Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Rex had his amp on May 31 after a 5 month long battle. Broken femur, then MRSA infection, then renal failure as a side effect from the antibiotic to fiight the MRSA . That almost killed him. The infection left for awhile and we thought his leg could finally begin to heal. But it came back, so we did the amp. It healed beautifully and he did well for 3 weeks. Got to remove the e-collar. Then 3 days later, his incision site is inflamed and red and swollen. Next day, there is a hole and some blood drainage. It would then scab over and then another place along the suture line would open and drain. This went on for 2 weeks so the vet did a culture and now he has MRSP! Has anyone experienced this too? We are doing a chlorhexidine shampoo and Mupirocin cream. He broke a leg on Jan 9th and it is now July 12 and we are still fighting complications. Not to mention about $13,000 and still have a sick pet. This has been a most stressful experience with a pet ever and my heart bleeds for my baby. He is so good through all this and still the sweetest dog in the world.
I just wanted to see if anyone has had an experience with all this bacterial infection. I had never even heard of MRSP before.
thanks.
Oh Deebs, I'm so sorry you are going through this. I hadn't heard of MRSP, so I looked it up and found this article which is written for vets and says:
Looking for the source
If you have a clinical infection, look for the nidus of infection, Morley advises. Veterinarians should explore less traditional treatment options if antibiotic therapy fails. This could include chlorhexidine baths or other non-traditional, non-antimicrobial remedies. Suspect MRSP or MRSA in the face of clinical infection of a non-healing injury, particularly after antimicrobial therapy fails.
And if a patient is on antibiotics, clinicians need to understand the susceptibility of the bug you are fighting. "You need to achieve optimal concentrations at the target site. And removing any underlying factors for not clearing up the infection is a really, really important thing," Morley says. Antibiotic therapy should be based on culture and sensitivity.
Veterinarians need to be more than just passively aware of the potential for infection and treatment of infected patients when it occurs, Morley adds.
This other article about MRSP is geared toward pet parents.
What is your vet recommending for treatment? And what changes are they implementing in their clinic to make sure this doesn't happen to someone else? I would want to know this, so that I could trust that this vet will be thorough in helping to cure it.
Here is an article we wrote about MRSA and dogs, after one member, Bud, won a lengthy battle with MRSA :
"MRSA Prevention in Canine Amputee Patients" I'm sure his momma would be happy to talk to you about their experience.
Please see the Bella Moss Foundation Website for more help. Meanwhile, we'll be here for moral support. We hope he gets better quickly, this has got to be so tough to cope with.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I too had never heard of MSRP. Spencer did end up with MRSA after his amputation (on his other side, not at the amputation site) and Bud's owner had sooooo much information that was really, really helpful.
For Spencer they removed the infected area and a good sized margin around it - left a pretty interesting looking side since they had to take out a lot of skin and then pull it together. They also tested and found out what the right antibiotic was for him to be on. Between the antibiotics and the surgery, it got better. Though it did take about a month after the surgery for that.
Jac and Angel Spencer. Spencer was 5.25 years old. He fought a grade 3 fibrosarcoma, started on his shoulder. Left front leg amputated in August 2011. 15 weeks of chemo finished 12/22/11 (mytox and adria). Lung mets found on x-rays 12/28/11. Started carboplatin 1/6/12. Went to Heaven on 2/27/12. I miss him like crazy every day. See his blog here: http://spencer.tripawds.com/
Thank you all. Rex's sutures do look better. I am really so tired of him wearing the ecollar and I know he sure is. The chlorhexidine shampoo is helping as well as the ointment, it's just not totally well yet. We have two more weeks before we take him back to his regular vet, but in the meantime, I feel like I do need to tell the hospital that has treated him through this entire ordeal that he has contracted both of these bugs at their facility (they don't know about the MRSP - only the MRSA ). I hope it is not happening to others. The hospital has a good reputation in our city (Charlotte, NC), so I just don't understand why our dog has had all these problems.
I have read those articles (mentioned above) on the internet and have tried to find out all I can (there's not a lot) about MRSP. If anymore are found, please let me know.
thanks again!
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