My 4 month old puppy has a staph infection. What should I do?

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!

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It does look like Max has a skin infection. Washing him was a good idea but he likely needs oral antibiotics to cure it. Puppies commonly get skin infections on their belly because they have a weak immune system. I would take him to the vet to get medications started. Good luck and kisses to Max!

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

I would recommend waiting until Monday before starting any antibiotics so your vet can see what it looks like and start appropriate treatment. In the mean time, you can keep the area clean and place an e-collar on Luna if she's trying to chew at the area. If she's severely distressed, I would recommend an emergency clinic visit to get started on treatment sooner.

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!