Maltese Eyes

[aspen123]

Can I use Besivance in my dogs eyes? He has an eye infection. He is totally blind and is 16 years old.

[Ghilly]

Just because your dog has an eye infection and these are antibiotic drops doesn't mean that the infection will respond to these drops.  The type of antibiotic prescribed depends on what the bacteria is that is causing the infection.  Besivance is effective against eight strains of streptococcus, one strain of moraxella, and two strains of corynebacterium.  If the strain that is responsible for his eye infection is a different strain, it will not only not work, you run the risk of an adverse reaction because the drug is formulated for humans.

Besivance is in the class of antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones.  Besivance being a trade name, the actual name of the active ingredient in the antiboitic is besifloxacin.  Fluoroquinolones are not drugs to be taken lightly.  They are powerful antibiotics that can affect the person taking them very adversely depending on the circumstances.  These drops can cause severe allergic reactions in certain individuals and since they are formulated for humans and not dogs, the chances for an adverse reaction are greater than they would be for a human.

You are best off calling your vet and making an appointment for him to be examined.  Please let us know what the vet says.

Ghilly

[ginger899]

Besivance may be OK....I am unsure. It would be fine for human use, but is it fine for dogs? I don't know. I would recommend calling your vet to ask advice about safety for its use in dogs. If you are not sure, then make an appointment with your vet for an appropriate antibiotic lotion. Your dog may even need oral antibiotics as well.