I am at my wits end. Everytime I think we've gotten rid of a staph infection on my 14 YO cocker, it comes back. This has been going on for two years -- it started after she had surgery to remove a lump in her belly (not sure if that had anything to do with it).
As soon as I see a small spot, I use the medicated shampoo and she has been on antibiotics before too for it. (Most of the time, I can stop it with the shampoo.)
Is this just part of the old dog syndrome, or is there a cure to be had out there?

My lab had a staph infection this winter. I'm not sure if it started with a tick I had removed the previous week. He started losing clumps of hair along his back and each clump had blood in it. The vet put him on antibiotics and luckily it has not come back. I don't recall using a special shampoo. I thought antibiotics was the only way to go but perhaps someone else may have a different answer.

Hi there and sorry to hear your pupper is having staff issues. Katie, my chocolate cocker got her first staff infection about two months after her spay. It started on her incision line, just a few bumps. I was told she was probably allergic to the desoving sutures..so a round of antibiotics, special shampoo and salve and good to go..for a couple of weeks then it started all over again. Allergies was the diagnosis this time. To make a very long story short Katie, who is only three years old, is on antibiotics full time because it's the only way the bacteria caused from the allergies can be controlled other than having a staff antigen serum made. Here's some info I found...

http://www.vetinfo4dogs.com/ditch.html#Itching%20not%20...teroids%20-%20Westie

Thanks Buena, that's a lot of informative reading! I think (just from the little reading I've done) that the course of antibiotics hasn't been long enough. I'll be at the vet this week, I'll ask and see what they say.

My girl has allergies. One is that she is allergic to her own yeast. This has caused her to also suffer from staph infections.
The antibiotics that were prescribed were very expensive but did clear up the problem however it was short-lived.
She has other health issues as well and I didn't feel that continued treatment with antibiotics was beneficial for her overall health so opted to find another way to treat her.
What works for her now is something inexpensive and EASY.

DIAL ANTIBACTERIAL SOAP. (bar form).
Once a month I put her in the tub and get her stomach area wet (where the staph presents), I lather up the area with the Dial soap and let it sit while she eats a spoonful of peanut butter. Then rinse.

It keeps the staph at bay. Since I have been doing this there have been no more infections.

Of course this happened when there was no stpah present. Fighting it to get rid of it is only half the battle. With her I found that I need to concentrate on keeping it at bay verses trying to rid her of it once it has already started.

I received this info from one of the canine cancer groups that I belong to. So many cancer dogs suffer from this also.

No, it is not part of just being an old dog, and if it has been continuous or recurrent over two years, then there is an underlying issue that needs to be addressed. This could be allergies, could be a thyroid disorder.....could be many things. But it is time for you to either see a dermatologist, or see your own vet if that person can be more aggressive. You also need to make sure that whatever antibiotic or other treatment you are given gets used exactly as labelled, and not stopped early. Good luck!

Can you explain the thyroid/staph connection? My dog is being treated for a very low thyroid. I give her .4 mg soloxine 2Xs/day.

Thanks.

Here's a link to some general information:

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=461

Her thyroid level may need to be rechecked, or her past antibiotic therapy may need to be reviewed, or allergies considered.....it may be time to see a dermatologist!

Thanks for the site. That helped a great deal. Reebok has a vet appt. on Thursday, I am going to print out that article and take it with me. I guess my vet will be able to recommend a dermatologist.

bump

another thing to try is washing the dog's bedding. Use hot water and bleach if it won't damage the bedding. Dry in a hot dryer or dry outside in full sun. That will disinfect the bedding. So if the root of the problem is re-infection from the bedding this could help.

I broke a recurring UTI in a cat by dumping and bleaching her cat box daily. This was in addition to giving her the antibiotic the vet told me to give her.

Well, we're trying a new antibiotic given by injection. My vet says it ensures that that anitbiotic remains steady for 14 days -- no highs and lows that you get with dosing by pill. I'm willing to try anything -- we leave for vacation on the 25th and I'm boarding the puppers at a doggie "resort". I want to be sure the infection is knocked down before we leave. That's a good idea about washing the bedding -- I'll do that tonight!

Vet told me the antibiotic is fairly new, so he hasn't had enough experience to say whether it's good or bad -- but says in theory it should work. I have to call in next weeka and let him know how it's going.