Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How newborn puppies get Staphylococcus intermedius bacteria on their
By Saijonmaa-Koulumies, Leena E & Lloyd, David H·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2002·Royal Veterinary College, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Colonization of neonatal puppies by Staphylococcus intermedius.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 18 newborn Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppies were found to be colonized by a bacteria called Staphylococcus intermedius shortly after birth. This bacteria was commonly found in their noses, mouths, and on their skin. The amount of bacteria in the puppies' bodies changed over the first few weeks, initially increasing and then decreasing. This suggests that the bacteria can establish itself quickly in puppies born in a home environment, and the mother dog's bacteria levels may affect how much the puppies are colonized.
People also search for: puppy skin bacteria · Cavalier King Charles Spaniel health · Staphylococcus intermedius in dogs
Abstract
Cutaneous and mucosal carriage of Staphylococcus intermedius was determined in five Cavalier King Charles spaniel bitches, living in normal domestic environment, and their 18 puppies during the immediate prepartum period and after whelping, over a total of 8 weeks, using quantitative swab techniques. Within 8 h of birth S. intermedius was isolated from each puppy. The nose and mouth were the most frequently colonized mucosal sites (83 and 78%, respectively). At that time S. intermedius was isolated from the abdominal skin in 78% of the puppies. One day postpartum the mucosal populations increased significantly (P < 0.001) but fell 6 (P < 0.01) and 20 (P < 0.001) days later. Populations from abdominal skin reduced during the first and fourth weeks postpartum (P < 0.05 for both). This study indicates that in the domestic environment S. intermedius establishes itself soon after birth. The level of colonization by S. intermedius in the bitches seems to influence the colonization by pathogenic staphylococci in puppies.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12074701/