show Abstracthide AbstractThe majority of canine pyodermas are caused by Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, which is part of the normal skin microbiota of the dog. The mechanisms that lead a commensal bacterium to transform itself into a pathogen have so far remained elusive to research. However, understanding the whole pathogenic process is of outmost importance to develop new treatment and prevention strategies. We hypothesized that comparative analysis of the complete genome of S. pseudintermedius strains isolated from healthy dogs and dogs with pyoderma could help to understand the pathogenesis of pyoderma.