regular poops (lol) and not much diarrhea.

It took what seemed like forever for her wounds to heal and I would hate for her to have to go through that again.  I feel so guilty for leaving her.

And sorry for the novel!!

[LuvmyMal]

Tonka has had 2 staph infections they labeled them as Pyroderma. One was after she was spayed and it was around her private area and the other was after surgery in November to remove part of a scoccerball from her belly. Hers looked more like sausage and was very painful. They said that she had gotten the second one from a weak immune system and an allergic reaction to food. The first one we never knew what caused it. I tend to keep the AC3 spray from the Vets office at my house for both of my girls now and even if I see a raised bump I spray then go to the vet if it does not get better.

[Kristina]

I tend to keep the AC3 spray from the Vets office at my house for both of my girls now and even if I see a raised bump I spray then go to the vet if it does not get better.

I have a bottle with a little bit of spray left.  I spray whenever I see anything, too, LOL.

[Imani's Mom]

Staph infections are very very painful and can be brought on when under stress, with seemingly no cause.   I actually had one in my left elbow last spring, no idea what caused it, no cuts or injury of any kind.   One night my arm was a little sore, the next morning it was huge and red, hot and painful as anything.   In three days, even with seeing the doctor every single day and being on high dose very strong antibiotics, it was so bad I was in the hospital for emergency surgery and IV antibiotics and morphine for 5 days.  I feel for your poor baby having one in each leg!

[hairprincessnyu]

Your poor baby!!! I wish I had some advice. but I don't. I remember growing up, one of our dogs got a staph infection, and the vet told us to just make sure we rubbed her coat dry when she came out of the lake. She liked to go in the lake a lot, and our vet thought that might have caused it. I hope this can help somehow!