Frequency of Isolation and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Patterns of Staphylococcus intermedius and Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates From Canine Skin and Ear Samples Over a 6-Year Period (1992–1997)

Abstract

Staphylococcus intermedius ( S. intermedius ) was isolated from 88.6% and 49.4% of skin and ear samples, respectively, during the years 1992 through 1997, and frequency of isolation remained unchanged. More than 95% of all S. intermedius isolates were susceptible to cephalothin and oxacillin, providing support for empirical treatment of canine skin and ear infections with cephalexin. Pseudomonas aeruginosa ( P. aeruginosa ) was isolated from 7.5% and 27.8% of skin and ear samples, respectively. The frequency of isolation from skin samples increased over the study period. Because of multidrug-resistant profiles for P. aeruginosa isolates, especially for ear isolates, empirical treatment of P. aeruginosa infections is not advisable.