Staph Skin Infections
Bacterial skin infections caused by staphylococci are quite common in bulldogs. Staph bacteria are normally found
on your dogs skin and even on yours. As long as the skin is healthy they don’t normally cause any problems. In
normal dogs the skin creates a barrier that keeps bacteria, yeast and pollen out. When the skin becomes irritated
for any reason, staph bacteria multiply and cause a problem. I have found a lot of staph skin infections are caused
by allergies.
Symptoms
Circular lesions that are bald in the middle and have crusty edges ( looks like a bull’s-eye or ringworm )
Hair loss or thinning of the hair especially along the back
Treatment
If the staph skin infection is not to severe the treatment is quite simple. A good old fashioned medicated bath !
You will need to bathe your dog 1 to 2 times a week for several weeks. Shampoo your dog and leave the shampoo
on for 5 to 10 minutes then rinse. There are several shampoo’s that are available that kill bacteria, yeast and fungus.
You can purchase them from your veterinarian or order them online. My favorite shampoo for a staph infection is
a shampoo that contains chlorhexidine gluconate. Another shampoo that works well is a shampoo called pyoben.
Since some staph skin infections are triggered by allergies, giving your dog a antihistamine such as Benadryl to
control their allergies and itching will also help control the skin infection.
If the staph skin infection is severe you will need to visit your veterinarian, so they can prescribe antibiotics. The
antibiotics will usually need to be given for 3 to 6 weeks to get the infection under control.
