Canine Skin Disease | Skin Infections in Dogs
Staphylococcus intermedius is the most common cause of pyoderma in dogs and cats. Deep pyoderma can be induced by any organism, including the gram-negative types. Most skin infections in dogs and cats, including open wounds and abscesses are infected with a mixed population of bacteria; the aerobic and anaerobic flora from the mouth are often involved.
Recommended empirical antibiotic choices for routine cases of pyoderma and skin diseases in dogs and cats are often treated with cephalosporins and amoxicillin-clavulanate. Other penicillins, such as oxacillin and cloxacillin, also can be used. Potentiated sulfas can be used to treat dogs and cats with superficial pyoderma but should be avoided if long-term treatment is needed because bacterial resistance occurs quickly.
Cutaneous and soft tissue infections that do not respond to those antibiotics may be caused by gram-negative bacteria, L-form bacteria. Quinolones are the antibiotic class of choice for the treatment of gram-negative infections.
Dogs and cats that fail to respond to empirical antibiotic treatment should undergo further diagnostic testing or should be treated with antibiotics known to have an effect against the less common pathogens. If not previously done, microscopic examination of tissue or pustule aspirates should be performed for the presence of Sporothrix organisms and bacteria morphologically similar to Mycobacterium spp. After surgical preparation of the skin, deep tissues should be obtained for aerobic, anaerobic Mycoplasma, fungal, and atypical Mycobacterium spp. culture.
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