Staph again help

[sandilayman]

Hi,

Please see history of what's going on, and provide any information or experiance you may have with this.

It all started with my new great dane puppy. She arrived with poor skin June 19th, little bumps, like a pimple with puss inside. I switched her, and my 4 year old boy (great dane) over to Chicken soup for the dog lovers soul (holistic) and the problem went away. Both dogs have beautiful shiny coats, and appear totally healthy. 8/12/08 I noticed both dogs had goopy eyes, by the 15th, the goop turned green, we went to the vet, seven days of cephalexin, by the second day the goop was gone. 9/4 eye goop starts again, green by 9/6 and back to the vet, same antibotic, but 14 days now, gone by second day again, and finish off the pills. 9/30 goop back again, off to the vet. Cultures sent in and came back as Staph. My vet called yesterday with results and we are testing to see what kind of antibiotics will work. The one so far that we know of, causes kidney damage and is about 1000.00 or so $$ per dog. After research I think this may be MRSA? Questions are dsoes any one know anything at all about this?
How does it spread? Is the resistance to antibotics the same for all dogs infected. Should my dogs stay away from other dogs? We have puppy class scheduled next week. While on antibotics when my dogs had no symtoms, could it be spread to the dogs they played with? How long after or during treatment should it not be able to spread to other dogs. Every thing I have read says there are sores, and skin problems with the MRSA strain, my dog only have the green eye gook. Please help, I am so worried... Thansk,

Sandi

[Helene4]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...28/petscol.DTL

There is a link in that text concerning dressings of medical-grade honey. It might help. Good luck!

[sandilayman]

Thank you so much for the reply, I did see the article on honey, my dogs have perfect coats, no sores, just the green eye goop, so I would not know where to put the honey. It sounds like it needs to go directly on a wound, and my dogs are not showing any signs other than the green eye stuff. Have you expreienced MRSA staph?

[Helene4]

No, I haven't experienced MRSA staph. My dogs and cats are healthy and I hope it stays that way! Maybe it would help to include Manuka honey in their food? I'm just guessing ... I hope you find the right thing to get rid of the problem soon.

[badger]

I bet if you made a wash of honey and distilled water, loaded up a small sponge or a rag and dripped it into their eyes at intervals, it wouldn't do any harm and might do some good.
A fairly scary article. You should ask the vet about contagion; even if they're showing no symptoms, he might advise you to avoid the socializing part of puppy classes.

[growler~GateKeeper]

I have no experience with this but would like to add my

I would be reluctant to take her to the puppy classes, in that article it mentions it can be transmitted to other animals living in the same house, with classes of course they don't have the same level of interaction but the potential for passing it on is there.

Also please do not have your puppy vaccinated until this is cleared up, alot of Vets will go ahead w/vaccinations during an illness when it states right on the vaccine "give only to healthy animals", to vaccinate during the time your puppy has the infection could cause an allergic-type reaction &/or worsen the staph condition.

Pitgrrl has been using Manuka honey w/her dogs for other health related issues with success.

[pitgrrl]

Originally Posted by growler

Pitgrrl has been using Manuka honey w/her dogs for other health related issues with

Good memory growler!

I have been using Manuka honey, but for GI issues, which, although internal, relies on the honey coating the gut, so I'm not sure how it would work for a generalized infection.

Here's a link to various articles on the uses of Manuka honey and here is another site discussing it's use for MRSA.