Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is a new staphylococcal species which has been recognized as an opportunistic pathogen in many kinds of domestic animals, especially in dogs and cats. In recent years, the occurrence of methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus pseudintermedius has increased significantly. Isolation and prevalence of coagulase positive S. pseudintermedius in some domestic animals was the aim of the current study. In order to isolate the S. pseudintermedius, clinical specimens were taken by a sterile swab from the snouts and noses of domestic animals including dogs, cats and their owners who referred to veterinary clinics of Mazandaran province. The specimens were directly inoculated on mannitol salt agar and incubated at 37°C for 48h. Staphylococci were identified by their morphological and physiological characteristics. In addition, oxacillin screening plate method was used for determination of methicillin-resistant isolates. The results of this study showed that in 65 clinical specimens, 54 isolates were Staphylococcus. Moreover, the results of the tube coagulase test showed that 11 isolates were coagulase positive. These results demonstrated that the prevalence ofcoagulase positive S. pseudintermediusin clinical specimens collected from dogs, cats and pet owners were 12.3, 3.02 and 1.5 percent, respectively. This study indicated that coagulase positive S. pseudintermedius was present in domestic dogs and cats. Due to the constant interaction between these animals and their owners, it is important to prevent the transmission of antibiotic-resistant staphylococci between animals and humans. Achieved data were assessed by SPSS software and KHI 2 test. P<0.05 was designated as the meaningful level.
