Testimonials

Atlas joined our family in August 2013 as a foster dog. He is a senior German Shepherd Dog who was pulled off the Euthanasia List at our County Shelter. When he arrived at our home, he was about 30 lbs underweight and covered in weeping sores, matts and foxtails. We love taking on the difficult ones and nursing them back to health and this guy has taken us down a whole new path with an illness of which we had no experience: Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococci Pseudintermedius (MRSP), very similar to Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). During the first several months, we cleared most of the lesions on his body with medicated baths 3 times a week, antibiotics, premium food and supplements plus topical coconut oil. However, he had a stubborn draining tract between his hind toes and a lesion on his forearm. We worked closely with an integrative veterinarian, Dr Pamela Ford DVM, who focused a lot of attention on Chinese Herbs, natural supplements, glandulars and cold laser treatments. For a year, we tried different antibiotics that would *almost* clear the infections, then the stubborn areas would blow up again. Cultures repeatedly showed that the bacterial strain had become resistant to the previous antibiotic. It was becoming scary the more I researched and realized that this may never go away. MRSP is a very serious, and somewhat common, problem in pets. We eventually stopped antibiotics because the bacteria kept morphing. We focused all efforts on boosting the immune system and cleaning the infected areas twice a day, washing and doing topicals. We were in close contact with our vet to ensure the infection didn’t rage out of control without pharmaceuticals. Throughout, I was constantly chasing any new product or modality that I read about. Our vet consulted with colleagues and gathered samples at conferences, with Atlas in mind. We tried Homeopathy, Cold Laser, and every supplement that one could imagine. We found small animal MRSA/MRSP expert Dr. Scott Weese DVM, a Zoonotic Disease microbiologist with the University's Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses (Guelph, Canada), whom our vet consulted with, as well. We worked with a Homeopath out of Oregon. The Bella Moss Foundation also provided support, references and direction. During these trials and tribulations, the consistent thread was boosting his immune system, feeding an anti-inflammatory diet and providing anti-inflammatory supplements. I believe we will always need to do this, he is predisposed to reoccurrence. Finally, the breakthrough came when I was reading The Bark magazine about Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) helping a dog who had developed a MRSA infection post-surgery. I immediately searched for vets with chambers through http://www.hvmed.com and found an Integrative Veterinary Oncologist, Dr Betsy Hershey DVM, with a chamber. As luck would have it, we already knew her; she had treated two of our previous dogs for cancer. Atlas was her first MRSP case and she was confident that it would help; she guessed it would resolve with about ten treatments. I was cautiously hopeful, since his infection had proven so stubborn and our hopes had been dashed so many times before. We did twenty-two treatments and it did indeed clear the MRSP tract between his toes. The forearm lesion has been officially diagnosed as German Shepherd Dog Deep Pyoderma with no MRSP present. The HBOT did wonders to heal the forearm as well but we didn’t quite get it completely eradicated. The HBOT was beneficial for this senior boy in so many ways and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. In Atlas’ case, it cleared the MRSP tract, it improved his mobility, it improved his energy, and it eliminated his incontinence. Although we continue to battle the GSD Deep Pyoderma, I am hopeful that we will conquer it with another series of HBOT treatments. By clearing the MRSP infection, the worst is behind us. I have met many pet owners through Atlas’ journey and it's alarming how common-place resistant bacteria are becoming. My advice will always be to work closely with an integrative veterinarian (Holistic DVM) who will help you support your pets immune system in addition to selecting appropriate pharmaceuticals. And “culture-culture-culture," do not blindly throw antibiotics at infections or ailments without being certain that they are appropriate and needed. Don’t be hesitant to get second opinions and pull as many experts onto your team as needed. Most importantly, don’t give up hope and always advocate for your pet. Despite Atlas’ medical problems, this foster dog became a Foster Victory and we officially adopted him a few months after he came to us. Once one takes a journey like this with such a special dog, how could you let him move on?

I was truly devastated and lost hearing the diagnosis of MRSA. I thought my dog’s life was over. The MRSA was on my dog’s nose and diagnosed with a punch biopsy. The Vet told me, “ Just keep things clean & wash my hands” then sent me on my way. What!!!??? The support and information just wasn’t there! So as a trained medical assistant, I got on the internet. Finding the Bella Moss Foundation’s was a miracle. The Doctor’s, Clinicians’, Staff and Volunteer’s reached out with an abundance of advice and information! I was given ALL the tools to battle and conquer this ugly disease after 6 months. They also kept in touch, so I never felt alone! How amazing is it , that someone ½ way across the globe, helped my Alaska Sky and I!! I could NOT have done this battle without the Bella Moss Foundation! Please know, that I proudly share my story with other dog owner’s, family and friends. Recommending your Bella Moss Foundation to ANY and EVERYONE! A mere thank you, simply isn’t enough for saving my Alaska Sky and seeing a new day! With Deep Gratitude and Hugs!!

This is Jed the most sweet loving Rottweiler I ever had.. I got him from a family friend who could no longer keep him in 2011. He had epilepsy and suffered from cluster seizures. She was going to have to surrender him to animal control because of some unfortunate circumstances. I knew that if she did, odds were that they would have to put him down because there was too much liability with adopting out a dog with epilepsy. So I agreed to take him, he was so sweet I couldn't bare the thought of him being put down. Jed 1He was only 2 years old when he joined my family. About a year later I noticed Jed was walking strange so I took him to the vet and was told he had a torn ACL and would need surgery. I wasted no time and scheduled him for surgery. The surgery went well and so did his recovery. About 9 months after surgery I noticed Jed's knee was really swollen after taking him for a walk. Later that evening the skin burst open with oozing puss. I immediately called Jed's surgeon who assured me it was probably just irritated and to have my regular vet take a look. So I wasted no time again and took Jed to the vet where they confirmed the ACL repair failed and told me that Jed would need a second surgery to correct it. I immediately called the surgeon and scheduled the second ACL surgery. A day later the surgeon called me back and asked if before Jed's surgery if my regular vet would pull the fluid from Jed's knee and test it just to be safe. Back to the vet we went, the next day. A few days had gone by when I received a phone call telling me that Jed had a MRSA infection in his knee, which was likely from his ACL surgery and that he needed emergency surgery to remove the material used for the ACL repair and flush the knee. I was not going to take Jed back to the original surgeon so I opted for a specialty surgery center. They informed me of my options, I could amputate or just flush the knee and put Jed on antibiotics. They also warned me that the antibiotics are very had on the organs, specifically, the liver. I had read a lot about ACL tears and one of the things that I learned is if a dog has one ACL tear, there is a 50% chance that the will tear the other. With that in mind I was afraid to amputate so I opted for the flush and antibiotics. Again surgery went well and we took Jed home with a prescription of Rifampin. A few days later we went for a follow up with my regular vet to check on how things were going. When I talked to my vet, she asked if anyone had suggest Milk Thistle to help with Jed's liver, because he was already on Phenobarbitol & Gabapentin she was afraid that he might not survive the antibiotics. She gave me some literature on Milk Thistle and recommended a brand and strength. I immediately bought the Milk Thistle and added it to Jed's daily medicine regimine. A few days after taking the Rifampin Jed started having seizures because the Rifampin was interfering with his seizure medications. So we had to increase his dosage of the seizure medicines. The seizures stopped and all seemed well, until about 6 weeks later. We had been going to the vet to run blood work every other week to make sure Jed's liver was okay and this time the results were really bad. Jed's liver was shutting down and he was starting to have cluster seizures again. I admitted him to the animal hospital where they did everything they possibly could. On October 31st, 2013 I got the call that Jed had passed in the night. I was so heartbroken and angry at myself, I was so sad that he passed all alone in the hospital. Had I made the decision to amputate maybe Jed would still be alive? I don't know the answer to that but I do know that I will always wish I had made a different decision. Jed will forever be in my heart. He was always such a happy, loving goofy boy. Love you always my sweet boy!

Jasmine was a healthy 6 month old kitten and as responsible pet owners, we felt it was right to take her to the vets to be spayed. We had had two female cats previously and their operations had been routine, with very few noticeable effects. However, when I picked Jasmine up on the evening after the operation, I was surprised to find that although she had been shaved along her side, the actual incision had been made at the edge of this, on the hairline; she looked very sorry for herself, very lethargic, which I assumed was due to the on-going effect of the anaesthetic. I offered Jasmine water and a light meal at home, but she was not interested and slept limply on my lap, which was most unusual for her. When my husband saw the wound later that evening, he was concerned that some of Jasmine’s hair was caught up in the stitches; working within the pharmaceutical industry he has a good knowledge of aseptic procedures and knew something was not right. Following further enquiries at the vets, we found out that Jasmine’s operation had been carried out by a locum, although I had specifically asked who would be doing it and had been told it would be one of the experienced vets at the surgery. By lunchtime the next day, Jasmine had still not eaten and had not taken any water; I tried to offer drops on my fingers and in a dropper, but she just seemed unable to move herself enough to drink. I contacted the surgery and the receptionist suggested Jasmine might be in pain and I should pop her back for some more pain relief. The vet felt that Jasmine was probably just taking time to recover still and did not seem worried. I voiced my concerns that Jasmine had taken so little in the way of fluids and so the vet agreed to inject water under her skin to ensure she was not dehydrated, and asked that I bring her back in a few days to have the stitches checked. The vet said Jasmine had had a long term antibiotic following the operation and did not feel any other medication was necessary. Jasmine continued to be lethargic and unwilling to eat or drink, although I was less worried as she had been injected with the water. She lay on her bed hardly able to raise her head and for most of the time did not even open her eyes. I ensured she had a quiet place to rest and continued to nurse her, monitoring her wound, which was slightly weepy, but did not appear swollen or red. With no improvement, I returned to the surgery with Jasmine; the vet felt she should be kept in, but I was given a form to sign saying that no-one would be on site between 10pm (their last checking time) and 8 the next morning. I was not happy to leave Jasmine with no-one to care for her so took her home again, spending much of the night sitting with her, ensuring her wound, which was still weeping, was kept clean as I had been instructed. With no signs of improvement, I returned to the surgery in the morning when the vet said that the wound was showing signs of infection and some tissue was necrotic, so they would need to open Jasmine up again to clean the wound out from the inside. In less than a week, Jasmine underwent this second operation, the dead skin was removed, the site cleaned up and a drain inserted. Jasmine was kept in for observations as the vet had concerns about her being at home with the drain in. After a couple of days, the drain was removed and the wound was left open to heal; I took her home and had to ensure the wound was cleaned, which upset Jasmine a great deal. I found this difficult to do, not knowing whether I was being thorough enough or whether I was causing Jasmine more pain. Again, I spent the next few nights tending to her at regular intervals every few hours. The vet took a swab from the wound to be sent for analysis. Jasmine failed to make a good recovery; she continued to lay motionless with her eyes closed. Very occasionally, she would get up to pad on a sheepskin rug, which seemed to give her some comfort, and I would sit for hours with her on my lap ensuring she was warm and loved. Again, she was still not eating or drinking and I had to take her for a second injection of water. Although the swab results had not yet come back, the next vet I saw decided to give Jasmine Antirobe tablets, which I was to start straight away, although this was difficult as Jasmine was refusing food or water; however, the first evening, I managed to get her to have at least half a dose and the next day she managed a full dose. Finally, the results came back and I was horrified to hear that Jasmine had MRSA; I had no idea that pets could catch this and felt that as she was so poorly, she was unlikely to recover, although the vet said the prognosis was good. At this point, my husband and I searched the internet for more information and happened upon the Bella Moss Foundation (BMF). Although late in the evening, my husband phoned Jill (founder of the BMF) on the off-chance we might be able to get some more information. Jill answered immediately, despite the time of day and was both reassuring and positive. By amazing coincidence, Jill was hosting a conference the next day and was meeting with the UKs top MRSA experts. She arranged for one of the speakers to contact our vet directly to ensure he had all the information he needed to treat Jasmine and, as a further coincidence, this person was already an acquaintance of our vet. Everything seemed to be on Jasmine’s side at last. The next day, continuing with the Antirobe, it was amazing to see the recovery Jasmine began to make. She became more alert, moved around, wanted to eat and drink, and we were able to persuade her to take the rest of her tablets. Our vet professed his ignorance of MRSA, saying he always considered it was someone else’s problem. However, he was open to reading the information we passed to him from the BMF, and obviously had talked with the vet who was speaking at the conference. A few days later, we met with him to discuss what he had put in place since finding out that Jasmine had contracted MRSA. He had already arranged for new cleaners on the site, with an initial deep clean followed by updated procedures to ensure hygiene standards were appropriate, alongside further training for staff. Jill provided us with so much help at a time of desperation; I was tired and worn down nursing Jasmine night and day and trying to manage my job as a teacher, and felt that there was little hope for Jasmine when she was first diagnosed. However, Jill was in constant touch at a time when reassurance was much needed. Without Jill’s knowledge and her contacts, our vet may not have been assured that Antirobe was the correct medication for Jasmine and the outcome may have been very different. Today, Jasmine is a beautiful and lively young cat. She enjoys the comforts of home and goes outside only occasionally and preferably only when the sun is shining; she likes nothing better than snuggling up somewhere very warm, a favourite place being on top of our aquarium where the lighting provides her with ‘underfloor’ heating. However, because of all the pain she suffered, Jasmine has tended to shy away from cuddles and close contact, although gradually - very slowly - we are winning her trust back, especially when we have treats to offer her! Whilst we will never know where or how Jasmine contracted MRSA, we have stayed at the same vet’s surgery despite everything that happened. We are confident that our vet is now well aware of the risks of MRSA and knows what needs to be in place to minimise the risk of infection because of the intervention of the Bella Moss Foundation. I would urge that should your pet need an operation, you first read the information on the BMF website and ask your vet questions to find out who will be carrying out the operation, what awareness the surgery has regarding MRSA and what procedures are in place to ensure the risks of infection are minimised, eg wearing of gloves and mask, effective cleaning routines and regular site testing for microbiological contamination. Simply saying ‘Thank you’ to Jill will never seem enough; I am only sorry that Jill had to go through such an horrendous ordeal with her own beloved pet and received so little support, but am so thankful that she had the strength to move forward, determined to make a difference, which she has. We are very lucky to have a beautiful and healthy cat today because of Jill.

Loki got a resistant pseudomonas infection during surgery, which was worse than MRSP. He had a fever and was crying in pain. Bumps on his incision reappeared after the second infection was treated. I consulted the recommended Doctors that The Bella Moss Foundation provided. Lesson I learned here is that if your dog has skin issues or other health issues which could weaken the immune system, you're taking a gamble with any invasive surgery. I think metal plates ( TPLO) in the legs are really over kill for a dog Lokis age. I've been researching that surgery and it seems it's a newer surgery a lot of vets are pushing because it's a money maker. If I had gotten him the regular ACL surgery, it would have been much less invasive, much cheaper, less risky, and probably just as effective. So I guess that could be helpful to anyone trying to decide between TPLO and regular lateral suture repair/fishing wire technique for ACL surgery. I'd have definitely gone with the regular suture repair. I think the TPLO/metal plates might be good in a younger, very large dog that has absolutely no health/skin/immune issues. A young large healthy dog might be the only animal I see benefiting from this surgery.

This is a story about a little min-pin named Princess, her blessed owner Patty, and the friends they met along their journey, the Bella Moss foundation, which, without them, our story may have ended quite differently. Princess and I started our journey together back in September 2000. I rescued her from an animal shelter in Las Vegas along with her brother, Lucky, who lives with my granddaughter Jessica. She was 6 weeks old, and so our story began. Princess has had many issues, born with a heart mummer, endured bladder problems in 2005, a accident in 2008 which left permanent nerve damage in her right leg along with arthritis, was diagnosed with diabetes in September of 2011, and went blind in December 2011. She is quite the trooper, and has taken everything in stride with a can do attitude and the heart to carry on. The biggest challenge Princess and I have faced is MRSA. In January 2012 I discovered a few sores on her side and belly. I had taken her to the Vet for a routine check up a few weeks earlier. We were trying to get her diabetes under control, and had also discovered she had a bladder infection. After running a culture for her bladder infection, which took over a week, the Vet told me not to worry about the sores. She had looked at them under the micro-scope and found bacteria, nothing serious, and we were sent home with some antibiotics, and was told that they would take care of the bladder infection, and the bacteria. Nothing to worry about, and it was a remote chance it could be anything serious. The sores continued to get worse and spread. They were so severe now, on her genitals, anus, bottoms of her feet, and stomach and in her mouth. At one time I feared the bacteria had spread to her lungs as she had mucus in her nose, and was breathing deeply. She could barely walk, and any kind of bowel movement was so painful for her. She spent most of her time just lying around the house on her bed, and my heart was aching for her. After a few weeks on the antibiotics, it was pretty clear; she needed a biopsy and a culture. Something we should have done in the beginning, but thought, the sores would clear up. I was told that it was a remote chance that it could be something serious, but we could wait a few weeks until the antibiotics were finished and see. It was 3 weeks later before the biopsy was sent in for a culture. It came back positive for MRSA. I was fed up with not doing anything for her, so I started to do research on the web for MRSA. That’s when I found the Bella Moss foundation. I wrote to Jill, desperate for some answers, and couldn’t believe it when she called me the next day from London. I became familiar with her story about Bella, and their journey with MRSA and why she started the Foundation. She encouraged me to have my vet (now the 3rd one) to contact Dr. Weese the Bella Moss USA vet advisor. I called him immediately, and sent him the information. It was a week-end, so it took a few days for Dr. Fonts (my vet) and Dr. Weese (BMF advisor) to communicate. We started a daily bath routine for Princess with and put her on a different antibiotic for 6 weeks. I was told that it was an older antibiotic which was used mostly on cattle, and had been successful in treating MRSA. It was listed on the Culture as sensitive to her strain of MRSA. However, humans are also sensitive to it, and I had to wear gloves while handling it. I started communicating more with Jill, and she was so kind. She sent out an e-mail blast, and I received so many heartfelt e-mails from other owners, so many kind people trying to help us. They sent information, wrote personal letters, and just inquired about Princess. It was breaking my heart to see princess suffer so much, and still fighting to survive... She was so helpless and I worried about the other dogs or me catching the bacteria. From what I had read on the internet, MRSA is no joke. I prayed and talked to my vet and wondered when this night mare would ever end. We decided to do another biopsy to check for cancer, as the sores were so huge on her stomach. They results came back negative. I was not given much hope, and was told that MRSA was very hard to treat, and usually returned. Princess is diabetic, so the antibiotics were having a hard time reaching the areas on her skin where the infection was spreading. I spent many hours wondering if I should just let her go and get her out of her misery. I just didn’t know what to do. Through it all, Jill Moss and the wonderful members of the Bella Moss foundation, where there for us, writing, calling, trying to help. The baths, extra laundry, trying to kept our home disinfected, isolating her from the other dogs, educating myself, e-mails, pre-paring her food, medicating her sores, wearing gloves when I touch her, giving her medicine 2 to 3 times a day, scheduling her meals and insulin shots, guiding her, watching her struggle and bump into things (due to her blindness) and all the financial issues. But through it all Princess is fighting the battle. I couldn’t have made it through all this without my faith in Jesus, my friends, Dr. Fontes, Dr. Brandt, and the Bella Moss foundation and their friends. I believe God gave us animals to teach us about ourselves. How to love unconditionally, receive and give respect, kindness, kisses, joy, and acceptance. To me, animals are the true hero’s along our journey called LIFE. What would we do without them? Since writing this, Princess has passed away. We had to go on a trip for family, and a very good friend of ours was taking care of Princess. The day before we were to arrive home, Princess went into diabetic shock. When I picked her up from the vet, she was covered in brown clumpy sticky material. It had something to do with the sugar coming out of her body. Her eyes told me that she was tired and wanted to go home to the Rainbow Bridge. We took her home and I held her and cried for days. On May 19th 2012, in a candle lite room, with flowers from our yard, the smell of lavender, and soft music, we let her slip away from us and find the peace she so desired. We had her cremated and she is home with us now. It’s hard without her, but she is remembered with love and the understanding that we will be together again someday.

My Coton de Tulear, Emmy, was age 3 when she became very ill from repeated antibiotic treatments for alleged urinary tract infections (including MRSA). It was only after an emergency veterinary hospitalization for a reaction to a new antibiotic, that it was decided to perform a cystoscopy. The cystoscopy found NO urinary tract infection whatsoever. In fact, the emergency hospital vet indicated that there must have been a lab error since Emmy's procedure was performed under sterile technique and showed no infection with the sterile cystoscopy culture nor any visible urinary tract irritation/symptomology. After the vet hospital notified my regular veterinarian, I, too, contacted him to discuss the new findings and asked how his practice handled the urine samples which I provided in sterile containers. He informed that me that it was transferred to another container by a vet technician. Clearly, there was a breach with the transfer to another specimen container. (He did not state whether that container was sterile). After having been told that Emmy had MRSA from a lab report, which was subsequently proven to be in error, I was devastated that Emmy suffered needlessly from the numerous side effects of antibiotic treatments for a year, including the impact on her immune system. I urge all pet owners who have been told their pet has repeated UTIs to obtain a CYSTOSCOPY to verify this diagnosis. In addition, always inquire as to the protocol chain for the collection of urine samples utilized by their vet's facility. I was blessed that Emmy did not have MRSA, however, it took a long time for her immune system to recover from the effects of unnecessary, long term antibiotic therapy. I am so grateful to the Bella Moss Foundation for their advice and support.

Winner of the Most Amazing Pet Recovery Story Competition 2013 This is Roxy Rascal, a 12 year old rescue and former Pets as Therapy dog….. Not only has Roxy overcome adversity from a being neglected stray, she’s had two major surgeries to remove cancerous tumours. The first operation in February 2012 in her rear, right leg, required a skin flap to cover the defect left by the tumour removal, she had almost 20 stitches. Sadly, she developed another tumour in her front, left shoulder, this time the tumour was deeper. The second operation was in February this year. This time she had to have a skin graft due to the location, size and deepness of the tumour. She had around 80 staples and stitches and was in the Glasgow Vet School for almost a week on a drip as she wasn’t eating or drinking and was quite ill. I went to visit her during this time and she looked desolate. Unfortunately, part of the wound became necrotic and had to be cut away, dressed daily and treated with high strength anti-biotics. It took 5 weeks for the wound to fully healed. Amazingly, both times, tests proved that the cancer had not spread to anywhere else which was a huge relief. The wonderful vets, nurses and support staff at the GUVS looked after Roxy incredibly well and are amazed and how well she is doing and that she has beaten cancer not once, but twice. She is a very brave dog indeed. Thank you for reading Roxy’s story, I hope she is considered for the competition as she is an amazing dog and an inspiration to everyone she meets. Nicola and Roxy. Roxy was the first winner

Thanks to Bella Moss Foundation I'm feeling much better, I had a serious infection in my ear and bladder but my friends at the Bella Moss Foundation got their vets to talk to my vet and thank you so much -Hendricks

We have a very special and sweet golden retriever male dog named Bud. Bud is the only puppy that I have not rescued but picked out of a litter. Actually he was the one who picked us as we remember it! He came home with us at seven weeks old. He filled the emptiness in our home after we had lost a young golden to cancer. I often refer to him as “saint” Bud because he really is just the best. He is deeply loved by myself, husband and young children. He is an integral part of our family in every way. Bud had just turned 7 years of age when we took him to the veternarian due some sensitivity in his hip and a slight limp in his left hind leg. After looking at the X-rays it was discovered that he had hip dysplasia. The hip was almost out of the joint and it had chipped his pelvis. We live in a rural state so our local vet referred us to an orthopedic specialist surgeon in another state and larger city. Phone calls were made. X-rays and information were exchanged. A total hip replacement surgery was discussed. Almost a month later, Bud travelled 5 hours for his first clinical visit and possible surgery. Upon examination and digital X-rays, the orthopedic specialist surgeon felt that Bud would benefit from and be a good candidate for the total hip replacement. The surgery happened the next day and went wonderfully! A full recovery was expected. However, two days later when Bud was to be released from ICU, his femur shattered! He was rushed into emergency surgery. The new hip was removed and the femur wired back together. Bud spent four more days in ICU with 24 hour care. We were given pain, antibiotic and anti inflammatory medicines. We travelled the long drive home. The second week, Bud was to have his staples removed and a quick orthopedic exam here with our local vet. That week, he stopped using the hind leg. X-rays were taken and it showed that the femur had not shifted and everything was intact. We were given more pain medicine and asked to encourage Bud to use the leg more. The fifth week, Bud travelled to the surgeon again. He examined Bud and was happy with his progress and recovery. We were told to continue on the same path of pain medicine and short leash walks. The eleventh week, Bud travelled again. Upon examination, the surgeon was immediately concerned that Bud was not further along in his recovery and mobility. X-rays were taken and it was determined that Bud had another femur fracture further in the bone. It was decided that the bone could not be repaired and the hind left limb should be amputated. The amputation took hours longer than expected. We were informed by the surgeon that the leg was full of scar tissue and infection. The infection had caused the second fracture in the femur. The surgeon took a culture sample of the infection. Bud spent another two days in ICU and we returned home with our tripawd. It was difficult travel and then care for Bud in those first few days. I had to isolate him to limit activity, lift him, walk him with a sling and give his medicines every eight hours. Bud seemed to be happier and in less pain, well at least at first he did! The culture was grown for five days. We were notified by the orthopedic specialist surgeon that it had tested positive for drug resilient MRSA. The antibiotic most effective for treatment Baytril 136 was prescribed. Apparently , there were only four antibiotics that showed some resistance to the MRSA. We were given a three week dose and reassured that because the source of the infection, the femur was gone, this would be an effective treatment. I knew that MRSA can be fatal so I started looking for resources to refer too. I ended up contacting the Bella Moss foundation at http://www.bellamossfoundation.comThe site has a Q&A page with many topics including what MRSA is, how it is transmitted, how it is treated and etc. Bella was a beautiful “white ball of fluff” that died a very tragic death due to MRSA and the lack of information regarding the infection. The foundation does all kinds of wonderful work such as financing research and educating pet owners and medical professionals. I went to the support center and filled out a questionnaire. Jill Moss, the founder, personally contacted me right away. She sent articles she thought would be helpful, contact info for other people with MRSA dogs and forwarded my questions to a vet friend who specializes in MRSA. However sadly, I did find out that there is very little literature about MRSA bone infection in animals. Because of the MRSA, our local vet placed Bud on two more weeks of Baytril. The infection continued to spread within the first week. Bud lost a lot of hair. There was a blackening and browning of the skin, scabs and pus. The area went from the original spot next to hip, all of the way up to his spine and down to his tail. Luckily, Bud never did have a fever or show other signs of being ill. Buds’s infection became resistant to Baytril and our vet was really concerned. Months into Bud’s recovery, he fell and injured his remaining knee. I was afraid he had a tear in his ACL. After the initial exam, the vet thought so too. He explained to me that because of the MRSA, Bud would not be a candidate for surgery. He did not want to introduce hardware and bacteria into Bud. He was fearful that there may be a free floating MRSA cell that would attach itself to the hardware as before and this time the hardware could not be removed. Bud would have to live in a knee brace and on pain medicines. In my heart, I knew this was not an option for us. No more pain for Bud! Euthanasia was a possible solution for us. I cried and waited. We were blessed that day! Upon further examination and X-rays it was determined that there was only some stretching and swelling. Sadly, I have come to the conclusion that MRSA will always be a concern in Bud’s recovery and treatment. It is not just the three week ordeal that the place he acquired it from, said it would be. I decided to continue to fight bravely, finding comfort and joy in spending each day while hoping for each tomorrow! It is now 10 months since this journey began. Bud has returned to doing most all of the things he enjoys. He plays with his kids, chases balls, swims in the lake and enjoys being a dog. He is a bit more spoiled and somewhat pampered. The surgery and amputation sites have healed. The skin has healed. His fur has returned even though it is somewhat patchy. Presently there are no signs of infection, anywhere. Should I have not assumed we would be part of that successful 98 percent? Yes! Is there guilt? Yes! Are there things I would do differently if I could? Yes! Do I wish I would have been more knowledgeable and a better advocate for my pet? Yes! Was this experience hard and hurtful to all of us involved? Yes! However Bud is still on the journey! Now he hops down the path on three legs instead of limping on four.

Our 8 year oild cocker spaniel Jasper has never had anything wrong with him. However, this March he developed sore and broken skin inbetween his paw pads and became quite irrtiable with it. As his lymph glands were swollen and he became 'unwell' the vet decided to take skin swabs for testing. A week later the results showed he had MRSA. He was swiftly put on medication and we swiftly became hermits! The vet advised us of the risks of Japser being near young children, the elderly and the diabetic or anyone with a low immune system and if us as a family had an open skin wound to dress it and to never touch Jasper. Jasper and I became soulmates as I was the only one who could stroke and handle him. My 10 year old son could not have friends to play. When we went out we had to change our clothes. We lived in the MRSA house! After having a heart to heart with my vet about the situation he suggested I looked at the Bella Moss website. I got in touch with them and they instantly became my friend and felt like I was one of them as this illness is so rare in the UK dog world. After 6 weeks Jasper had 2 more tests that showed that the MRSA had gone. We reacted quickly to Jasper's paws and that saved the MRSA spreading to his internal organs. We will never know how he got it and we will never dwell on it but we will have the cleanest hands in the UK because of it! In some cases its manageable and beatable and hopefully in time to come be more acceptable in our society as an infection that needs addressing.. Thanks to the Beech House Vets who are up on the game.

My dog Kaylee was attacked by another dog, and contracted MRSA through her open wounds. Our vets were doing all they could, but the infection was too strong. I looked up information and the Bella Moss Foundation came up in the search. I contacted Jill Moss and she put our vet here in Las Vegas in touch with BMF clinical advisors in the USA Kaylee was on her death bed, and recommendations to put her down were being made. It was the constant communication with Bella Moss Foundation that gave Kaylee a chance at living. Kaylee went from being in isolation, hooked up to IV's, not being able to move with little chance of survival, to being at home, safe with her family. This is Kaylee's first week off of her medications, we will see if her body is strong enough to fight. Kaylee has never given up on us and thanks to our friends at the Bella Moss Foundation we found the resources to not give up. My family is forever grateful to BMF that Kaylee was blessed by their help and we all hold Bella (Jill’s beautiful Samoyed) forever close to our heart’s. Thank you for saving our best friend and family member Kaylee.

18 months ago my beautiful black Labrador Brooke became ill with a cough and a massive ear infection. The ear infection responded to treatment BUT the cough never cleared. My vets treated for months with different antibiotics and whilst we would sometimes see some improvement it never cleared. Their diagnosis was pseudomonas. She was becoming more ill with the months passing by. Life awful knew I had a sick dog and not being able to help her. I was starting to come to the conclusion I was going to lose her. Then one day I was ripping up the dog world newspaper for the fire and saw an article from months before on MRSA in dogs. I read this and was shocked at the similarities. That day I contacted Jill at the Bella Moss foundation and that is when I found some hope. That dark tunnel we had been in for months suddenly had light at the end of it and I knew that it was possible to save Brooke. Jill knew what the pain of living with a seriously ill dog was like. Jill offered me support and for my vet BMF veterinary advisors contacts. I was no longer alone in my fight to save Brooke's life. At this time I had lost faith in my vets, all of the vets had given up on Brooke and I knew that I alone could not save Brooke. Just one phone call and I had found someone who cared and could help! The next few weeks I tried to get my vets to look at the website and to read information, but they weren't interested. I tried to find a new vet but every time I mentioned pseudomonas they would say they “We will get back to you” but then refuse to take Brooke for fear on contamination. In the end I contacted my old vet in Devon to try to get help. With Jeremy and the help of vets in Bristol we treated Brooke for lung worm (something my vet had failed to even mention). Within hours Brooke was bringing up rivers of mucus off of her chest when she coughed and with each lot her breathing became easier and she became more her old self. In the meantime I had also had a consultation with Richard Allport and homeopathic remedies were prescribed and these helped and continue to do so. Brooke has never fully recovered from illness as she now has permanent lung damage and she will never be 100% fit. If it wasn't for Richard Allport and the Bella Moss Foundation, Brooke would have died in August 2010 when she got a massive chest infection. I so wish I had found Jill earlier. Brooke survived the last 18 months due to that phone call I made to the Foundation. From the devastating death of Jill's own dog Bella, she has gone on to save the lives of so many pets. Bella lives on in each and every one of them. Thank you Jill, from the bottom of my heart for all that you do.

My story is how the Bella Moss foundation really touched my life and saved my best friends life. I had come to the end of the road with my dog dusty. She has had a hole in the side of her leg for two years that has never stopped draining. First I was told it was an abscess and was drained, it came back. Then I was told it was cancer, it came back negative. Then I was informed it was scar tissue and was removed, still drained. Then I was informed it would stop draining and heal on its own if the skin on her side was completely removed, the skin healed but the draining persisted. Later I was told it was a bacterium that was killing her slowly and she would die in a couple of months, the culture came back with no bacterial growth. Everyone for two years now has told me to give up, put her to sleep, let it go, she will be fine, it’s just an animal, there’s no hope and everything else you can imagine. I couldn’t give up, the love I have for Dusty my dog is worth everything to me even though I sacrificed much emotionally. I had taken her to so many doctors for help including fifteen surgeries along the way. When I came across the Bella Moss website it truly caught my eye because I had found someone that expressed the same love and determination for her animal as me. I read her story and was so motivated to keep searching for the answer to my dog’s problem. I got in contact with Jill and my journey to saving Dusty’s life had begun. I was immediately comforted in knowing that there was still hope out there for Dusty. And not to give up just yet. Jill truly is a person that cares and knows what us animal lovers go through. She immediately put me in contact with vets from different parts of the world and helped me every step of the way. These vets were incredible and pointed me in the right direction for Dusty. After two years of an ongoing emotional rollercoaster I had found my stop. I was directed by expert vets which way to go and I took her to a vet in the United States that understood what was going on and fixed Dusty. This complicated problem turned out to be the simplest mistake. When Dusty was spayed two years ago she was left with undissolvable stitched in her stomach. All along her body has been trying to get rid of them by rejecting them out of her leg. Once they were removed along with lots of scar tissue inside, she was as good as new. I’m so thankful that I found the Bella Moss foundation and I know if Dusty could talk she would say the same. Jill and her foundation saved Dust’s life. Thank you Jill so much for all of your time and hard work. I know I speak for all the ones you have helped out there. You will never know how much you mean to Dusty and I.

I would like to say a Huge THANK YOU to the Bella Moss Foundation and especially Jill for her help with my cat Felix. The foundation is so helpful and pointed my vets in the right direction to diagnosing Felix's Condition and also treatment needed, without the Bella Moss Foundation I doubt that Felix would be here now. Felix is 2 years old and on New Years eve 2009 knocked a glass off of the side and cut his leg on a pieces of glass cutting his tendon and a major vein in his foot. He was rushed to an out of hours surgery for treatment where he needed an operation to mend the tendon and to stop the bleeding in his foot. This all went well and he was released the next day. Over the next couple of weeks Felix developed sores over his leg due to the bandages rubbing on his skin, these were really red and he was put onto anti biotics and the splint taken away but he was still bandaged. Felix had to go to the vets every couple of days to have the wounds washed and re dressed. After about 3 months of re dressing the wound the vets decided to take off the cast as his sores were getting worse and spreading on his leg. Once the bandages were taken off Felix would often bite his leg until it bled, this looked so itchy so we took him back on numerous occasions to get this checked. Felix was given numerous doses of anti biotics as his wounds would get infected and lots of steroids to try and stop the itching this became very regular having a steroid injection every 2 weeks as he was still biting and we needed to wash the wounds every day this went on for another 3 months at least being tested for ring worm, mites, and flees. It was then suggested that maybe his constant itching was due to stress. At this time Felix was very tired, not like his usual bouncy self and would hardly lift his head up to say hello during the day, he was eating very little, still on anti biotics and these would often make him sick. As all else had failed he was referred to another vet for Acupuncture in October 2009 to see if this would help. By this time his legs were really bad as the pictures show. It was at this time that the vet advised to take some biopsies to check whether he had an infection A day later he went in to have biopsies and 9 were taken from different areas around his leg. Within a couple of days the results were back, he had contracted MRSA from his open wound and this had spread into his leg. The vets were quite surprised as this was the first case that they have had at their surgery. Jill was a huge help to my vets in giving them contacts of experts and information. Felix was put on a course of Antriobe to conbat the infection which he was on for around 3 months. He still continued to Bite during this time when another swab was taken to check if the MRSA was gone from his system in February this year he was given the all clear for MRSA but he still has contracted a itchy skin condition from this which he will have for probably the rest of his life. I cannot fault my vets as they were not familiar with MRSA this was the last thing they thought it could be and they tried their hardest to find a solution. I would recommend that anyone with any doubt should speak to their vet and get their pet tested as soon as possible and contact the Bella Moss foundation for support. Jill is available to talk to at anytime of the day (not sure how she does this) and is a huge help liasing with your vet and giving them support and finding a solution. Many thanks and kind regards

Jahari contracted the canine MRSI from an overdose of an allergy shot. He was supposed to receive an increase of 1/10 of the allergy medicine and was instead injected with a 4/10 dose. Within twenty-four hours, he experienced a critical allergic reaction in December 2007, which ultimately morphed into MRSI in March of 2008. In January of 2008 he developed a raging staph infection in his ears, along with pseudomonas aeruginosa. The veterinarian who was responsible for the incorrect allergy medication dosage was not knowledgeable on how to help Jahari, causing the infection to rapidly spread to his skin. His state of health deteriorated so quickly, I feared for his life. Until this happened, Jahari was a year and a half old, 120 pounds, healthy, active, and had no past medical problems. By mid February of 2008, he was close to death. I read about the Bella Moss Foundation in the Whole Dog Journal. I was desperate to save Jahari’s life and called Jill in the UK, who responded within hours. Jill and I spoke frequently, three or four times a week, for the next several weeks. Although she was out of the country, she was the only one who seemed to know how to deal with MRSA. I was unable to find anyone in the United States to help me, so Jill proceeded to email me information and instructions on how to care for Jahari. She also provided me with direct telephone numbers and emails to doctors and veterinary medical facilities in Canada and the United States who had experience and success in treating MRSA. Jill’s personal interest and assistance were directly responsible for not only saving Jahari’s life but also for his recovery. As a result, Jahari fully recovered by August of 2008. I have followed all of Jill’s instructions provided by her foundation and fortunately, he has not relapsed. I would be happy to offer any help needed for owner’s in the same situation I found myself in only a few years ago. Attached are a few pictures of a healthy, happy Jahari on Christmas of 2009. I thank you every day for what you did for Jahari and feel he wouldn't be with me if I hadn't read about your organziation.

Thanks to the Bella Moss Foundation, you’re caring and information helped us so much with our cat Luigi. When Luigi My Russian blue kitty that we got from a shelter at 7 months old developed MRSA in his left ear I was scared. One day he started shaking his head and scratching at his left ear so we took him to the vets and they cleaned it and prescribed some ear drops "Tresaderm" and cleaning with "Oticalm Solution" twice a day - after 3-4 weeks with no change the vet switched us to "Baytrill Otic" antibiotic ear drops and twice daily cleanings of his left ear with the Oticalm solution and a few weeks later still no change and all the while his ear would soil the q-tips and cotton balls with dark waxy stuff. My wife and I had to administer (orally) "Trimethoprim" (tiny capsules) 60 ml twice a day. Luigi would spit them out, and we were getting bitten because he was closing his tiny mouth. In the end we had to take him to the vets daily. At the vets they would have a different staff member there to pill him every time we showed up in the morning and in the evening and they all had different styles of holding him. The whole things became so traumatic for Luigi. But after three weeks and another culture the lab report came back negative for MRSA. Luckily the infection never penetrated his eardrum. Well now he's happy because no more ear drops and twice a day cleanings only gets his ear cleaned twice a week now I suppose I should add that my wife and I take care of my mother in law and she had developed a bed sore which got worse and was hospitalized and diagnosed with MRSA and we were lightly told to wash our hands when we left her room which we did. We had no idea that MRSA was transferable from humans to pets. My experience at the vet got me very irritated as the vet had never treated MRSA before and the staff had such difficulty administering pills to luigi We love Luigi as he is our only companion. We thank god for the Bella Moss Foundation and your contributions to helping our luigi.

I am so grateful to Jill Moss and Lori Spagnoli for all the information and comfort they gave me during the nine month fight we had with MRSI. Our English Bulldog Max had MRSI in his bone after surgery for an ACL tear . I designed the sling to carry him up and down the steps. We were very aware that you need to be very careful and keep the wound clean and make sure his blanket he laid on after the surgery was clean, and we used bleach on all of his bedding when he came home. We were not aware that Max just had an overabundance of staph on his skin and we had no knowledge of MRSI at all! Max had already got staph in the surgical site, and it just began to grow and congregate on all the metal implants they put in his leg to repair it. Max was on antibiotics, but of course, they were not the right ones. After a total of five surgeries to remove all the screws, wires, plates from his leg and many cultures of his leg tissue and the implants they removed, Max recovered. I know that MRSI is different from MRSA, but Max's condition was so bad at one point he had lost almost 30 pounds and they were almost to the point of removing his leg. He was on crate rest for almost 9 months and he became very aggressive when we tried to put him in the crate, so our vet kept him for 42 days after he bit me very badly..of course we visited him every single day. My vet, is a wonderful vet, but like most vets, he's not an expert on MRSA nor MRSI. Jill Moss and several of her experts spoke with my vet and advised him on how he could treat Max. If my vet had not been open to contacting the experts, we may have had a totally different outcome, so thanks to my vet also! With the help of Jill and her experts, my vet saved Max's life and his leg. Since Max's long illness, he still has had some issues with aggression, and I contacted Jill again to see if maybe she had heard of the long-term use of the antibiotics causing a change like that, and once again, she contacted her experts and the drug companies for me to see if they had ever had a side-effect like that. Jill is in the UK and Lori is in the USA and I speak quite often with both of them about Max and the problems we are still having. I will always be grateful to both of these ladies, their experts and the foundation as a whole, for caring and working hard to prevent any animals from having to go through what Bella went through, and for educating all the vets and vet techs possible about MRSA (and MRSI). Max and I would not have made it through the past year without them!

This is a picture of Ink and Spot, they are brothers. Sadly, Ink passed away August of 2009 after being misdiagnosed by numerous vets. I had not heard of the Bella Moss foundation until after he passed. He developed an oozing sore on his belly that vet after vet tried to tell me was "flea allergy". Cultures came back positive for staph aureus, but it never went away. After a year of numerous vet visits with specialists, and an oozing sore, he developed a lump in his leg and died 2 months later. He was never diagnosed as having MRSA, but they also dont know what was wrong. The next month, I noticed a huge lump on his brother's neck. Spot went in for surgery and it was a very rare cancer that no vet has seen in cats. He developed a rash on his belly, and I went into a panic and contacted The Bella Moss Foundation. They were so quick to respond and offer me assistance. Luckily, his rash went away, and he's okay today. I was really touched at how The Bella Moss Foundation responded, and only wish I found out about them before my cat Ink died.

Duchess was spayed and micro-chipped. Things went well until one day we noticed a dimed size spot that was bleeding and pussing around the area where dogs usually get microchipped. We just figured it was from the needle puncturing the skin and it was healing. Anyway, each day it grew and became worse. Emergency surgery was performed and a sample of the infected area taken for testing. The next day the results came back and it was diagnosed as a bacterial infection. (see pictures before, during and after). Duchess spent the night in observation and the skin was sent for testing. 45 stitches, 10 staples and 2 tubes later the results came back and it was in fact a bacterial infection BUT there was also something present in the results that they couldnt yet determine. It was MRSI; We knew nothing about this and found out about The Bella Moss Foundation who advised us and were of great support. No one really knew of anyone speficially who treated an animal with this disease and it was concerning to us because the whole time it never phased our Duchess. Yes the medications, the sleeping next to her at night (to make sure the tubes and stitches stayed in), the constant 24 hour attention, the daily trips to the emergency vet was quite the ordeal, but everyone was terrified of the unknown. Jill Moss got one of her international vet experts to speak with our vet and his name is Dr Andrew Hillier (Ohio state university) We attribute our emergency vets and Dr. Hillier to the recovery and treatment of Duchess. Just the resources that were provided and the attention she received will never go un-noticed. We understand MRSI/MRSA much more now and realize of how fatal it can be if detected in the vital areas. Our hope is that this will be the last time we have to deal with it, but now prevention and precaution are at the fore-front of our concerns.

My 7 year old Scottish Terrier, Jetson, developed a limp in his hind leg. At first it was just occasional and I just assumed he had some arthritis. Then one morning I got up and found that Jetson had thrown up during the night – an amount much greater than I would have thought the stomach of a dog twice his size would hold – and couldn’t walk at all. I took him to the vet. His white count was very low and his leg joint swollen. They gave him antibiotics and some medicine for his stomach and we went home. He continued to get worse through the day and that night I took him back to the vet (a sister hospital to Jetson’s vet that stays open till 10:00 at night -- yea) and he spent four days in the hospital. His white count continued to drop, he wouldn’t eat and couldn’t put any weight on his back leg. Several test were run including a tick titer and all came back negative. A bone marrow biopsy was even done as all were worried about cancer (he had an mast cell tumor removed from his penis 7 months before.) Finally the vet tapped the joint itself and the test showed he had MRSA. We were all quite surprised. That’s where Jill came in. She put Jetson’s vet in touch with a vet in the U.S. that specializes in MRSA and provided information directly to my vet. There was time when we were not sure that Jetson would live but know he is healthy and happy and likes nothing better than taking a long walk and chasing a few squirrels. Jill was a great source of information and certainly a comfort during the whole ordeal. Thanks to Jill, and Jetson’s doctor he is doing great.

Troy, our 12 1/2 year old Wire Fox Terrier, had an ear infection and diagnosed with MRSA in April, 2008. Immediately, we contacted Jill and Lori at the Bella Moss Foundation and they provided tremendous support. Jill spoke to our veterinarian and she became a tremendous advocate and educator. We eventually took the homeopathic route for nine months and then cultured Troy's ears again. He was MRSA free! After two weeks of antibiotics, Troy became infection free! However, his destiny was marked. A twist of fate arose when Troy was diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy (DM). The initial symptoms occurred at the same time he was diagnosed with MRSA. Yet, we contributed his imbalance to the ear infection. By the time Troy was MRSA free and infection free, he could not use his hind legs. He was officially diagnosed with the incurable DM which destroyed his muscle and nerve tissues. Through this entire ordeal, Jill and Lori continued to support us. They were true friends who understood the pain that we shared with our pet and companion. Troy's spirits were raised the last three weeks of his life with a cart that my son built so that he could stand upright and use his front legs to walk by himself. By July, the disease started to spread to his front legs. His quality of life diminished regardless of the numerous accupuncture and physical therapy sessions. Troy became extremely frustrated. On July 3rd, we put Troy, our true friend, companion, brother and child, to rest. Hopefully, he is now jumping and prancing around in a place unseen with our eyes. Rest in peace, Troy (1996-2009). We'll always remember and love you.

In November of 2008, our 2 year old yellow lab, Heisman, was diagnosed with a torn cruciate ligament in her right leg. After extensive research about the options before us, February 5, 2009 brought with it a TPLO surgery for Heisman – involved a cut through her leg bone, a plate, and 6 screws. Heisman began what we knew was going to be a long recovery – 8 weeks until bone healing, then 8 more weeks of extensive rehabilitation. About 3 weeks into the recovery period, we noticed a major regression in Heisman’s recovery progress. What had seemed like comfortable steps became limps, and a bump was visible over her plate site. A trip to the vet and blood cultures revealed that Heisman had MRSI over her plate – essentially her body rejecting the newly inserted material. As her mother, with little sleep on a twin air mattress with an 80 pound dog, I knew that our situation was serious, and that I didn’t know where to turn. The orthopedic surgeon recommended antibiotics, which we started immediately, but I am always the type who wants to thoroughly research every situation and ensure that I am doing everything I can for my dog. The Bella Moss Foundation was there for me every step of the way. From the latest and greatest homeopathic remedies to daily support and check ins, they were an invaluable source. They pointed me in the right direction, found an infection specialist in my area to contact and consult with our orthopedic surgeon, and allowed me to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Heisman’s road has not been an easy one, as the cruciate ligament in her left knee ruptured in early May, and led us down the path of a second knee surgery, but having support like the Bella Moss Foundation provides has been amazing and invaluable. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you do!

Jill and her organization was a wonderful source of information and provided a great support system for me. They provide information about MRSA and advice about what I should do to help fight the staff infection. My Veterinarian wasn't familiar with it either. Jill's organization provided another veterinarian for my Vet to speak with about recommended treatment for MRSA. I really appreciate all the support they provided to me and my Vet. I was able to beat the infection and my Westie, Haley, is doing great!

My son’s 7- month old Weimaraner, McRae, went in for surgery to repair two bone fractures following an accident. In the end, she contracted MRSA from the surgical facility. I can honestly say that there were to only two thing that saved her life: My ignorance of MRSA and the surgeon telling me that we would “wait and see if it cleared on its own.” Because I was in the dark about medication resistant staph, I reached out for help and fell into the net of support and knowledge provided by the Moss Foundation. Because the surgeon suggested that it might clear up on its own without intervention, I got angry. This new knowledge about he superbug and my anger led me self-empowerment, knowing that if my son’s dog was going to make it, I was essentially going to have to make some tough choices and quick decisions. After the conversations with a compounder to learn more about the two antibiotics that the culture indicated would kill the infection, I learned that McRae might not survive the cure. So my only option was a regime of nontraditional treatment. The Bella Moss provided me with so many ideas. Human doctors provided me with theories that reinforced the Foundation’s information. With my regime set up and highly flexible, I set to work and the abscess cleared and healed within a matter of two weeks. Following radiograms and a 3-month period of time to see if new abscesses developed, McRae has been given the “all clear” by my local vet who respects alternative cures. She is now back at home with my son who continues to give her natural supplements to support her immune system. In everything I did with McRae, I was supported by the Foundation and they continued to live into what became my mantra in reference to MRSA: “Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus is drug resistant but not herb (or other nontraditional treatment) resistant.” McRae is alive today because I was forced to step outside of the pharmaceutical box. Thank you Jill and your MRSA counselors for helping me on my journey. It was frightening to take “the road less traveled” but I knew that I was never alone. I also must thank my son, Wit, for trusting and supporting me through this horrible phase in his and McRae’s lives.

Our beautiful Golden Retriever, Corky T. (for trouble and terrific) Miles suffered with allergies for most of his life. Although he took many pills everyday to manage these allergies along with biweekly injections, he never complained. Even when it was discovered he had cancer and had to undergo chemo, he continued to be sweet and wonderful. He was your typical Golden, sweet and loving. He loved his swimming pool and stuffed toys, which he was always willing to share with us. We loved him dearly and were rewarded tenfold by his love. This past January, he suffered a spontaneous pnemothorax. We rushed him to the emergency vet and they immediately put a tube in him to get the air out of his body cavity. Thanks to their quick thinking, it appeared that Corky was going to survive. After consulting several vets, including his oncologist and regular vet, it was decided to do surgery to remove the bula on his lung. The surgery went well, and after 3 days recovery, he returned home to us. At first he seemed to be on the road to recovery, but after a few days, he developed a fever and would not eat or drink. One of his vets even made a trip to our home to treat him, giving him fluids and increasing some of his pain killers. Again, he seemed to be getting better, only to have a repeated episode of fevers. When we took him to have his stitches removed, he seemed a little better, but when we mentioned to the surgeon that he just wasn't eating, he didn't seem too concerned and said he would probably start eating better once he felt better. After all he wasn't doing anything but lying around. Three days after that we finally took him to his regular vet who decided to keep him at his clinic each day, giving him fluids and antibiotics. This went on for a few days, and on the third day, an abscess that had been hiding behind a fatty tumor on his right rear leg exploded. The vet removed 2 cups of blood and other fluids along with discovering dying skin. He had this huge hole in him, big enough to stick your whole thumb into and he was unable to walk. We took him home and cared for him and returned the next day to the vet. Unfortunately, he was open for only half a day and it was suggested we return to the emergency vet so they could keep an eye on him. The emergency clinic again consulted with all our vets and we ended up taking Corky back to where he had had the surgery to consult with the surgeon and an oncologist. X rays were taken and finally an ultra sound was done. Corky had multiple nodules on many or his organs along with fluid in his lungs and around his heart. They felt for sure they would need to remove at least his spleen and maybe his leg. None of the doctors felt he could survive and after many tears, we decided to euthanize him; to stop what was now suffering. As anyone reading this knows, this is so very difficult to do but we loved him so and could not allow him to suffer any more. Three days later, we received the results from the lab report telling us that Corky had MRSA. Of course it was too late to do anything for him. Our vet said he had never had a case of MRSA in his clinic. The other vets we had seen were unaware of MRSA. The symptoms were all there but went undetected by vets. There is no way to know if Corky got MRSA during the surgery or while recovering in their clinic. He also could have had it all along on some of the sores he had on his groin as a result of his allergies. After Corky died, we were looking up MRSA on the internet and came across the Bella Moss Foundation. Through continuing professional development seminars for vets and nurses the Bella Moss Foundation has had a positive impact on what vets in Britain know about MRSA. Jill Moss is truly an inspiration. Hopefully, we can help the Foundation do something here in the US to have the same impact on our vets. I intend to do what I can to spread the knowledge about MRSA to vets and other doctors here. I welcome any help. There is much to do. It is our hope that our Corky, just as Bella, can help other animals avoid their fate and live long, happy lives.

Our 42-year-old daughter has had four rounds of chemotherapy in the past year and a half for a red blood cell disorder and she faces a future with more such treatments likely periodically. In May of last year, her three-year-old dog, Dixon, needed surgery on his hind leg for a torn ACL. Our daughter and Dixon live in the middle of a very large city, which would make recovery from such an operation difficult. We live in a place where he can go outside to a nice lawn by just walking out the front door, rather than having to make his way there from a 4th story apartment inside a city apartment building--and having nothing but sidewalks available once he got there. We agreed to have him come and have his operation here and live with us for an extended period of time while he recuperated. We expected to return him to our daughter sometime last August. However, during July, the operation site became infected, and the infection continued to just hang on throughout the next couple of months, despite his being treated with several rounds of antibiotics. We continued to keep Dixon with us, not wanting to return a sick dog to our daughter. Then, in mid-September, a new veterinarian saw Dixon, and right away she said we should have her remove the sutures from the original operation and culture the infection site; that there was some possibility that it would be MRSA. The culture came back positive for MRSA, but fortunately it was a type that was shown to respond well to clindamyacin, which he took for 30 days. Dixon seemed to have gotten rid of the infection, but we had by then read a lot of material about the seriousness of MRSA and the possibility that dogs and people could be MRSA carriers without having symptoms of the disease themselves. Although our new vet had enough knowledge about MRSA to know to test for it, she, nor the large veterinarian clinic where she is employed, were able to advise us as to whether or not Dixon was now completely MRSA-free and whether or not it would be safe to return him to our daughter, whose immune system has been compromised by chemotherapy. We looked on the internet and found many sites that told us how necessary it was to practice cleanliness, etc., to prevent the spread of MRSA, but we just couldn't seem to find out whether anyone thought it was advisable for Dixon to rejoin his mistress. In the meantime, the ACL on Dixon's other leg became torn, and we were referred to a specialist in a near-by city for an evaluation. We told the specialist about Dixon's recent recovery from MRSA, and she told us that they would see Dixon, but only by keeping him completely isolated from all the other animals there. When we got there, three staff members who were all suited up in protective clothing, gloves and masks came to evaluate him, outside the back door. We did discuss MRSA with this specialist, as well as Dixon's need for a second ACL operation. This specialist also was unable to tell us if there was any way to find out if Dixon was really cured from the MRSA and safe to be with our daughter. After that experience and all the reading we had done, we were pretty frightened into deciding that this dog did not belong with our daughter. We then contemplated the dismal alternatives, since we were unable to keep Dixon ourselves for a period of several years. We wondered if it would be possible to find a new owner willing to take him on, but somehow, that didn't seem to be a very promising prospect, since he now has had MRSA and two bad rear legs. Finally, in a follow-up phone conversation with the specialist we had seen, she mentioned that another of her customers had come in with a "MRSA dog" that week, and they told her about the Bella Moss Foundation. I visited the web site and was truly impressed with the information and credentials I found there. It was with great excitement that I wrote an e-mail requesting information about whether it would be safe to return Dixon to his owner, and it was with even greater excitement that I read Jill's almost immediate response, telling me that if his wound was indeed well-healed and if swabs taken from his nostril and anus tested to rule out his being a carrier, that we could consider it safe for our daughter to have her dog back. This was the first and only resource that we had found where someone seemed to know the answers to our questions. Then, when we went to our local vet to get the cultures done, she was uncertain about exactly how to conduct the test (should there be separate cultures from the two areas, or just one swab from the two areas combined?). Once again, I wrote back to Jill, and she then gave us the names of some vets in the United States that would be willing to consult with my vet. What a wonderful resource!! My local vet did call and get advice from one of the references, and was able to proceed with the testing, which came back negative. Based on all the good and reliable information we got from Bella Moss Foundation, we then felt confident in our decision to have the second torn ACL repaired, still keeping Dixon with us during a second extended recuperation period. Now it has been seven weeks since his surgery, and he has no sign of any infection and is healing well. We will take him back to his rightful owner this weekend, feeling confident that we are doing the right thing for both our daughter and Dixon. Thank you Jill so much for providing us and our vets with the information we needed to make a sensible, well-informed decision about this matter.

Emma, our high spirited and beautiful 15 month old White German Shepherd girl got hit by a car after getting away from my husband on Friday 11th July, 2008. Initially, we thought she’d been lucky and the damage wasn’t too bad; she just seemed badly shaken and was holding her paw up, but we immediately rushed her to our vet’s for fear of internal damage. Our vet kept her in for xrays and observation. A few hours later, they phoned to let us know that, internally she was fine, however, her right paw was a mess: all of her metatarsal bones were broken, save one, which was dislocated and she had extensive soft tissue damage. We had two choices: amputation (they said they couldn't splint the bones because of the horrendous damage and the fact that they are weight-bearing) or referral to a top midlands orthopedic surgery. Foolishly, we aren't insured. They said treatment could amount to thousands of pounds, but although we have very little spare money, we love our animals, and so, for us, there was only ever one choice. Surgery: Emma had 3 plates and 15 pins inserted into her paw. They wanted the bandage to remain on and dry until at least the following Friday. Unfortunately, even though almost the whole leg was bandaged, they had left the tip of Emma’s damaged paw poking out, and so, due to the paw weeping heavily; the bandage did get damp through no fault of her own. It was weeping so profusely it soaked her bedding, and consequently, her bandage too. The vet said it was because Emma had been biting her paw, but how could they have allowed her to?. Post surgery the vets visited every day but made no comment, except to say that with the extensive soft tissue damage they could make no promises as to Em's fully recovering the use of her paw. Subsequently, we attended our vet's every two or three days for dressing changes. After a while she could weight bear but when the dressing came off the surgeon was clearly concerned and took a swab for analysis. The wound was not healing. The results came back as MRSA. I was distraught, all I could think was that I had to ring our vet and ask him to explain everything to me in layman's terms as soon as I got home from work; which he did. Months went by and despite numerous set-backs and trying several different types of antibiotic to find the best one to fight the particular strain of MRSA affecting Emma. Now, Emma does have an almost imperceptible lameness, but apart from that, she still has her paw, and runs around like the road-runner (but with a lot more control from us!) She had her culture test early January 2009 and proved negative as a sufferer or carrier of the MRSA and is attending regular hydrotherapy to try and get her to use her poorly paw fully again. (She was in bandages so long; I think she forgot she could!) My husband and I would like to say an enormous ‘THANK YOU’ to Jill Moss for all her help, invaluable guidance, advice, reassurance, encouragement and backing; Jill does an extraordinary job; she and her foundation help the ‘powerless’ victims of the terrible MRSA bug and empowers them with her boundless energy, understanding, sympathy and knowledge. To think that this amazing organization was borne from sorrow and the awful, unnecessary tragedy of the loss of the beautiful Bella is nothing short of a miracle. Others might have just cried and ‘licked their wounds’ but not Jill. How many people knew that animals could contract MRSA? I certainly didn’t. Jill has shone a powerful spotlight on this and brought it to the public awareness; the foundation helps so many in so many countless ways: victim support, owner support and morale, liaising with professionals in order to bring about more effective ‘battle strategies’ against the bug. She is a true inspiration. Crufts 2009 Emma was the star of the Bella Moss Foundation stand and showed everyone how animals can survive MRSA.

We adopted Bear, a five year old Shih Tzu in March of 2006. In January 2008 I felt what seemed to be a cyst below his shoulder, and the vet felt it was an oil gland cyst and advised warm compresses. After several weeks we felt it should be removed, and he had his teeth cleaned at the same time. The surgery, done in February, was more extensive than expected, as the cyst turned out to be deep, but after getting over severe post-op pain, Bear was doing fine. In April we noticed another cyst, small, along the suture line. Within a short time the cyst began to drain so the vet cultured it and found MRSA. In 30 years of practice he had never seen MRSA. The lab that did the culture recommended the treatment chloramphenicol. Bear managed this for about six days, but his tummy could not take the medicine. There were small "lump’s along the suture line but they seemed not to be causing a problem. He seemed fine, but during the summer he began to have intermittent pain for no apparent reason...he would just cry out, and go on his way. This continued on and off so we went to a vet who was skilled in more holistic treatments, and she did acupuncture along his spine, which helped the pain for maybe a day. We did not go back to this vet as she seemed not to have helped. We took Bear back to the original vet. Bear did well in the clinic, but every time I visited him he cried the whole time. It broke my heart, but I could not stand not to see him nearly every day. When we brought him home, we continued on this regimen of antibiotics for another three weeks. But about a month later the small lumps were back along the suture line, and the vet prescribed more of the SMP-TMZ liquid medicine. Several days after this Bear started crying out in pain on and off again, as he did back in the summer. This time 21 days of the same med did nothing for him. The pain did seem to lessen. I searched the internet for information and found the Bella Moss Foundation and emailed Jill. She was so helpful, and bless her heart, called me from England. She offered to send our vet the research information she had, and even to talk with him, but when I wrote him regarding this, he did not reply. He had by now told me he saw no reason to put Bear back in the clinic that basically his immune system was apparently not strong enough to throw off the infection. Cross infection human to animal concerns Jill helped me with my concerns about cross infection and the fear I had for our 5 yr. old great-grandchild, who is here a lot, and who loved to pet Bear. Bear had begun to have less of an appetite and was very poorly. We consulted the vet and had to make the decision to end his suffering and let him go as the antibiotics were not working and he was becoming weaker by the day. We felt all along that Bear contracted MRSA at that clinic at the time of his surgery. The vets were unaware of MRSA in dogs, did no biopsy the first cyst, or culture the suspected infected sites. Our hearts are broken; our home is so empty without our little Bear. I wish I might have discovered Jill and her charity sooner, and found a vet who might have wanted the help of the Foundation’s MRSA expert veterinarians. To all of you whose animals have recovered, I rejoice with you, and to those of you who have lost your beloved pet, I offer my deepest empathy.

I have a little Bichon Frise called Libby who is nearly 10 years old so when she tore her crucial ligament and my vet advised an operation I was happy for it to go ahead as she had a crucial ligament operation 3 years previously which had been a great success. Libby had her operation on 28th October and seemed perfectly fine putting her leg to the ground and trying to walk however after about 3 days a clear liquid began oozing from her wound so I took her straight to the vet who diagnosed an infection and put her on a course of antibiotics for 10 days, the oozing stopped and Libby seemed fine but on examination the vet felt that the operation had not taken (because the infection had caused the fixing wire to stretch so when the swelling went down the joint was not stable enough) so thank God he decided to redo the operation and at that point he phoned me to say the actual joint was badly infected and they had sent off a swab for diagnosis as to what the infection was. Five days later the result came back and I nearly passed out when it was diagnosed as MRSA, Libby was prescribed the correct antibiotics to deal with the MRSA and was sent home. At that point I searched the internet for information and came across the 'Bella Moss Foundation' website who said you could e mail any queries, I sent off an e mail and received almost by return lots of information and answers to my specific questions, it was wonderful to be able to talk to someone who had experienced this situation and I was very appreciative that they would liaise with my vet if required. Libby finished her course of antibiotics and is absolutely fine now probably due to the fact that my vet had to redo the operation so the infection was found relatively quickly otherwise it may never have been found till it was took late. I have another Bichon Pepsi (Libby's mother) who is 12 years old and she is also fine and has not contacted any signs of MRSA so everything has turned out wonderfully. I would just like to thank Jill for her help and advice and wish the Foundation well for the future.

I have had dogs my entire life, and have loved each of them for their quirks and personality, companionship and friendship. However, my current dog Tipper is "that" dog. My first dog since moving out on my own, the first I train, feed and care for. Ask anyone; he is a ham, loves to show off, and is a joy to be around. He is one of those dogs that loves all people, all dogs, and most creatures (he isn’t a huge fan of squirrels). So when Tipper's nose seemed to be a little dry and cracked I took him to the vet, to find out what was going on. That appointment in May of 08 was the first of so many, and it seemed that few people had answers. It could be staph, it could be lupus, it could be a compromised immune system, and it could be MRSA. His nose was getting worse, but he still seemed to be holding his own. We were going through rounds of antibiotics and prednisone. Then it got worse, a lot worse. While on antibiotics, his neck and chest broke out with a huge staff infection while I was out of town. My brother had taken him to his vet, who prescribed more antibiotics and more prednisone. Tipper was getting tired and didn’t want to go out as much. I was scared. Then the skin on his muzzle got infected and a huge sore grew there. In addition to the vet, I also turned to the internet and searched for information on staph, MRSA, nutrition, etc etc. I found a comment on a forum from Jill Moss, she listed her email and phone. Who does that in this day and age? I sent her an email and within hours I had a response. She put me in contact with Kim Bloomer a homeopathic vet and sent me huge amounts of information on what I could do for Tipper. She even called my vet (we are in the US) and discussed the issue with him. Tipper has since had MRSA ruled out and has been diagnosed with mucocutaneos pyoderma and it is currently in remission. He will continue on a staph vaccination and I will continue to work with him on a homeopathic level. I can’t say enough about the support, information and help that I have gotten from Jill and the Bella Moss Foundation. They have educated me, listened to me, and helped me get through what is going to be a chronic illness with my dog. When I was freaking out and cleaning my house twice a day to "kill the staph" Jill and her friends talked me down. When I didn’t know what to do for the infection they recommended Manuka honey (which is the most amazing stuff I have ever seen). And when MRSA was ruled out, they celebrated with me. Tipper and I can not thank them enough for their kindness and help.

My dog Makena is 10 years old and has always been my little buddy who always seemed to bring joy into my life. She had been sick for some time with a weird discharge from her nose and had been in and out of the vets office multiple times and we still could not get a grasp on what was wrong. She underwent a few light surgeries and seemed to develop new problems which were very puzzling. My vet at that time was stumped. I decided that I would need to find a new vet and do some research on my own. My new vet diagnosed her with MRSA and he treated her with multiple antibiotics. I immediately went home and researched MRSA on the internet and found Bella Moss Foundation. Jill and Lori have been exceptionally helpful and so caring. I don't know that I done through this without their support. Every time I thought I was hitting a wall Lori and Jill had a new great idea to help me. Makena did finally get over her MRSA and I think the only way she did this was with the guidance I received from Lori and Jill. Thank you Bella Moss Foundation for all your help, love and care - you are amazing!!

My daughter Kass, (15yrs) had what looked like a spider bite on her arm. Over a few days time it looked very infected and swollen so I took her to the doctor. He said she most likely had a staph aeureus aeureus infection he took a culture (March 28th, 2008) and put her on anti-biotics. When I got home that day I started researching MRSA and came across an article ’Cat and Woman Share SUPERBUG!' After reading it I wondered about our cat (Chloe) who had been having problems (skin lesions) for about a month on her behind. The vet, after a couple visits still wasn't sure what the problem was as the treatments they had tried were not helping. So I called and the next day they cultured our cat. (March 29th, 2008) On March 30th we found that our daughter was confirmed with MRSA, by this time she had a hole in her arm the size of a silver dollar that was 1/2 inch deep. We put our cat in a kennel in a spare room to keep her quarantined until we knew if she also had the bacteria. (As we were still waiting for culture results) I began searching for cases where animals had this MRSA and found the Bella Moss Foundation. Jill and her USA representative Lori were wonderful with all their support and recommendations on how to go about making my cat better and comfortable. Jill and Lori spent hours discussing with me food that would be easier for Chloe to digest and we also considered as a team way’s to help boost Chloe’s immune system. I found a product for our daughter that helped kill the bacteria and start the healing process. As this worked for her so well, I contacted the Staphwash Company and was told that there was a product made specifically for animals with this MRSA bacteria. We got the product, applied it; and within hours it had improved dramatically. Within a month; all signs of infection were gone. Both our cat and daughter are MRSA free at this time, and show no signs of any re-occurrence. I saw 1st hand how fast MRSA develops and how serious it can become in a matter of a few days. Thank Goodness for the Bella Moss Foundation willing to lend a hand with advice and/or information and support that is very much helpful in fighting these HORRIBLE bacteria.

When my dog Cooper was diagnosed with MRSA last summer, the first thing I did was get on the internet to find out as much as I could. I had never heard of a dog contracting MRSA, but I thought that with the help of the internet I would be able to find a wealth of information. I was wrong. There is only one website I could find that had any information on MRSA in pets. The Bella Moss Foundation. No one knows how Cooper contracted MRSA. He had been treated for 'idiopathic' staph infections for over three years, one series of antibiotics after another. Finally, in July of 2007, my vet took a skin culture and sent it to Cornell University Companion Animal Hospital. The results came back positive for the human strain of MRSA. Cooper did not get this from me, as my family has been tested and we are all negative. Where would he get it? Who knows? The reasonable conclusion would be he got it from a vet's office. (we had changed vets as we thought his previous one was not very professional.) When questioned, Cooper's vet said in all of her years of practicing she had never seen a case of MRSA. Neither had any of the other vets in the practice. Neither had anyone else I spoke to on the subject. I would mention it, and people would look at me like I was from Mars. So, Jill...............after what I went through with Cooper, I can imagine the pain, anger and frustration you went through with Bella. I found you...........you had no-one. There aren't any words to express the sadness I feel at your loss of Bella, and the gratitude I feel for your determination to help other pets and the people who love them. You are a perfect example of someone who has taken a really heartbreaking situation and turned it around for a good purpose. Cooper is well now, and I will be eternally grateful for all of your help and support. I can't thank you enough. I look forward to the success of the Foundation in disseminating information on MRSA and other infectious (and totally preventable) diseases in animals. It is vital that the veterinary profession, kennels, groomers, pet stores, breeders and anyone else involved with animals, including the general public, be educated about this growing threat.

Our rabbit got mrsa after surgery on her tummy. My mummy did not know about it and I found the Bella Moss Foundation at my school website. I did a project on how sick my bunny was and my teacher asked me to give her the information so she could let my school know about mrsa in animals. Jill came to our school and gave a talk, she helped our vets to learn more and gave my mum and dad so much support. Bunky is now well and I give my pocket money to the Bella Moss Foundation, every week I get £5.00 and I give £1.00 for sick animals. When I grow up I am going to help Jill with her job, and because of her and the foundation I now want to be a vet.

My husband contracted MRSA, 3weeks following hip replacement surgery on August 28th. When we took him to the hospital we left some soiled bandages on the couch. When I came home after he was admitted the soiled bandages were chewed up and scattered all over the house. We have two Dalmatians. Baxter is 9 and Cinnamon is 8. I did a google search and looked to see if MRSA could be spread to dogs from people. In addition to finding some web sites indicating transmission was possible, I found the Bella Moss Foundation site and started talking to Jill Moss. She gave me excellent advise and I took both dogs to the vet, indicating they might be contagious. A week later Cinnamon came back as positive but the other dog was negative. A week later Baxter was sick, but Cinnamon remained health but testing positive for MRSA. Both dogs were given multiple antibiotics. Eventually Cinnamon cleared and Baxter cleared after Cinnamon as given gentramycine intranasally. My home was professionally disinfected and parts were remodeled. My husband is awaiting surgery to replace his hip. As far as I can determine this is the first case of human to dog transmission from soiled bandages.

Flash - March 14, 2000 - November 7, 2006 Flash was born in 2000. He was neutered at age 2 and has had urinary tract problems ever since. He may have even contracted MRSA at this surgery because I remember him taking a lot of antibiotics for a hard to cure bacterial infection (my vet’s words). When we went on vacation in September he seemed fine. The day after we got home, September 25 2006, he could not pee. This never happened before. We took him to the vet and they said he had bladder stones and that he had to have surgery to save his life. Also, the surgery that he had to have was called an urethrostomy. They completely rerouted his urinary tract. I have been going to for 20+ years and trusted the vets completely. Two days after his surgery, he started bleeding profusely through this new opening after urinating. MY vet was away. We took Flash to another hospital and this vet put him on Rimadyl and the bleeding stopped after one day. She said he probably was just inflamed. A week or so went back and Flash was not able to pee again. Back to his regular vet and they catherized him and said he still had some post-op swelling then again he was ok for a few days. Then, not able to pee again. He began this routine of just lying around and panting all of the time. I asked the vet about the panting and he said that he was just anxious. This went on for several weeks, we took him and had to have him catherized to get him to pee. After a while I noticed that his eyes were turning yellow and he was running a fever. At this point, I asked our vet to sign a release so that we could take him to the Virginia Tech Teaching Animal Hospital. He spoke with them on the phone and they recommended that a sterile urine culture be taken first. We took Flash in the first thing the next morning and they drew urine out of his bladder with a syringe and sent it off for testing. The next day, Flash wasn't able to pee again. They said to bring him in and they would put him on a liquid drip and catherize him again. That night we went to visit him at the vet hospital was the last time. Flash died in the middle of the night. Two days after he died, the culture came back positive for MRSA. My Flash is gone after six weeks of uncalled for suffering and after only living for six short years. He was the absolute best dog. He was a beautiful dog. He was a graduate of obedient school and was the most intelligent dog I had ever had. He also very loved. He would kiss and kiss you. He was also the most playful dog I ever had. He was always bringing his toys to you for you to play with him. Everyone loved him who met him and that was because he loved everyone he met. He was so special. I found out about the Bella Moss Foundation over the internet while I was researching MRSA in pets. Jill was so very nice to me and let me tell her about my Flash and let me cry. MRSA is a horrible way for pets to go and I truly hope that the foundation in time can stop this senseless dying.

Thankfully I was recommended to Jill and the Bella Moss Foundation through Yvonne the puppy trainer that was helping me with my Great Dane, called Judge. Judge has been with my family since he was 8 weeks old. January 1st 2007 he was running chasing a ball and suddenly went lame. The vet told us he had a ruptured and had severed his cruciate ligament in both his hind legs but the left leg was more severe. They recommended 2 hospitals both had a waiting time of 4 weeks plus. So we decided to take the first appointment. We were advised to go ahead straight away with a TPLO and that Judge would stay in the vet 3 days and then come home and rest and recover. It did not turn out this way. Judge was not ready for me to collect for 1 week as his wound was still bleeding, which I was told, was nothing to worry about. Finally, I collected him and bought him home the kids were very excited to see him and kissed and cuddled him. I noticed within a couple of hours of being home his wound did not seem correct to me and went straight to my local vet to have him assessed. They decided to put staple stitches in to close the wound. A few hours later I was not convinced as the wound was not clear and I drove straight back to where he had the operation. I was told they would keep him in and do blood tests and put a drain in his leg, as there seemed to be a lump of fluid there. It took 5 days to get the results back when I was told MRSA! I was in shock as had only heard of this in hospitals for humans and knew that if bad could lead to death. I rang Yvonne who put me straight on to Jill. Jill was a mind of information comforting and calming me down, and telling me what information I needed to know from the vet. Jill also told me what procedures needed to be carried out to get the MRSA under control. After many weeks of antibiotic beads placed back inside the leg and constant drainage Judge came home. We nursed him and monitored him with sterile gloves until it had been 16 weeks since the operation when we finally could take out all the metal plates and check there was no MRSA there. It was a long 6 months for Judge to fully recover and thanks to Jill and the Bella Moss Foundation with all their support of emails and telephone calls kept us strong and now Judge is over the worst. Thanks Tracey and family x London

Mr Beebs had a torn ACL. I had heard that this new procedure called a TPLO would be a permanent solution to our problems. Expensive but nothing was too much for my Mr Beebs.I decided to meet with the surgeon who explained the procedure but never mentioned any complications that might ensue. It sounded wonderful. We went in on 06/06/06. I should have known it would turn out bad. They kept Beebs in there for several days and finally I was able to take him home to recoup and get that back leg working well again. He had to be leashed walked everywhere...and I mean everywhere including inside the house for 8 weeks. About ten days into this I noticed a serum oozing out of his incision. It was hot to the touch and the dog was lethargic and moody. I looked closer and a track opened up in that incision sight and reddish brown smelly serum came flowing out of it. I took him quickly back to the surgeon. He said it was the tissue rubbing against the metal plate and that was normal and nothing to be alarmed about. The next week the oozing got even more foul smelling. One week before I was too leave the dog was prostrate on the ground, unable to stand and had the glazed look of pain in his eyes. I was hysterical. I called the surgeon once again. It was no use his return call never came. I asked a vet tech friend of mine to come over. She took one look and said he is suffering get him to the emergency hospital now. Mr Beebs was in the week before the surgeon had ordered a culture and sensitively report. I don't think he ever read it because he kept us on a treatment program that was useless in the face of the results. We kept on the anti biotic's he had prescribed although they didn't seem to be doing any good at all. Finally. I called my regular vet who was deeply concerned and took the dog into the hospital where he was sedated and a deep culture taken. What came back changed our world. It was enterobacter cloacae. It was resistant to just about everything .The vet called the lab back and begged them to give me some hope...after all there must be something that can kill it. I had to inject his muscle with a 25 gauge needle which horrified me. It was an inch and a half long and tapered and thick time. What if I did it wrong? I thought. 4 months later and I was now finding it harder and harder to even find a muscle not so calcified that I could penetrate it with a needle. I had to look for other places near his neck, on his rump. I was studying anatomy charts to make sure I knew where it was safest. I couldn't bring him to the vet’s office 3 times a day...I had to do it myself. The drug cost me $800.00 per ten days of use. After about 2 solid weeks of injections ....The wound started closing I was so happy...we were killing it! But....as soon as the injections stopped (with in 5 days) the track in his incision opened up and globs of thick smelly pus oozed out of his leg. I then was told by my vet to take a needle nose syringe fill it with an antiseptic solution and every 4 hours blast it up into the track and flush the debris from the leg. It was a horrendous job and the stuff was flying everywhere. Because Scar tissue had formed at the site and the plate and screws were the best hiding place a bacteria could ever ask for. I had no idea the nightmare I had stepped into. There was never any hope of saving that leg. I know that now. The plate broke 6 months after it was put in. A week before Christmas 2006, 2 screws broke off into the bone and were never able to be removed. The leg was in shambles and so was I. Mr Beebs has had 13 surgeries ...none of which did much good at all. The bacteria had colonized in the screw holes and there was no blood supply to the bone so they continued to wreak havoc on the leg. It was eating its way through his leg. My last ditch attempt came back in May of 2007. I drove for 2 days to the University of Georgia to meet the team who were doing beading implants for super bugs and osteomilistus. The surgeon had placed a hybrid fixator on his leg which held the bone together by big bolts that went right through his leg. I had to clean around the bolts and screws every single day 3 times a day to keep more infection from getting into the holes. I had to pad the sharp edges that were pointed enough to rip upholstery and clothing on contact. If it hit his skin it would rip into it. I had bolts of cotton I stuffed in there to protect him. I had cotton swabs full of antiseptic I would swirl around the open holes in his flesh and bones. The drug that they had implanted was so powerful that the only way you can use it is with permission from the CDC (Center for disease control). After ten days the beads were removed and beads made of imipenam cilastastin were implanted. I stopped all the shots and held my breath a year plus has passed and I was $50,000. out in expenses and no closer to salvation. With in five days the incision opened up and began to drain. I knew I had lost. The battle was over. I had done all science could offer and I could not kill the bacteria and save his leg. I finally gave permission to amputate. I saw Mr Beebs walking away into the hospital to have his leg that had only had a torn ligament cut away from him forever. I had brought Mr Beebs in to help him but instead had brought so much suffering into his life. Today he has 3 legs and I'd like to say it’s been just terrific but that would be a lie. He wobbles and falls and I carry him everywhere. Up and down stairs in the truck. Massage him, give him injections. I have done everything I can and it seems my best isn't good enough. The moral of the story ASK QUESTIONS TO YOUR VET. The Bella Moss Foundation is a place for pet owners to find support and advice about infections in animals – take this information and challenge your vets.

Sally is the most beautiful, kind, intelligent and loving dog that you could ever wish to meet, truly exceptional. Sally had an operation at the start of September 2007 to remove wires from her chest. This was done because following her initial heart surgery two and a half years previously, she had big scabs all down her sternum where the wires were, and we thought they were irritating her skin. In September when she had the sternum wires removed, they were sent to be cultured and we found out she had MRSA. By this point, her stitches had been taken out and the wound under her chest had completely opened up To date Sally has had pretty much every antibiotic there is, but the bacteria just becomes resistant to them very quickly and she has three openings under her chest which are discharging. Swab results keep coming back as ‘no growth’ and sterile, yet there is plently of yucky discharge, so we are all a bit confused at the moment, and about to give Manuka Honey a try. Without a swab analysis showing the current bacteria, we are unable to see if there are any other antibiotics to try. It is suspected that the MRSA might be in the bone of her sternum, and therefore not shifting. Sally is well in herself, though with no walks or life for four months, bandaged every other day, and a big cone on her head for four months, her resilience and strength is incredible. Jill has been a constant source of support, and has a really fantastic network of contacts. There have been many times when I have been freaked out and frustrated by this, and Jill has been a god send. We’ll continue to work together and do everything we can to get Sally well. It’s been going on a terribly long time!!

Our beautiful Momo, a black cat with one perfectly shaped white heart on her chest, came to us homeless one day, and of course we took her in. She changed our lives in the best of ways and brought and continues to bring us unlimited unconditional love every single day. One day in 2005, Momo was at her vet for a routine physical and teeth cleaning. while there she also had a urinalysis done which involves the insertion of a needle into the bladder. Shortly after momo returned home, we came to learn that our other cat, Fluffy, had a urinary tract infection, and after a culture, that it was MRSA. Fluffy was given antibiotics and, lucky for him, he cleared the infection. We then learned on November 12, 2005, that Momo had the same infection. She wasn't so lucky. Momo was treated with antibiotics for two years, and still she had MRSA. This past September we learned there were virtually no antibiotics left to try. In desperation, I went online and began researching MRSA. in this way, we were both lucky, as we discovered The Bella Moss Foundation and came to meet Jill Moss who so unselfishly gives of too much of her time to help animals who are infected like Momo in honor of her dearest precious Bella who tragically and heedlessly was lost to Jill from MRSA and medical ignorance and fear. Having determined to transform Bella's suffering and death to prevent the needless suffering and death of so many others, Jill has reached out across the huge Atlantic Ocean and shown us first-hand what a small world it can be. In an instant, it felt and continues to feel like Momo's fate has changed. Where she was hopeless, now there is hope. Where we were alone, now we have Jill and her representatives, Vikkie, the Reiki Healer, and Kim, the Veterinary Naturopath, and all of their help has known no boundaries. Because of Jill and the Foundation, Momo chose to participate in the Canadian MRSA study conducted by Drs Scott Weese and Meredith Faires, and their unselfish involvement and input have helped guide Momo's family and many other pet owners to make better and more informed life-saving choices. Because of Jill and the Foundation, we have this date retained the services of Bella's homeopathic veterinarian, Dr Richard Allport who we have every faith will improve Momo's health and with that, the quality of her life. Because of Jill and the Foundation, there is no ocean too wide. We feel we have gone from nothing to everything we could possibly need to make a difference. For this and for so much more, we are eternally grateful to Bella who gave her life so others may live. In Peace, Love, Hope and the Global Healing of Momo and many other animals.

I lost my beautiful Rosie on July 25th 2007. She had been ill with skin / allergy problems and also cervical disc disease for several years. In January 2007 she had a major spinal operation on the first disc in her neck because it had burst and was crushing her spinal cord. She recovered over the next 3 months and it seemed as though she was going to be ok. Sadly this was not the case. At the end of May she seemed to be in pain again and had once more taken to becoming very with drawn only moving as little as possible. My vets suggested she needed to see an orthopaedic specialist and this was arranged for the following Thursday June 7th. This was not with the same practice as her previous op. I was advised she needed a milogram which showed two discs unstable and it was proposed that 5 discs in total would be treated to alleviate the problem. I agreed as I was told it would help Rosie> I was then told to collect her the next am. She was brought out to me looking very poorly. She did not seem to recover at all over the next few days. Her wound was also weeping and not healing as it should have done. She developed sore patches on her tummy and lesions and soreness round her eyes. Whilst all this was happening she had developed a really acute water infection that would not clear up despite having 3 weeks of intensive treatment. By week 5 Rosie was looking really poorly and on the advice of a skin specialist I knew we asked for biopsies to be carried out to find out what was going on. 6 days later came the news that she had MRSA and was totally resistant to all antibiotics. The next thing came and it was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make but I decided the kindest thing I could do for Rosie was to put her to sleep so there would be no more pain. I shall never forget hr as she was my soul mate and there will always be a special place in my heart for her. I was told about the Bella Moss Foundation and a few day’s after I lost Rosie, Jill gave me so much support through this terrible time, and she still does. I now help the foundation with events and without the foundation’s help I would not be able to help other owners who are now losing their pets to mrsa.

Freya is our 2 1/2 year old Doberman. On the 16th September 2007, she was running to pick up her toy in the park and as she turned to come back, she was on 3 legs. There was no noise; no I'm feeling sorry for myself just this one leg tucked up and Freya still running quite fast on the 3 normal legs. We massaged the leg And used ice and we didn't walk the following day. There was no sign of pain except that this one leg was being carried high and she was protecting it. I called the vets early and decided to take her to our own vet and just check the leg was okay. Unfortunately it was a lot worse. Freya had snapped her right cruciate ligament. We were amazed at how high Freya's pain threshold must be. The vet told us we would have to wait for the swelling to go down then he would operate. The operation was set for 21st September at 08.40 after what seemed like an eternity of Freya being cooped up indoors and still running mad around the house on 3 legs. The operation we were told was a success although the vet told us it had taken longer than he had originally thought. Freya was home with us again all sleepy and feeling sorry for herself now, but we didn't mind she must have been in pain. We gave her plenty of cuddles and love as usual and we hoped that she would feel better real soon. I was working nightshift approx a week later and came home to find that my usual greeting at the front door by Freya didn't happen, she didn't even look up, she was just gently whining and I sensed that something was wrong. I woke my partner (as we had both been taking turns at sleeping-well attempting to grab half hour's sleep here and there!! on a mattress in the sitting room to look after Freya around the clock. Freya wasn't herself at all, the leg was swollen and hot and the change in her it was upsetting to see such an active dog go downhill so fast. We took her back to the vet, who put her on a broad spectrum antibiotic "SYNULOX 250mg twice x daily” Following this visit the swelling in the leg steadily got worse and the top two stitches had the flesh cutting above them. I came home and saw that had happened overnight and too k her back to the vets. They removed two top stitches. We continued to ice her leg on return to home and were told to keep an eye out for leakage from the wound and to take her back if there were any other problems. My partner is a paramedic and she said to me that night "you don't think it could be MRSA do you?" my god I had been silently worrying myself sick about that and had seriously started looking into her wound and what it looked like etc on the internet. I had never even heard of animals getting mrsa. I found The Bella Moss Foundation website and began been reading through it, I read for hours. I decided to call the number. I got hold of Jill on her birthday she was out with friends, but took my call in a quiet room. We spoke for a long time and Jill called me back to save my phone bill. Jill helped me feel calmer about Freya's situation, explained what may happen, what we needed to do and what we needed to ask our vet and how we needed to barrier nurse her as until now we had not worn gloves (the vet either!!) Jill was a blessing in disguise, she promised to call me the next day, which she did and continued to do so throughout Freya's illness, offering advice and giving me contact numbers of genuine knowledgeable people who were a fantastic help in our time of upset-(Thanks to all the friends of The Bella Moss Foundation who were so kind and helped us greatly.) I again returned home in the am to find Freya's leg had completely swollen out from the hip to her ankle/foot area and she had become so withdrawn and disinterested and I was seriously worried. I even tried to get her interested in her favorite treats and sliced up an apple for her she placed it in her mouth. She looked up ate me and let it drop to the floor. She had no energy. Back to the vet and this time they took all of her stitches out on the 4th October 2008, to see if these were the problem causing the swelling reaction. My partner and I asked the vet “could it be MRSA?" the vet looked at us and said “no I don't think so I've never had any cases of it but we'll take a swab of the leg and see what the results say”. The vet did not wear gloves and put Freya on more antibiotics. The sample came back a few days later confirming it was MRSA. My partner and I were very anxious and upset about the confirmation of our fears for Freya but at last we may get somewhere along the lines of curing her of this awful illness. The vet gave us ANTIROBE 150mg 2x daily. I also explained to the vet about our contact with Jill and the foundation, he had never heard of it so I called him later to give him all the details of the website to look it up and he said he would find out as much as he could now that we knew what Freya had. We did feel that the vet’s staff must have all been briefed on Freyas illness before we arrived and we soon realized that the staff became reluctant to give us information without first asking the vet. Also their attitudes changed towards us, we felt like we had caused the infection and we were the bad ones, it was awful. I actually told the vet how I felt and that it was pretty poor considering we all should be aiming for the same end result : to have Frey get well again and for us not to be treated like criminals when the greater chance of the infection being picked up was in his surgery. The vet disagreed, told me they had a locum member of staff and he would talk with her but he never really owned up to the source of the MRSA. Since then have treated much much better from his staff. I did threaten with taking this matter further if we couldn't afford Freya's treatment after the insurance money ran out and he said he would sort it out for us if it did, therefore I guessed that was as good of an admission I was going to receive. The infection took approx a week to show on Freya after her operation, this begs the question - How many dogs/cats and other animals are treated in that theatre in that week and no matter how much cleaning is done it has to be the right type of cleaning, using the right type of materials to avoid cross contamination etc. ? We knew Freya had contracted the infection during hospitalization and we even asked for a swab to be taken to find out the strain of the infection but that was never done. If we wanted to know the strain it would cost us an extra £100.00 !. Freya is now starting to return to her old self : eating and drinking and greeting us when we come home. We continue to build her walks up and have had two swabs back as normal. I really thought we'd loose Freya, but through Jill's positive ness, kindness and help most days on the phone or text, she pulled me through it. Even now Jill still continues to ask how Freya is and offer's us help in any way she can. Jill is a god send to people like us and dogs like Freya, because if you need information on MRSA it's still a battle to get the right information and knowing what to do for the dog going through this awful infection. It's paramount that the help that you need is available- and thanks to brave Bella and Jill it is! Freya had an awful lot of muscle wastage in her right leg after the operation and we now continue to build it up by taking her to hydrotherapy and we saw a physio for advice. Freya is not a natural swimmer so it is taking her a while to relax and enjoy it but I'm sure when the leg feels stronger she will stop splashing so much and learn to enjoy her time in the pool. We also had advice from Jill about building up her immune system and we continue to do this. There is a round, raised soft lump left joined through her second set of scars after her second operation (which removed the crimp incase the MRSA was hiding under it and the surgery that was originally done to mend Freya's cruciate ligament). December 12th 2007 we visited the vet for a check up, he is pleased with her progress, she has even put on weight but the lump needed to be swabbed and now we await the return of the results. Fingers crossed it's nothing serious. We will keep you updated and I know we have a friend in Jill for the help we need and the friends surrounding Jill to contact for advice and we will never be able to thank them enough! Thank you and big hugs from Chris and Julie, London.

A letter from Amber My fight for life I am 11 years old (a rough Collie). Here is my story. On a beautiful June morning I was chasing pigeons in my garden when I trod on a small apple and broke the cruciate ligament in my back leg. My folks took me to the vet who decided to operate - in total the cost came to £2,000. By this time my leg was very swollen, and I felt so ill, I thought I was going to die. For ten day's I could not eat and my folks kept me alive on glucose and water, they took me back to the vet and he told them I had mrsa and I had to be put to sleep. My folks refused. (Thank god) My folks took me home: my dad slept on the floor with me and my mum massaged my leg with olive oil and I took the antibiotics for weeks. I could not eat for weeks, my folks tried everything then eventually I remember corn beef was one thing I could eat beef with oxo gravy, as soon as I ate I could see the relief on their faces. Once I had begun to eat I gobbled it up . We went back to the vet each week and finally I was cleared of the mrsa. I now go for 2 walks a day and thinking back my first outing to the park was only 20 yards it has been a very gradual slow process. I am now getting stronger and I now manage over half a mile walks each time we go out. The biggest stroke of luck was finding The Bella Moss Foundation, Bella died so sadly but without Bella's mum's guidance and passion to keep me alive - I would not be here today. I would love to meet Jill and give her a very big kiss of thanks. Jill phoned my folks several times each week, putting my folks in touch with other vets, giving support and practical advise. It's nearly 6 months since my accident and when I contracting mrsa. I look back and remember how ill I was, unable to eat, my folks had to lift me with a sling when I needed to go out to the garden. I am so grateful that I have such a loving family and a wonderful friend in Jill Moss who refused like my folks to let me die. Thank you all so much for giving me the courage and will to fight for my life, Bella your spirit lives on in me.

I can not thank Jill and her team enough. My dog, Trout, was diagnosed with MRSA two months after he had TPL surgery when they were performing a second surgery to remove the plate they had previously inserted do to infection. Trout was extremely sick and non-responsive at this point so I began researching MRSA online to find out more information about the virus and assure myself Trout was being properly treated. It wasn't long after stumbling across Jill's website that I began seeing light at the end of the tunnel for Trout. Jill contacted me immediately upon receiving my request for information and was nothing but helpful in getting me the latest information on MRSA. I have since passed the articles on to Trout's surgeon who too was very appreciate and intends to share the information with the entire hospital. Every little bit of education helps and I am so thankful for Jill's assistance with Trout and have no doubt her continued efforts will have a huge impact on the veterinary practice today.

Max had been our family since he was a puppy. He was our little boy! and he brought us so much pleasure even when the kids came along we still regarded him as our first. He was brilliant with them he loved them and they loved him equally even our one year old little girl Erin loved him so much and followed him everywhere. On the 17th February 2006 our life's was turned upside down. On the 30th January Max had been admitted to Queen Mother animal hospital - Potters Bar where he was diagnosed with a tumour in his chest. He was operated on successfully to everyone's relief, he was recovering slowly and was discharged on the 14th we couldn't have been happier. Our emotions had been on a roller coaster ride for the past 2 odd weeks and at last we was on the home straight. Our happiness was not to last Max was not at all well on his return home and the very next day he was readmitted they were unsure what it was he could not walk he was very ill. On the afternoon of the 17th we got a call to say Max had gone down hill quickly and they had got some tests back confirming Max had MRSA. We was in shock we raced to the hospital but missed him by 5 mins and he died. We were numb we had never heard of MRSA in animals when we got home I went on the internet and found The Bella Moss Foundation. I contacted Jill and her support meant a great deal to us she taught us a lot about mrsa and explained things and helped us get through this terrible time. For that we will always be in debted to her. She even set up a meeting with the vets for us to talk things through. Not a day goes by that we don't miss Max and all his little ways and our house feels empty yes we are angry and feel robbed of him but we are trying to think of the 8 good years we had with him and all the happiness he brought to so many people.

It was on December 14, 2005 that Jazz took ill whilst in kennels. Jazz a 6 year old Black Labrador Cross has always suffered from allergic reactions and digestive disorders. Prior to our going on holiday Jazz suffered an allergic reaction to something and developed lumps on her nose and head and her ears became puffy. A trip to the vets resulted in her receiving a steroid injection and steroidal cream for her ears . The lumps appeared to be going down and the kennel owner was happy to accept her and continue her medication. On the second day of our three night break we received a phone call from the kennels who informed us that Jazz's condition had worsened. Her ears were full of sores and pustules as was her right eye and muzzle. Steroids were prescribed. When we picked her up she was in a right state, her ears were raw and full of dried blood. Her muzzle and eye were also raw.An immediate appointment was made at the vets and as there was nothing that they could do a further appointment made the next day. Jazz was fitted with a Buster Collar to prevent her getting at her ears which were clearly distressing her. Biopsies were taken (no clear results) and antibiotics and steroidal injections prescribed. A week passed with regular trips to the Vets for bandage changes etc. Jazz was not improving her sores were deepening and her fur being lost rapidly. Jazz was referred to the Skin Specialist at Rutland House Veterinary Hospital who told out Vets to immediately cease the steroids. MRSA was immediately suspected. Jazz remained hospitalised for a couple of days where cultures and samples were taken. We collected her on Christmas Eve and whilst she was initially happy to see us she was generally exhibiting all the signs of a poorly dog, not eating and lethargic. We cancelled all our Christmas plans and Christmas Day was a pretty solemn affair. My Wife and I were pretty tired as we had taken it in turns to sleep downstairs constantly observing her condition. A week later MRSA was diagnosed and the antibiotics (Antirobe and Marbocyl) prescribed by Rutland House changed to Trimacare. A couple of weeks went by and Jazz was continuing her recovery until one night her back legs gave way and she could not walk. The Vets suspected polyathropathy and Jazz was referred to Rutland House but this time the Orthopaedic Specialist. He immediately suspected a reaction to the antibiotics which tests proved to be correct. Desperation caused me to contact Jill who gave me hope and a non-vets understanding of the situation. Jazz's antibiotics were stopped and her improvement both skin wise and movement progressed rapidly. Three weeks ago Jazz was given the all clear. She was free from MRSA !! Her fur is now growing back save for her muzzle which will never recover. She is regaining her fitness and enjoying longer walks with each passing week. Her appetite is better than ever. As a treat for her we are taking her to the lake District in a couple of weeks. She has deserved it. When Jazz's legs failed we feared the worse and thought that we would lose her. Every day now is a bonus and despite our ghastly experience with this disease there is hope. Early detection is essential and the good work being undertaken by Jill and her colleagues can only raise awareness to prevent future casualties.

Rupert - 30 December 1996 - 11 December 2004 Rupert came to live with us at just over 7 weeks old, a bundle of woolly fur weighing over a stone with huge paws. We planned to call him Darcy as we had recently seen the tv adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. However, he so resembled a bear cub that he could have no other name but Rupert. Despite my best efforts to remain a little detached he very soon became the centre of my world around which everything else had to revolve. His needs were first and foremost in my mind and I loved him with all my heart. Rupert grew so quickly, at one stage he seemed to be all legs! And then in the blink of an eye he became a very majestic boy indeed, with long silky fur and a magnificent tail. His beautiful deep amber eyes a window to his kind and gentle soul. He had a few ups and downs with his health but I devoted all my efforts to making him well again. He was a strong boy with a fighting spirit and always bounced back. Then tragedy struck, I found a small lump (which turned out to be a cyst) on his foot and took him to the vet for it to be removed. I know he was very large boy, big even for a Bernese, but she operated on him on the floor of a consulting room. Within days of the op he began to tug off the fur from the inside of his legs and his tummy and he clearly had a temperature. Rupert was given the usual broad spectrum antibiotics, first one course, then another and another until I demanded that the cause of the infection be found. Skin samples were taken and from these a diagnosis of MRSA and Pseudomonas was given. My heart sank but we persevered with the antibiotics recommended by The Animal Health Trust, special shampoo and a cream. We thought he had beaten both as Rupert seemed to improve but sadly it wasn't to be. The damage had been done, the battle was lost and Rupert could carry on no more. His brave heart gave out and he died in my arms - my darling boy gone forever. Rupert holds a special place in my heart which will never be filled by anyone else. So while I live, he lives. And maybe, if I'm very lucky and God hears my prayers, we will be together again my little man and I. Through an article in a newspaper I found Jill and the Bella Moss Foundation. Jill and I have found many similarities between Bella and Rupert and we share an overwhelming sense of loss. I hope that in some way I will be able to help Jill with her campaign to ensure the fact that animals can be infected with MRSA is acknowledged by the veterinary profession. Also to see that measures are put in place to improve the standard of hygiene within practices, particularly when vets are undertaking surgical procedures. Now that truly would be a legacy worthy of my beloved Rupert.

This is Malcolm. He is the most wonderful, affectionate, loving, special cat I have ever come across. I rescued him from the RSPCA 6 years ago when he was 3 years old and had been neglected in a house with 20 other cats. I knew straight away that Malcolm was special and we developed a very special bond very quickly. In March 2006, Malcolm had a swelling in his left ear and I noticed him scratching his ear a lot and shaking his head. I took him to the vets who advised that Malcolm had a haematoma (burst blood vessel) from shaking his head and that something may be stuck in his ear or there was an infection causing his ear to become irritated. 2 days later, Malcolm underwent an operation to remove the haematoma and the vets confirmed they couldn't detect what had caused the haematoma but that he was on his way to recovery. However, Malcolm's ear swelled up again and again and didn't seem to get any better. After numerous visits to the vets where they drained his ear each time, they then advised that Malcolm would need to undergo a 2nd procedure, as the 1st operation had not gone as planned. Malcolm underwent the 2nd procedure and it was then that the vets confirmed that there was an ear infection and that they would need to do a swab to determine what infection it was. By this time, Malcolm was not his usual happy self and was very withdrawn and quiet. Whilst waiting for the test results, Malcolm's ear swelled up again and again and the vets gave him steroid injections to help reduce the swelling. 1 wk later and the results came back and I was told Malcolm had MRSA. The vets said it was treatable with antibiotics and asked whether myself or my partner had been in contact with hospitals in the last 6 mths. When we replied that we hadn't, the vets said that it was likely that Malcolm had picked up MRSA from their practice. Thinking nothing more of this, we took Malcolm home and started his course of antirobe antibiotics. I was so worried and upset and just wanted Malcolm to be better. At this stage, he had been ill for 8 weeks and not been his usual self. I am pleased to report that Malcolm is now fully recovered and his ear is back to normal. However, I can't forget all of the worry and upset that the whole episode caused, as well as knowing what Malcolm had to go through. The vets themselves, offered no explanations or any sympathy and were very defensive when I probed them about the possibility that MRSA could have been passed to Malcolm by one of their staff during his 1st procedure. The staff have now all been swabbed by the RCVS and I await to hear the outcome. I came across the Bella Moss Foundation when I was searching on the internet for information about MRSA in animals. There were no other sources of information whatsoever (especially about MRSA in cats) and the website was so useful and helped me to understand what MRSA was and how it could impact our pets. It was so comforting to know that there were others who understood how I felt and it gave me hope that Malcolm would get better from reading the other testimonials and information on the site.

On the 15th Febuary 2005 my 9 year old Weimeraner bitch Tarka, had to have an emergency operation for bloat. All went well! How relieved we were. Then a couple of weeks later the wound started to weep. Tarka went off her food, a bit moody and lethargic. I phoned the vets immediately.we took her in. The vet thought she maybe rejecting the internal stitches. So back into surgery. When they opened her up they found pockets of infection. She underwent further surgery to de-bride the wound and take swabs. The next thing we heard was that Tarka had MRSA (what a blow, my dog has the superbug !!!) The vet had to de-bride the wound and leave the wound open. Tarka was put into isolation and whilst swabs were taken and sent off to the labs in liverpool.She was very unhappy after 8 days . She had the dreaded collar fitted,which she hated. We offered to take Tarka home and nurse her at home.the vet said we had to wait for lab results to come through to see whether she was a carrier. The test came back negative, of course. That was last Tuesday. Tarka is very happy. The wound has healed by two thirds and we are astounded how we have beaten THE SUPERBUG, wow. The vets have been very good about supplying us with the dressings etc. i wonder why? Dont be afraid of this bug. It can be beaten, if caught early enough. When i first heard. My HEART DROPPED! I found out about Jill Moss on the internet. I contacted Jill and she was so positive. She really helped me to decide to go for it. Thanks Jill, you are doing a great job. Let me know if I can help in any way.

Jill, I am so moved by your story. After talking to you today, I feel as though I've known you and even Bella for a long time. I went to the Bella Moss Foundation website and read through so much. I looked at every photo and then read all the comments posted by Bella's family and friends. I am so moved now that I am sobbing as I write this. How could I not be a part of helping you bring awareness, education and knowledge to the world. Bella will be honored and this won't be in vain Jill. Rest easy my new friend and know that she will live on in hearts all over the world and will be the reason things change!!

Firstly i must say how sorry i was to read Bella's story, until Monday the 21st March i was totally unaware that this but was contractable by pets (ignorant i know), My beloved English Bull Bud broke his leg the week before and after a rather unsuccessful attemp with a leg plaster it was decided that a plate in his leg would be the best thing for him, he had his op on the friday and was hospitalised with the vet over the weekend,However we went to collect him on the Monday and our vet informed us of his worry at an infection to the wound, and that at the time he feared it may be MRSA he had already taken a swab of the infection and sent it off for ananysis, in the mean time he had been injecting him with double dose antibiotics (i would like to say that if my vet had not been so dilligent and i must say caring this infection would have gone un-noticed until it was to late)a trip later that week for a check up confirmed his and our fears, yes it was MRSA, the swab had identified which strain and fortunatly one of the antibiotics being administered was the right one (good vet or good guess?). Well as i am sure you are the same i left no avenue unexplored, i have a friend who is a faith healer (yes i did ask him for help) another good friend who is a Matron at the hospital in Coventry i asked her advice, when i mentioned to her about a chap from Nuneaton who had developed a cream in his own garage (not a multi million pound company just a chap looking to help his wifes skin condition) she told me hat his daughter was her hairdresser and gave me the chaps number, we phoned him the following day and to our amazement he asked if he could pop round with his own vet to look at the dog and let us know if they could help, they were both there within half an hour, had a look at old Bud (he is only 16 months) gave us a tub of the lotion instructed us on how to apply it and told us that it will kill the bug on or around the wound and that if the wound were to open pour the lotion into it, that was last Friday, we have had a few complications in the week not related to the leg but an abcess that developed on Buds shoulder as a result of all the injections he has had, but i must say his leg would appear to be getting better it is still weeping slightly which i am told is to be expected but it seems to be contained, Bud being a bully is now bearing weight on his leg and for the first time today stood on it as he cocked his other leg (silly i know but i felt happy for him), anyway i did call the number that you left on the forum and spoke to a gentleman that told me to e-mail you with this information, there is a posting on the site from the vet who came out to visit with the lotion, i am sure its Bud he is refering to as the dog currently receiving the lotion for the infection and it is definately helping. I thank you for the information that is available from your web site it is invaluable to people like myself who dont know what the hell to do and i would like to talk to you further if you are available, good work on five live and GMTV keep it up and once again thank you.

Last month my thirteen-year-old miniature dachsund, Jenna, developed a swollen eye. I assumed that she had been bit by a spider or an ant, but after the swelling returned following a course of Clavimox, my vet x-rayed the eye and took a culture, it was discovered that Jenna had MRSA (the lab report said that the sampling was "scant," meaning that it was not a severe case). Jenna has also had a long battle with allergies and dermatitis. When I heard the diagnosis I completely panicked, as I have heard of people dying from MRSA. I am also pregnant, have eczema and also have a four-year-old son with PLEVA, a benign skin condition. I conducted searches on the internet and came up with little information. Then I found Jill Moss' website, and she was able to provide me with some helpful information and also calmed me down. This was a tremendous help because I was literally having an anxiety attack before I heard from Jill! I had myself swabbed and came back negative. I didn't have my son swabbed because his skin has been clear. Jenna was treated with another antibiotic for 21 days and the vet believes that the MRSA has been eradicated! For the first time in a year her skin is completely healed with no ulcerations. Our vet said that in the twenty years she has been practicing, this is only the second case of MRSA she has ever seen. However, I suspect that it is becoming more common and that the vet community needs to learn much more... I am still interested in learning more about MRSA transmission. I feel that I am extremely lucky not to have contracted MRSA from Jenna. She never slept with family members and we always washed out hands thoroughly after touching her. After the diagnosis was made I fanatically washed everything in hot water and bleached and mopped the floors with hospital grade disinfectant. I obsessively washed my hands and made my family stop walking barefoot in the house. Every doctor or vet that I spoke with minimized the situation, saying that MRSA was literally everywhere in our environment anyway. I truly beleive that there is so much more to be learned about MRSA and hope that some research on MRSA transmission is conducted in the near future. I can't thank Jill Moss and her website enough for providing me with valuable information and giving a place to connect with others dealing with this issue!

This is Duke, our 7 year old German Shepherd. A few months ago Duke became very ill. He had contracted a Clostridial infection which was rapidly destroying tissue and muscle around the top of his leg. Our local Vet was unable to deal with the condition and Duke was referred to an animal hospital. Following extensive surgery (twice) Duke was left with open wounds for several days while the vets went away to a conference!! Eventually, after further delays, we were informed that Duke had now contracted MRSA. Our account by this point was standing at approximately £5500. The animal hospital discharged Duke into our and our local Vet's care. At this point I started to look on the web for information about MRSA in dogs. I was delighted to discover the Bella Moss Foundation as we needed help and reassurance at this time. As soon as I contacted Jill we had a lot of help and support and whilst I deeply regret that ANY pet should contract MRSA, it was a comfort and a help to know that we were not the only ones going through this trauma. Happily Duke has made a full recovery. Unfortunately our bank balance has not!!!

Just before Christmas 2005 I discovered a growth on Flo's the terrier's chest. We knew about MRSA because a family member had contracted it while in hospital and we were naturally anxious that Flo should not become infected during the procedure to remove the lump. I emailed the pets-mrsa web site and immediately Jill got in touch. I had so much good and practical advice from her and her expert contacts as well as moral support when needed. Thanks to Jill and the kind care of our vet, Flo came through, infection free and with her joie de vivre undimmed, and continues to give us delight.

Zack Weeks-Brown is yet another Samoyed who contracted nosocomial MRSA, at a university vet hospital in February 2006. Fortunately, his surgical site was not involved, and he suffered "only" a MRSA skin infection. It took almost 2 months before a dermatologist figured out what was going on, and, by that time, Zack had been on the wrong antibiotics continuously since surgery. Samples collected in August 2006 finally confirmed that he was free of the MRSA. Jill provided on-going counseling to me over a period of months. She sent me scientific proceedings from the Liverpool conference, which were helpful both to my understanding of the affliction and in helping me craft a proposal for reimbursement to the university. She called me overseas and stood ready to help me in any way. Yesterday, the hospital administrator agreed to refund a good portion of Zack's MRSA-related expenses. Really, the expenses didn't end with the lack of detection of MRSA. After long courses of several different antibiotics, Zack's skin was cycling back and forth between population explosions of yeast alternating with population explosions of several types of bacteria. That cycle was initiated by the initial wrongful course of antibiotics that was given to Zack right after his routine (!) surgery. Zack is a darling boy. My husband and I adopted him (on the left in the photo) and his twin sister Zoey (on the right) in November 2005. The prior spring, they had been taken to the vet for euthanasia at age 7, due to uncontrolled diabetes. The vet refused to kill two beautiful, sweet dogs for no good reason, and asked that they be surrendered to him. He stabilized their diabetes (the owners had not complied with medical advice) and turned them over to Buckeye Samoyed Rescue, where they lived for several months prior to adoption to us. I have found "second-hand" Samoyeds to be extremely affectionate and bonded to their owners, as Bella was to Jill. Their love and charming dispositions inspire tremendous love in return. There is no such thing as an unwanted Sammy, there are only some Sammies in unwanted homes! Rescue seeks to unite these wonderful beings with owners who will understand them. www.samoyedrescue.com. Thank you

Maple our beautiful bouncing boxer went in for a TPLO operation on 19th July 2006. We were not at all worried about it as she had gone through the same operation a couple of years before for her other leg. That operation was a total success, this one was not!! She came home two days after her TPLO weight bearing and looking pretty healthy, but three days later her leg became very swollen very quickly and I took her straight back to the veterinary specialists. She was immediately put onto a course of antibiotics and there she stayed for over a week while the vets waited for the swab results. It came back MRSA positive! I was horrified - it had not crossed my mind that she would have such a frightening bug. In total panic I went onto the internet and there I found The Bella Moss Foundation, Jill emailed me back almost immediately, what a relief it was to find such a wonderfully informed person who was able to give much more reassurance that the vets had been able to for fear of reprisals if all went wrong. Luckily the vets had put Maple onto the correct intravenous antibiotic immediately, and then on confirmation of the MRSA they implanted antibiotic beads into the infected area, and tapped her knee joint to check that was clear – it was. These were in place for 10 days during which Maple was in isolation and not able to come home as the wound was weeping. We did not see her for the first 10 days as every day I thought she would be coming home but upon confirmation of the MRSA we needed to see her. What a shock we had, she had dropped an enormous amount of weight and although very pleased to see us she was very poorly. We really thought that we would lose her. The vets were becoming increasingly worried about her lack of weight bearing on the leg and tapped her knee again 10 days after the previous tapping. The MRSA had invaded her knee joint! Another operation was needed to implant yet another string of beads. She stayed in for another 10 days, we went to see her every other day, but I felt this was only upsetting her even more so we stopped going. The wounds finally healed up and she came home for almost two weeks, we knew that the beads needed to be removed and were dreading her going back in, she had them removed and she came home the next day, only to go back two days later when the second wound erupted again. The MRSA was still in the knee joint, she underwent yet another operation to implant yet more beads into the joint, this time they left the wound open to drain fully. Three weeks later she was still in isolation and the wound was still weeping, but by now the discharge was clear - it was the joint fluid preventing the knee capsule from healing up. So yet again she had another operation to stitch up the hole. Eventually the wound stopped weeping and she came home. She had been in for a month this time. In total Maple was in hospital in isolation for 10 weeks barring the two weeks she came home in the middle. It has been the most emotional and worrying summer for all of us, but Jill and Mark were there for us for the entire time, constantly reassuring us that Maple would be OK as the infection had been caught so early. They were right. Maple is back to normal with a slight limp and a lack of muscle, but both should improve over time. We now live with the threat that the plate from the original TPLO operation (which is still in her leg) could flare up at any time, so we are being vigilant. Out vets admitted that Maple had had the most persistent case of MRSA that they had even experienced. I hope that Maple’s story will give hope and reassurance to anybody who’s pet is suffering with MRSA, it can be beaten! Keep up the good work, Jill; you are an inspiration to us all. Thank you.

Inca is our 3 year-old gentle and kind rottweiler who came to us as a stray. She broke both her back knees in 2006 and whilst at the Queen Mother's Hospital contracted MRSA. After 8 months of excellent treatment I am happy to say she is now healed and just lovely.

Dowie was 8 years old when he contracted MRSA. He was admitted into the Veterinary Hospital due to a persistent problem with his ear. I'm not sure what you call it, but basically blood collects in-between the flaps of skin and can be drained off. If this doesn't work, a small operation is carried out to remove all the blood and then stitch the two flats of skin down. The op went well and Dowie soon was back to his old self. However, about five days later, his ear was very inflamed and sore and causing him great distress. I returned him to the Vets who gave him more antibiotics and sent him home, only for me to have to return with him again the following evening because it was much worse. They then booked him in as an in-patient and put him on a drip of antibiotics. Two days later all seemed to be well and home he came. Sadly after a few more days the ear was a dreadful mess and this time "something" was spreading onto his face. They admitted him once again and he was in the Vets for a total of 12 days on three different antibiotic drips at once. For 10 of those days, I didn't think he would return home to me, but finally the corner was turned and he did, although he still had to have the ear cleaned three times a day and more antibiotics. At no time was I told that Dowie was suffering from MRSA, only a "particularly resistent bug". It was only after Dowie was given the all clear, that one of the Vets actually said, "not many dogs recover from MRSA, he certainly is made of strong stuff". You can imagine my horror at being told this. None of the Vets in the practice ever explained to me how he had caught MRSA, merely asking whether or not I was a nurse - I'm not, I work in the legal profession. Poor Dowie suffered horrendous pain and discomfort during the time as an in-patient and when he got hom. He was a very brave dog (he had 13 malignant tumours removed in his life) but seeing the distress he suffered with the MRSA was nearly too much to stand. Last year, Dowie died suddenly after suffering seizures in the middle of the night. He had never had seizures before and I have to wonder if it had something to do with the MRSA in his ear - perhaps spreading into his brain - unknown to me or the Vets. The only way they could know for sure would to have been to carry out a post-mortem and I wasn't going to have him put through that. The Vets never admitted liability, but it seems very strange to me that their procedures have since changed at the Hospital. I never knew that animals could become infected with MRSA so I hope that this story and the other stories on your website help others to realise that their beloved pets can be in great danger of infection when undergoing "routine" operations so that the pain that Dowie suffered and the subsequent loss that I suffered won't be felt by others.

Our dog Jessie contracted MRSA on April 15th after going in for a routine spaying operation. The vet said everything had gone well and she should be back to her usual active self the next day. The following day she was really ill, wouldn’t eat, drink, being sick, shivering and generally lethargic - this didn’t change for a week. I contacted the vet who told me she was probably depressed as they realised she had milk in her teats before they operated so was probably in the middle of a phantom pregnancy! Over the following week we called the vet out almost everyday, we went from a reaction to internal stitches, a urine infection, to an infection where her ovaries were removed. Her wound was weeping and she was now passing a bloody discharge. Eventually they took a swab on Sunday 24th April and it was confirmed on the 29th that she had in fact contracted MRSA. We were utterly shocked, all I could think of that we were going to lose her, I didn’t have any knowledge on MRSA in humans let alone dogs. Our vet put the onus on us as being colonised with MRSA (1 in 3 people carry it harmlessly) he felt that I must have passed it onto her coat then she took it in to the operating theatre, where it placed itself inside the open wound. The probability of this is very slim compared with the probability of one of the staff who was in the operating room at the time passing it to her. We have since changed vets and have all been screened and are all negative. It's easy for the vet to blame you and with no understanding of MRSA it's easy to believe them and feel to blame. Luckily for us we came across The Bella Moss Foundation and pets-mrsa.com Jill has been a god send, herself and Mark have spent hours on the phone advising us all we need to know about MRSA and putting us in touch with experts within the field and other owners over the country whose dog’s have or had MRSA. When I was in panic mode Jill calmed me down and helped me straighten things out in my head. Our vet tried to warn us against looking on the Internet - I wonder why? Thankfully Jess has made a full recovery and is even more hyper than she was before! Thank you Trustees of the Bella Moss Foundation, Jill Moss and Mark Dosher if you ever need the favour returned you know where we are x

Update October 7th 2006 by Jill Moss - "I am so upset by the fact that after so many months of battling with all the very best care there could be for Xena, she passed away this evening. The Bella Moss Foundation has been very close with Vicky Yates and our hearts go out to her at this difficult time." Jill, I can never repay you for the help you have given me So this is a small token of thanks for thee, An amazing person you are With strength incomparable by far, These words I have written So please sit back and listen. Xena is everything, my baby and my life To watch her suffer and lie in pain hurt like a knife, We thought the end was near With no help, desperation and fear, My heart had sunk and been ripped out With nowhere to turn I would cry and shout, Then I found you with light and hope From the stormy black sky like A ray of sunshine you helped me cope. Then new medicine to make her better you helped me to find, So without you I think you can see my hands would still be bind, And so the story ends with a smile Because of you Xena will be around for a long while. These angels' wings remind of you As you gave me hope when emptiness was all I knew...

Jill Moss has helped all of us pet lovers in so many ways, regarding MRSA. I never even knew about how horrible this can be for our furry children, until I just happened to run into her site. I had my Bella, and eight pound, red, mini Dachshund checked out immediately. And she was again checked about 3 weeks ago. Thank The Dear Lord that she is okay. As I told Jill, she is in our prayers daily, but I thank God that she has made us all aware of this terrible infection. John and I love you, Jill!

The support I have received from Jill @ pets-mrsa has been invaluable. Through her I have been helped and given advice from several top veterinary surgeons and microbiologists. My dog Ebony has been on antibiotics since the beginning of last Summer because of ulcerated areas in her hind feet and under her right armpit. My vet has taken routine swabs from the infected areas regularly but the one that came back in January showed she had MRSA. Because I am due to have some corrective surgery on my face I was swabbed and I came back MRSA positive also. Obviously, this has caused great concern for not only me and her but all my family. To be able to talk to Jill and for her to put me in touch with top people in this field has given me answers, help and advice from people I would not normally be able to contact. I know Jill has been inspired by the death of her own beloved dog but she has made the veterinary world sit up and realize there IS A PROBLEM.

My dog Larry became infected with MRSA following cruciate ligament surgery (just like Bella did) I searched the website for information on pets and MRSA and found The Bella Moss Foundation. Jill spoke with me for many hours and advised me on what to ask my vet and put me in touch with experts who could offer me advise when my vet knew very little. Larry is now doing well; he is only three years old. Jill told me that when Bella died she searched Internet for information on MRSA in pets and found nothing so set up the website www.pets-mrsa.com Now in the memory of Bella a beautiful lady who died so tragically, other animals are being saved. Thank you Jill so much and we pray for you every day and for Bella who is at the rainbow bridge where all special souls go to she will never have died in vain you must believe that.