New York ? Some veterinarians are documenting more and more cases of drug-resistant staph infections in dogs and cats, but say there is no reason for alarm among pet owners if they follow measures of simple hygiene.

Dr. Lewis Gelfand, a Long Beach, N.Y., veterinarian, said he’s treating an increasing number of animals with skin eruptions infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus – MRSA. The cases seem to have increased, he said, in recent months.

“It’s definitely a rapidly expanding problem,” Gelfand said, adding that he has had 19 cases in dogs in the past year. “I believe it is a significantly underdiagnosed problem. We have been seeing dermatological cases as well as open sores.

“I haven’t had a case in a cat yet but I am sure it’s just a matter of time.”

Dr. Patrick McDonough, an assistant professor in the diagnostics laboratory at Cornell University’s veterinary college, said pets contract MRSA from their owners.