Puppy has staph infection and lost hair. Is this common for puppies?

I would agree that it appears their is an infection on the skin, but I could not say for sure if this is a Staph infection. These are somewhat common to the skin, but without a culture of the affected region we are truly just taking a best guess. If the condition seemed to resolve and is now coming back, the course of antibiotics that was utilized may have been successful but too short. Recommencing the antibiotics should be discussed with the veterinarian. I would also see about getting her on medication for the itchiness, as well as fitting her with a collar to prevent any self-mutilation. Another possibility is that we are simply dealing with a superficial puppy pyoderma. This is a fancy way of saying simply puppy skin irritation. Many times these can be annoying but will eventually resolve on their own as the dog gets older. Since you are seeing erupting lesions, I tend to lean more towards a true, treatable infectious process. Lastly, I would definitely stop using hydrogen peroxide. Although it may have antiseptic properties, this can actually delay healing in some cases. If you want to scrub the area, I would use something like dilute betadine or chlorhexidine solution. Hope this helps!

Staph infections on dogs skin are a different type of bacteria compared the staph we get. It is possible to be contagious but very rare and mostly in immunocompromised such as though going through chemo. I think you are safe to still go get the puppy as it will be fixed within a week

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Staph infections are typically treated with a course of two of antibiotics. Malassezia which is a yeast is typically treated with antifungal medications, but in low amounts can be successfully treated with liquid antifungal ear cleaning solution prescribed by your veterinarian. If Emma is loosing hair, you may want to revisit with your veterinarian to determine if the hair loss is due to staph or yeast infections you mentioned. Sometimes these infections can cause itching and scratching near the site of infection which can lead to hair loss. I wouldn't expect shedding or molting to occur this early on- around 6 month to a year you may expect her first molting. I hope this helps!

If she has a staph infection than I am assuming your vet prescribed an oral antibiotic and/or other medications to help treat. You should follow the directions provided by your vet. If you haven't taken her to a vet than you should schedule an appointment so treatment can be started. She probably needs an oral antibiotic and possibly some topical medications to treat the infection.

I'm sorry to hear Abe is having skin issues. I would be concerned by the progression of his skin that he may have something more going on in addition to the bacterial infection, such as allergies, a skin parasites (mites or fleas) or a fungal infection. I would recommend he be re-evaluated to determine if something more is going on and additional treatment is needed. Good luck!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Remy. This looks like a bacterial skin infection, often called staph pyoderma/bacterial dermatitis. I would advise taking Remy to your veterinarian and let them gather a history and perform an examination. Based on their findings, they will probably advise treating this infection. This may involve a medicated shampoo, oral antibiotics, anti-itch medicines, etc. Good luck with Remy. This type of skin infection is NOT contagious to other dogs or people.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Thanks for the pictures. It appears as though Sparky may have a bacterial skin infection, or puppy pyoderma. A lot of times puppy pyoderma resolves on it's own. If it gets worse than this I would recommend taking Sparky to the Vet to be evaluated and prescribed oral antibiotics. You can try a medicated shampoo: bath every 2-3 days and allow the lather to sit on the affected skin for 10 mins before rinsing. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=27306 I hope this helps and I wish Sparky the best!