MRSA Treatment for Canines

MRSA treatment for dogs involves alternative classes of antibiotics.

MRSA is an acronym for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, a bacterial infection that is highly resistant to many broad-spectrum antibiotics. While MRSA has been a concern for humans for decades, it has emerged in veterinary medicine as well.

Normal Antibiotic Function

Beta lactum antibiotics such as methicillin contain the four-tier beta lactum ring structure in the nucleus that is composed of three carbon atoms and a single nitrogen atom. According to the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University, these drugs neutralize the four penicillin-binding, protein-based enzymes found in the cellular membrane of staphylococci to render the bacterial cell wall vulnerable to invasion.

Method of Resistance

The mecA gene present in staphylococcus aureus cells blocks the action of the ring structure in beta lactum antibiotics. This means the antibiotic cannot target the protein enzymes of bacteria cell membranes to gain entry.

Vycomycin

This alternative antibiotic is frequently considered for MRSA treatment in canines. It belongs to a class of medicines known as glycopeptide antibiotics because it contains glycosylated cyclic peptides that bind to amino acids in bacterial cells to disrupt growth.

Linezolid

Also known by the trade name Zyvox, this drug is bacteriostatic, meaning that it blocks cell replication and the release of toxins.

Daptomycin

Marketed under the trade name Cubicin, this antibiotic initiates a variety of biological actions on membranes to promote cell death.

References

• Iowa State University: Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
• VetInfo: Is Zyvox a Cure for MRSA-Positive Dogs?
• Pfizer: ZYVOX (linezolid) Label Information
• University of California Department of Clinical Pharmacy: Daptomycin