Staphylococcus, need nfo?

fathom

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Our new vet called and said Chip's mucus culture came back with: Staphylococcus. There is not much info on the web about it. Obviously it is a staph infection, a Super Bug. And I did read that it can, on rare occassions, be passed to humans. So we are to start him on Amoxicilian tomorrow. I can't beleive he has had this for over six months!!!

Does anyone have any info on this? Also, any info on FIP would be great, the doctor said he has that also, but we are getting a second opinion for that.

Thanks.
 

momofmany

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Sometimes the world is a small place. I'm currently being treated by an infectious disease specialist for a set of bacterias that went haywire in my thumb. 2 of the bacteria were strains of staph. The first question to my doctor: can I give these to my cats/dogs or could I have picked them up from them? His answer: no. And just fyi, there are multiple strains of staph and you would probably want to ask your vet which strain it is and find out if it one that can be transmitted back and forth to humans. My guess is the answer is no.

In humans, and I suspect pets, staph naturally occurs in the body and it can only get out of hand under certain circumstances such as an absess, or a moist culture medium. Staph can be easily controlled thru antibiotics and just because it is staph, doesn't make it a super bug. You might be thinking of a MRSA, which is a staph infection that doesn't respond to antibiotics.

There are no tests for FIP while a cat is alive. Vets can run tests where a cat will show a higher than normal titer count and many vets out of ignorance diagnose FIP from that test. A second opinion will not tell you one way or the other if your cat has FIP.

I'm curious - where was the mucus culture taken from? Did Chip have an abcess?
 

mews2much

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Coco had a Staphylococcus Infection and it was very hard to get rid of. It took 6 bottles of Antibiotics before it was gone. That is what her Bladder Infection was from in 2006. Fip can not be proved until after theCat has died. They thought Yoshi had it but I did not get a test after he died.
 
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fathom

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Hi ladies, thanks for the replies!

Momofmany, first, I am sorry to hear about your current battle. I hope that everything goes well and that you get better soon. Staph seems to be everywhere this year, at least it is not the MRSA kind.

I am not sure what kind of Staph he has, we will have to wait until we can talk to the vet on Tuesday. I am not sure where they got the culture, my H took him to the vet, I assume from his nose, he has a constant flow of snot. But I can understand your question since most Staph comes from cuts, but I am not sure if he has an abcess.

Hi Mews, thanks for the info, we start antibiodics tomorrow, he was on two different kinds back in Dec-Feb, but this will be a new one for him and will hopefully do the trick. I really hope that since we have come this far with his nose and general health that he does not have FIP. It would be bitter and sweet to get him better only to have him taken away in a few weeks/months. I do want what ever time he has on this earth to be pleasant and for him to be healthy.

I am sorry about Yosi, I was reading some posts on FIP and came across yours. I hope Coco is doing okay now.?.

Have a good weekend!
 

mews2much

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Thanks,
Yoshi was only 5 when he was Pts. My Coco has a Bladder Infection again and is on Cefa Drops. I sure hope your Cat dosent have Fip. My Coco is the one that gets terrible Colds. When she had the Staph Infection she had E Coli. Her tests were sent to Uc Davis.
 

dawnofsierra

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A couple of little thoughts to share...Staph is present on the skin of most people naturally. It normally doesn't become problematic unless it enters the skin through a cut or other wound. Staph is one of the most common causes of skin infections in the US, and even then, it is usually minor and easily treatable and, except in the old or immune compromised person, doesn't usually become life-threatening. You refer to Chip's infection being caused by a super bug. I wonder if you're thinking about MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) that has become such a big deal these days? This is a certain strain of Staph that is resistent to antibiotics known as beta-lactams. Beta-lactam antibiotics include methicillin and other more common antibiotics such as oxacillin, penicillin and amoxicillin. While 25% to 30% of the population is colonized with staph, only approximately 1% is colonized with MRSA. MRSA, occurs most frequently among people in hospitals and healthcare facilities (such as nursing homes and dialysis centers), although it seems that about 12% occur in the community at large.

Don't worry too much just yet, although staph can be stubborn, it's most likely that Chip's infection doesn't involve this resistent strain and will be easily treated. Just be sure to practice your usual sanitary routine by keeping your hands washed and any wounds covered.
 
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