My 8-day-old puppies have eye discharge. Can I give them Augmentin?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Augmentin or Clavamox are typically effective for skin infections, but Cephalexin is generally more commonly used. Common ophthalmic antibiotics often include Neomycin or Orbifloxacin. I hope this is helpful!

Unfortunately, by law it is illegal for the experts at Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to give the dose information for any drug, including OTC drugs, without seeing the animal in person first. That's because doing so requires a veterinary client patient relationship which cannot be achieved via an internet forum. In addition, the experts cannot say for certain if a specific drug is safe for Laila. Finally, the safety of using Azithromycin in nursing dogs has not been determined, so I would not recommend using it in her. It is never say to try to treat your dog yourself, as you could accidentally give a medication that is harmful to her or inappropriate to use. I would take her and her puppies into the vet today for an exam and treatment. I hope this helps!

You did not give us the dosage to be able to tell you if it is reasonable or not. How much of the 156mg/ml solution are you giving every 8 hours? If the mother doesn't have milk you will need to bottle feed. Here is a link on how to hand raise a puppy. He is probably a good 2-3 weeks away from eating on his own. ( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/feeding-orphaned-puppies )

Unfortunately, without seeing them in person, it's illegal for me to say if it's safe for your puppies to have antibiotics. I can say that it's never safe to self treat your animals, as you may do harm accidentally, and it's not recommended to give antibiotics "just in case" as that promotes antibiotic resistance. If they aren't showing any symptoms, you don't need to take them into the vet, but if they appear sick, I would have them seen by a vet immediately.

Hi and thanks for posting. Topical eye medications are really best for eye infections including conjunctivitis and other conditions of the eye. The Augmentin would help treat any skin infection around the eyelid or skin surrounding the eye. An accident such as finger poke in the eye can cause injury to the cornea of the eye which will need to be diagnosed with a vet eye exam. Specific eye medications are used to treat various conditions of the eye such as corneal injuries so it is best to see your vet if the eye appears swollen in any way.

These puppies probably have an upper respiratory tract infection and/or infectious conjunctivitis. Usually a course of antibiotics (topical for the eye and oral) will take care of the issue. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Baytril (Enrofloxacin) does have the potential to stunt growth or cause joint abnormalities with the cartilage if given in pets younger than 8 months of age. I would not expect these changes to occur with such a short dosage; however, I would recommend expressing your concerns to your veterinarian and getting them on an alternative medication. The whole class of Fluoroquinolone drugs are not recommended for pets under 8 months of age unless they are absolutely necessary. Best of luck with your pet Presto and take care!