Question

My dog has a staph infection. How did she get it and can I catch it from her?

Answer

Unfortunately, staph infections of the skin are very common in dogs. It is the most common bacteria present on the skin of dogs. Often the bacteria are present without any clinical signs, such as lesions.

Usually, there is something that triggers the infection so that the bacteria settles into the pores. Fertilizer, grass seed, pollens or other allergens can act as the trigger, leading to a staph infection. Allergy symptoms may include itchy ears, feet and abdomens. When the skin is inflamed due to allergies, it is more likely to get infected by bacteria such as staph.

Your veterinarian will prescribe an antibiotic to treat the infection and will try to determine the primary cause of the infection, such as an allergy, so that they can treat the allergy, thereby decreasing the risk of infection in the future.

Because the staph infection is usually secondary to the allergy, it is not contagious to people.