Chlorhexidene and Topical Treatment of MRSA

The so-called "super bug" bacteria, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), is a growing problem in the medical profession where common contact can spread the antibiotic-resistant infection from doctor to patient. But are dogs and cats also capable of carrying and spreading this bacteria?

Staphylococcal bacteria are commonly found on human skin and in the nasal passages, but less so in animals. Nonetheless, last year the federal Centers for Disease Control started looking to determine if dogs and cats are a potential carrier of MRSA bacteria and if there is a disease-transfer connection.

MRSA has become prominent in the news because it is resistant to many antibiotics. Common antibiotics like oxacillin, penicillin, and amoxicillin don't work against MRSA. This drives physicians to use stronger, more expensive, or second- and third-choice medicines that may be less effective or have more side effects. Here is a link to a recent article on MRSA in the NY Times.

MRSA bacteria often lives on the skin of healthy people causing little more than an occasional boil or pimple or no symptoms at all. It becomes dangerous when the bacteria enters the body via a skin injury or irritation. Introduced into the body, MRSA can cause life-threatening problems, such as bloodstream infections, surgical site infections, or pneumonia.

According to Center for Disease Control data, the proportion of infections that are antimicrobial resistant has been growing. In 1974, MRSA infections accounted for two percent of the total number of staphylococcal infections; in 1995 it was 22 percent; in 2004 it was some 63 percent.

Dogs aren’t normally carriers of these bacteria and if they have normal skin they can be exposed to the bacteria and not be affected. Therefore, contact with MRSA alone doesn’t result in infection in dogs. However irritated, allergy sensitive skin can be an entry point for this bacteria. Dogs can also be asymptomatic carriers of MRSA.

As with human bacteria, bacteria on pets may be growing resistant to antibiotics. Modern veterinary medicine routinely uses modern pharmaceuticals to treat animals. Early data indicates that there is a growing problem in the veterinary world. MRSA should be considered in post-surgical wound infections, recurring skin infections, recurring urinary tract infections, implant/catheter infections as well as other recurring conditions. Methicillin-resistant staphylococcal infections have been found among horses, and outbreaks have occurred in equine hospitals.

Topical treatment of MRSA is recommended as it won’t lead to additional antibiotic resistance. Topicals can successfully treat an infection when antibiotics are no longer effective. chlorhexidene can be used as a topical. DermaPet’s newest products, TrizCHLOR 4 Shampoo & Spray, contain 4% chlorhexidene AND tris-EDTA. Research indicates that combining these two makes a super effective product amplifying the positive effects of both.