title: Temporal study of staphylococcal species on healthy dogs.
abstract: During a 1-year period, specimens were obtained monthly from 5 hair coat and 7 mucous membrane sites of 11 healthy dogs. Among 804 isolates of staphylococci, 13 species were identified. Staphylococcus intermedius was the most frequently isolated (40.2% of total isolates) coagulase-positive species, and S xylosus was the most frequently isolated (17.3%) coagulase-negative species. Moreover, S intermedius was the most frequently isolated species from the 12 sites evaluated and was isolated persistently from 8 of the 9 dogs that completed the 1-year study. On the basis of a commercial identification system, 14 profile numbers were identified for isolates of S intermedius. However, 2 profile numbers accounted for a majority (70.9%) of the isolates. Specific S intermedius biotypes identified on the basis of hemolysis, coagulase production, beta-lactamase activity, and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns were found repeatedly in 3 dogs. Seemingly, S intermedius was a resident of the normal bacterial microflora of these dogs; however, the inability to isolate S intermedius from 1 dog during the study year indicated that not all dogs harbor S intermedius as a resident microorganism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Microbiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge 70803.
authors.forename: H U
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Hoskins
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Foil
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Turnwald
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Roy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000382:microbiology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification