Is a puppy with staph infection safe to bring home with young kids?

So cute! That is a common bacteria on the skin and sometimes it can cause a skin infection which can be treated with an antibiotic. The best thing would be to have your vet take a look at him after you get him to make sure he doesn't need additional treatment.

Most dogs with staph infections are not considered contagious unless they are infected with MRSA or have a staph infection due to an infectious condition (like ringworm). I recommend to call your veterinarian and clarify is Rotor at risk for a contagious form. I hope this helps.

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!

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.

Hello, my name is Dr. Elizabeth and I am happy to help. I hate to hear D was sick but it sounds like he is improving, which is great. And congrats on the new puppy, how exciting! I think your concern is warranted as you don't want the new puppy to get sick. In general, pets are considered not contagious if they haven't been coughing for a week. Or once they start antibiotics, generally they will not be contagious (assuming they respond well as expected) within a week into therapy. These are generalized assumptions but keep in mind, every pet is different. Personally, I would want the antibiotic on board for 10 days AND no coughing for 10 days before I would bring home a puppy. I would also clean the house really well including washing all dogs beds/blankets, vacuuming and mopping to decrease bacteria and viruses in the environment. If possible, have the breeder go ahead and give the Bordetella vaccine (ideally a week or longer ) before the new puppy is due to arrive at your house. I hope this helps and please feel free to reach out any time!

It's impossible to say for sure by just looking at the photo. It appears to be a bacterial infection which would not be contagious to your children. However, there is a possibility that it is ringworm- which is a fungal infection and contagious to everyone. Your vet can look at it and distinguish which it is and what medication needs to be used.

Poor Nakita! It does sound like he probably has a staph infection causing the sores and bumps. This is definitely something that will need a vet visit, but fortunately I wouldn't expect it to be an expensive visit at all. After the exam, your vet will likely prescribe an antibiotic and an oral steroid like prednisone to treat the infection along with the redness and inflammation. He/she may also recommend starting Nakita on a good quality flea control medication like Nexgard or Bravecto if he isn't already on one, since fleas are the most common cause of skin irritation and infections in this particular area of the body. Veterinary costs vary quite a bit depending on where you live - but to give you a general idea, in my area the total cost for the exam and medications would be $70-90 at most clinics. You can also ask for written prescriptions for your medications if you wish, to have them filled inexpensively at a human pharmacy - in that case, your only cost at the vet clinic would be the exam fee. And yes, I think your pup is quite safe - this is a common skin problem in dogs, and usually very easy to treat with prescription medication. He shouldn't be in any danger at all :)