Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most commonly isolated bacterium from skin lesions of dogs with post-grooming furunculosis (PGF). It is frequently found in human hair and skin care products and may pose a health risk to consumers. Information regarding the prevalence of P. aeruginosa contamination of dog grooming products is lacking.
Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of P. aeruginosa contamination in nonmedicated dog grooming products after either home or professional use in pet grooming salons, and to identify risk factors that may be associated with contamination.
Materials and methods: Of 117 bottles of grooming products sampled for bacterial culture, 97 were used by pet grooming salons and 20 were used by private individuals. The following suspected risk factors were recorded: bottle size, relative remaining volume, content dilution, expiration date and ingredient list.
Results: Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated from 14 of 117 samples [11.97 per cent, 95 per cent confidence interval (CI) 6.97-19.3 per cent]. Diluted products were contaminated significantly more often compared to undiluted products (odds ratio = 15.5, 95 per cent CI 2.05-117.23; P < 0.01). None of the other variables was significantly associated with P. aeruginosa contamination.
Conclusions and clinical relevance: Pseudomonas aeruginosa contamination of dog grooming shampoos and conditioners was significantly associated with product dilution. Contaminated grooming products may predispose dogs to severe bacterial skin infections such as PGF.
Elad Perry 1, Gila Abells Sutton 1, Lotem Haggag1, Marcelo Fleker 2, Shlomo Eduardo Blum2, Ronnie Kaufmann 1
Vet Dermatol. 2022 Aug;33(4):316-e73. doi: 10.1111/vde.13072.
1Veterinary Teaching Hospital, The Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
2Department of Bacteriology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture, Beit Dagan, Israel.