MRSA Staph Infection in cats

Hello,
Around a month ago my 5yr old indoor Pillo had a swollen paw and two blisters on her left paw. Our vet gave her antibiotics and cleaning fluid and the blisters dried and fell off bet the swelling did not go. We took her back to the vet and were given another antibio course. The swelling still did not go away AND her other paw is now swollen and there is a blister 0.5mm diameter.
ITS NOT GOING AWAY
our vet tells us that it seems like an infection but he can't explain the cause.

I've posted on another forum and someone suggested a staph infection though I really hope it isn't.

She is a strictly indoor cat and she is eating fine and playing and pooping. However she had diahrea today.

Can someone please explain what a staph infection is like?
Any itching? Pain? How fast does it spread? Symptoms?
The reason I am so worried is that its not going away and we found a very light rash, and a reddish nipple. she hasnt lost any fur
I really hope she gets better soon

Thanks for the info guys!

Originally Posted by appleseed_1

Hello,
Around a month ago my 5yr old indoor Pillo had a swollen paw and two blisters on her left paw. Our vet gave her antibiotics and cleaning fluid and the blisters dried and fell off bet the swelling did not go. We took her back to the vet and were given another antibio course. The swelling still did not go away AND her other paw is now swollen and there is a blister 0.5mm diameter.
ITS NOT GOING AWAY
our vet tells us that it seems like an infection but he can't explain the cause.

I've posted on another forum and someone suggested a staph infection though I really hope it isn't.

She is a strictly indoor cat and she is eating fine and playing and pooping. However she had diahrea today.

Can someone please explain what a staph infection is like?
Any itching? Pain? How fast does it spread? Symptoms?
The reason I am so worried is that its not going away and we found a very light rash, and a reddish nipple. she hasnt lost any fur
I really hope she gets better soon

Thanks for the info guys!

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I can tell you that not all staph infections are MRSA . Has your cat been tested for MRSA? Have you and any household members been tested for MRSA? Do you work in the health care field or with any Elderly ppl? From my understanding your cat would have caught it ( if it is MRSA ) from a human who has it.

I'm a nurse , Ive worked with many ppl with MRSA . When doing so we have to use precautions to keep it from spreading. I would assume that if your cat has MRSA that you would need to do the same.

...From my understanding your cat would have caught it ( if it is MRSA ) from a human who has it....

Click to expand...

Actually, it's more likely MRSI....a variant of MRSA, but distinct.

A couple of months ago, I posted a thread on this. I just went looking and saw that there was only one reply in which the poster simply suggest that it was old news. My fault for not following up.

Well, it's such old news that in April 2008, it was the focus at the North American Veterinary Dermatology Forum, and is again on the agenda of the World Congress of Veterinary Dermatology to be held in November. It's so old that it is the latest hot topic in Continuing Education for Veterinarians.

I have three links to give you. It's easy reading, but expect to have to go back and take notes - share it with your Vet. There are two names of Veterinary Dermatologists and enough tracing and contact info for your Vet to persue. You'll also note the reference to the use of "medical honey" as well, and to the absolute need to do a culture to determine it's sensitivity.

Don't delay...and, you may very well have to push your Vet. If it were I who was faced with this, I would have expected my Vet to have done the research before I was forced to send up an SOS on the Internet! I think I would be re-evaluating my use of that Vet.

Links:
One
Two
Three

MRSI (like MRSA) can be dangerous, is quite often very painful, and responds to only a limited number of antibiotics. One of pet connection's writers has a dog who went through a tremendously lengthy treatment process before the infection was finally eliminated; reading about the ordeal will definitely make you wince.

I'd suggest taking your kitty back to the vet ASAP and getting her cultured for MRSI/MRSA. Most especially since she's walking on the sores.

Good luck, Appleseed_1!

Have they cultured it to find out what bacteria are present? My female with severe food allergies gets swollen paw pads on her back feet that become infected. She is seeing a dermatologist for this. She also gets hive like lumps in her ears, and bumps on her chin and gums.

My 3 yr old indoor only girl has MRSA Staph Infections, the doctor needs to test the infection because they are resistant to many antibiotics and the only way to know what will work is to test it.  We use an oral antibiotic and a ointment for 4 to 8 weeks on each outbreak. She has gone 6 months without it but that is the max time we have had between infections. The symptoms are swollen pads, they swell so much you can't get inbetween her toes or middle pad at first sign we see the doctor and start the medicine. You can also tell because she holds her paw up if it gets very swollen (hurts). We do not know what triggers it but it has not "healed". Other than the swelling she shows no signs of being sick.