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Protect Your Pets from MRSA and Staff Infections

What is MRSA anyway?  It is a medical term from the particular strain of bacteria, which is Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus hence the name M R S A often now called one of the Super Bugs.  

As any form of bacteria spreads throughout human contact this particular bacteria can be spread to /or from your pet dog or cat and horse.  However, this staff infection MRSA has mutated to become resist to penicillin a super bug that kills 2,000 people a year of what is called community based MRSA.

MRSA can be spread from your dog’s nose to an open sore or wound as an entry point to the rest of the body through the skin. It starts with what appears as a pimple; caught early it can be treated successfully.  It actually appears on the skin surface and the MRSA bug shows itself as a skin eruption infected with the bacteria.  MRSA appears as an opened skin lesion where the skin is being broken, red, sore, infected sometimes with a green pus color.

This viral bacteria  is being spread amongst contact sports such as the football players at Mount Lebanon High School in Pennsylvania and parents are calling for a disinfecting of football fields, locker rooms, and increased hygiene for the players.The infected players kept their infections covered by bandages to prevent spreading the bacteria. Thirteen players on the team became infected and over four NFL teams have become infected with the point of entry being a cut or open wound where it gains access to the body.

One must be vigilant with all cuts, and open sores and disinfect them immediately to prevent the bacteria from spreading in pets.  The bacterium is now spread amongst people and to animals therefore your pet is at risk with contact with infected or carrier humans such as their owners often called reverse zoonosis.

The medical treatment of MRSA with humans is an antibiotic - there is only one known to be effective and it is the last resort for an infected human.  MRSA is spreading widely and is said to have been cultured in animals such as pigs and horses on farms. The MRSA bacteria can be harbored in your dog’s nose through close contact with an infected animal or human and can be passed on to other pets. 

The scientific terms are explained as the difference between a colonized animal that carries the bacteria and does not exhibit signs of the infection, and is a carrier who remains healthy. The same is actually true of humans who are carriers that remain healthy. This is a good example of the necessity of keeping a healthy immune system in your pet. A compromised immune system, which is affected by a poor diet and other factors, can be a help to these super bugs.MRSA is no longer contained to hospitals and it is said that it will increase and become more common in the animal population in the future.Some would argue that using antibiotics frequently wears down their effectiveness as in the case of MRSA - the super bugs of today are resistant to antibiotics. Some antibiotics such as gentamycin can damage kidneys and cause hearing loss.If you give the wrong antibiotic, you can wipe out the good bugs and allow the bad bugs to grow more rapidly.Preventing Your Dog from MRSA Bacteria:- Do not kiss your dog or cat especially on your lips or your dogs’ mouth or nose.- Avoid your pet licking your face or contact with your face.