Can I use human chloramphenicol eye ointment for my dog's ulcer?

Eye ulcers are very complex and there is no one size fits all treatment. There are many options for treating ulcers and this is in part depends on the underlying cause of the ulcer (poor tear production/quality, inturned eyelids/eyelashes, scratches from other dogs/cats etc). The cornerstone of treatments are a lubricant drop plus an antibiotic drop (each applied 15mins apart every 2-6hours depending on severity), in many cases serum drops (prepared from the patients blood) are also used to promote healing and prevent further inflammation. Surgical treatment may also be required to clear damaged tissue from the surface of the ulcer and sometimes to protect the eye with flaps/contact lenses etc. I recommend a check up by your vet to ensure the most appropriate treatment is selected

Based on this picture, that looks like a fairly superficial corneal ulceration. Oral antibiotics are not the treatment for this sort of issue, as direct ophthalmic medications will be required. The treatment will be aimed at preventing secondary infection,, reducing inflammation / pain, and mending the corneal surface. Otis will also need to wear a cone to make sure that he doesn't try and scratch at the eye and make matters worse for himself. This issue is not life-threatening, but the ulcer will definitely get worse if it is not treated quickly and properly, particularly if he is the kind of dog that will bother at it. If you've been to the vet already, he may have put a stain in the eye and then looked with a special light to see the actual depth of the ulcer. He will be able to tell you if the ulcer is actually superficial or if goes deeper than it appears in the picture. Hope this all makes sense.

This looks like a corneal ulceration. The white film is a mixture between the lesin itself and the attempt of healing. Chloramphenicol 0,5% three times daily (it needs to be stored in the fridge) and then (after 10 ms) a gel to protect the eye (like Viscotears liquid gel or similar) can be used in the meantime. Please take another (closer this time if you can) pic of the eye so we can give you more specific suggestions about it. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

Hello, sorry to hear about Lily. Exocin is a topical antibiotic. You should aim to apply it at minimum every 6-8 hours until her recheck. If you are able to, you should apply this drops every 2 hours for the first 2 days, then every 4 hours for 5 days as recommended. Superficial ulcers take about 3-5 days to heal and you should see significant improvement in Lily's symptoms within 2-3 days. If you are not seeing improvement by day 5, then you should have a recheck with your veterinarian promptly. Best of luck and hope Lily has a speedy recovery.

Hello and thank your for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Superficial corneal ulcers are treated with antibiotics eye drops and oral pain killers. These medications are prescription-only, so you need to take your kitten to your local vets to get them.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! That is an excellent question! The main reason is that the topical (to put in the eye) prednisolone does not have good systemic penetration so it has more of the anti-inflammatory effects of it without the immunosuppressive part of it. For this reason, we are not concerned about the infection getting worse. Good luck and have a great day!

Hello, thank you for using Pet Coach. So sorry that Sid is having this issue. Chloramphenicol does come in a drop - we can get it here in the U.S. Maybe it is not available in the UK? I am unsure about this. The ointment is likely a better choice in this instance anyway as it lasts longer in the eye so you can apply it less frequently. If you get a drop you will need to put it in quite frequently (like every 2-4 hours) as it doesn't last long. As for the ointment just sitting on the eye, that is likely OK. Enough is probably getting where it needs to be. If he is having trouble blinking you may have to do it for him. I usually apply the ointment and then close the eyelids with my fingers and gently rub the upper eyelid to spread the ointment over the eyeball. I do this whether or not a tarrsorrhaphy (third eyelid flap) has been performed or not. I know this is not fun to do and cats are not usually the best patients. Just do the best you can. If he is trying to fight you, you may want to wrap him up in a heavy towel like a burrito with only his head sticking out. That may make it easier for you to medicate him. Hope this helps. If you have more questions please feel free to post again. Best wishes!