Canine superficial bacterial pyoderma: evaluation of skin surface sampling methods and antimicrobial susceptibility of causal Staphylococcus isolates

Objective To evaluate three easily performed methods of skin surface sampling for bacterial culture of Staphylococcus isolates obtained from dogs with superficial bacterial pyoderma (SBP) presenting to two veterinary teaching hospitals in Sydney, Australia, and to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of isolates. Design Prospective study of 27 dogs with SBP. Cytologically confirmed SBP lesions were sampled for bacterial culture using a dry cotton swab, a saline‐moistened cotton swab and a skin surface scraping. Isolates were identified by standard discriminatory phenotypic and biochemical analyses, and confirmed using matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionisation time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF MS). Susceptibilities to 14 antimicrobials were determined by disk diffusion and by detection of the mecA gene using PCR. Sampling methods were compared according to bacterial yield, antibiograms and bacterial phenotypic analysis. Location of causative bacteria was evaluated via 8‐mm punch skin biopsies using haematoxylin and eosin, Gram–Twort and Giemsa staining, and fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH). Results Staphylococcus sp. were isolated from lesions in all dogs, either S. pseudintermedius (24 dogs) or S. schleiferi (3 dogs). Susceptibility was highest to cephalexin (96%) and amoxycillin clavulanate (96%). Methicillin resistance assessed by mecA real‐time PCR and phenotypic oxacillin resistance was found in one dog (4.3%). Routine histology and FISH revealed bacteria within superficial stratum corneum. Conclusion Staphylococcal isolates from canine SBP demonstrated high susceptibility to common empirical antimicrobials. Histological techniques confirmed presence of bacteria at superficial sites, likely to be accessed by the sampling techniques. The three techniques afforded similar results and may be equally suitable for obtaining samples for culture.